Paul Rykken is originally from Cando, North Dakota, and spent his formative years in both North Dakota and Wisconsin in three of the six communities his father, Thor Rykken, served during his 50-year ministry. His mother Cathy was an exceptional teacher and taught in several school systems. Rykken graduated from West Fargo High School where he excelled in both basketball and cross country, being named, “Outstanding Senior Athlete,” in 1975. He credits his teachers and coaches during those high school years as mentors who inspired him to become an educator and coach. Rykken graduated from Concordia college in 1979 with a B.A. in history and coaching minor. While at Concordia, he played on the Cobber basketball team and got his start in coaching when Collette Folstad needed an assistant coach with the women’s team during his junior and senior years.

Rykken’s teaching career began in the fall of 1979, in Appleton, Minnesota, where he taught history and served as head coach in both cross country and basketball. In May of 1980, Rykken married his college sweetheart Mary Schultz, and, in 1980, they returned to West Fargo where Paul took on the challenge of teaching at his Alma Mater for ten terrific and fun-filled years with wonderful teaching and coaching colleagues. As they started a family, the Rykken “duo” coached in a variety of capacities for the Packers, including cross country, track and field, and basketball. It was an exciting time, as Packer athletics began taking off in earnest with the continued district growth. In 1985, Rykken earned a master’s degree in American history from the University of Minnesota-Moorhead and was instrumental in developing an Honors History course at WFHS in 1988.

In 1990, seeking a new challenge, the Rykken family moved to Wisconsin, where Paul and Mary became teachers and coaches at Black River Falls High School. Coming into a social studies Department undergoing major changes provided several great opportunities. Throughout his 30-year tenure at BRFHS, Rykken instituted an AP History program, took the lead in developing the civics curriculum, and developed courses that brought greater international awareness, particularly in response to 9-11 and its aftermath. In addition, he initiated the Falls History Project in 2000, an ongoing endeavor highlighting community history. Perhaps most notably, Rykken became a state-level leader in the implementation of American Indian history for a school district in which more than a quarter of the students have Native heritage. In 2014, he became an Associate Lecturer with UW-Green Bay’s First Nations Studies Department and implemented a dual-credit offering at BRFHS focusing on Ho-Chunk history.

Among other recognitions during his career, Rykken received the Friend of Indian Education award in 1997 from the Wisconsin Indian Education Association and was named Wisconsin Social Studies Teacher of the Year in 2000 through the Wisconsin Council for the Social Studies. In 2008, received the Kohl Fellowship for Excellence in Teaching and, in 2014, was named Wisconsin History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder-Lehrman Institute of American History of New York. In 2020, Rykken also received the Distinguished Service Award from the Wisconsin High School Athletic Directors Association for more than 40 years of coaching athletics. Retiring from full-time teaching in 2020, Rykken continues teaching First Nations History through UW-Green Bay’s Virtual Academy, is a regular contributor to the Wisconsin First Nations website and continues to coach Cross Country. It has been his great privilege to work with more than 7000 students and athletes during his 42 year career.

Married 41 years in 2021, the Rykkens have three adult children: Katy and Jake who were born in Fargo, and Megan, their Wisconsin baby. They also have seven grandchildren and continue to reside in Black River Falls.