Highly esteemed math and science teacher, Scott Bucher, began teaching at FCS seven years ago. During his time teaching he kept his personal life private from students and staff. Recently during chapel, Bucher opened up about his life and the faithfulness of God in his life. 

Raised in a devout Christian family and a strong church, Bucher dedicated his life to Christ from a young age. He then reaffirmed his faith a few times during high school. 

“I’m sure I made a profession of faith when I was young. And then over time you say, ‘well, wait a minute. Did I really mean that?’ And then you do that multiple times,” Bucher said, “I went to Biola University for the first time and I felt like it all made sense and it all kind of came together.”

While attending Biola University, a private Christian college, Bucher read “The Cost Of Discipleship,”  on the urging of a mentor. Throwing the book across the room upon realizing the main message, Bucher hated the challenge it provoked. Your not a Christian if you are not willing to give up the thing you love most to follow Christ.  Ultimately after some time this book would personally affect him as he understood the deeper message and chose to give up photography as an act of obedience and faith.  

Bucher explains that obedience lead to a new love, as he felt The Lord revealed His ability to give and take away.

As a freshman in college, Bucher met a young woman, April Susan, a seventh grader who just joined the church he attended. Both went on a mission trip to Mexico with the church, where she made an impression on him. 

“I just remember being very impressed with her, because she was going on a trip where she didn’t know anybody, they had just moved to our church,” Bucher said. “And that just impressed me because when I was in high school, if I didn’t know anybody, I wouldn’t have gone to a party or to a mission trip or something.”

By the time Susan became a senior in high school, Bucher had graduated college and was leading her Sunday school, which included the seniors attending that church. 

Susan then enrolled in college, and due to her parents moving to Oregon, she needed a place to stay. Bucher’s parents took her in, and he later asked her out. They were married a year after.

The Buchers adopted two children, a boy and a girl. It was a huge decision for him and his wife, both of them eager to provide a home to as many children as they could. However, the entire adoption process took a great deal of faith. 

“We felt that children needed a home and we had a home, we had enough room that we could take in two children. We would’ve adopted more otherwise. We were convinced that children were a blessing,” Bucher said, “My wife and I said, ‘we’re gonna have as many children as God allows us to have’ and we had six natural children and then we adopted the other two.”

His eight children, four boys and four girls, got along fairly well and tended to pair up. But if two of the kids were in an argument, his wife made them hold hands and walk around until they made peace.

His wife homeschooled their children until they were in high school. They went to Immanuel High School, the same school Bucher was teaching at, at the time.    

A fact that piqued the interests of many students at chapel, is the occupation that Bucher previously had before teaching. As an electrical engineer with a $60,000 annual salary, and he left to be a teacher. The average teacher salary at the time he left in the U.S. was about $20,000. 

Bucher resigned from engineering because his pastor, his parents, and even his friends, over a long period of time, thought he should become a teacher. 

Bucher already had teaching experience from church, and believed God gave him hints to enter into the world of teaching. 

“Over time it just became obvious that everything was pointing in that direction. So there was no voice from God saying, ‘go be a teacher,’ but just kind of a strong conviction,” Bucher said, “That should be [the thing] that I was going to be, and I was going to be the best at.” 

The dramatic change in his salary never truly concerned Bucher. Even when his family grew, Bucher knew God would take care of his needs. He knew that during the moments money was going to be tight, he would not let it agonize him. 

“It means that I’m in the place where God wants me to be. That’s what made it possible to not worry much about the money,” Bucher said, “If this is where God wants me, he’s gonna provide the things that I need.”

Teaching brought a sense of satisfaction to Bucher within his life. It became what he knew, making it hard for him to imagine a life without teaching. Being a teacher made him happier and a younger minded person.

Elliana Gonzalez, ‘23, is currently taking chemistry and thoroughly enjoys his class.

“He teaches in a perfectly paced way that is easy to understand and follow,” Gonzalez said, “His class is both informational and entertaining.”

Prior to teaching at FCS, Bucher taught at Immanuel High School. To Bucher, the school pushed the boundaries of his teaching style by instituting new education tactics.

One new change banned the assignment of homework. Once Bucher figured out how to teach without handing out homework, a new tactic was instituted. The school wanted him to use a computer program to teach the kids, that only included multiple choice questions.

Bucher left, as he felt unable to teach under those circumstances. Coincidentally, Fresno Christian had an opening for a math and science teacher at the same time he left his job from Immanuel.

Apart from his passion for teaching, Bucher holds a secret; a camera from Bucher’s college years is currently kept in his attic. The camera became a reminder of his past disobedience toward God. His old love was photography, so much so that he ignored the Lord, refusing to give it up when commanded to.

Soon after, he experienced a wave of guilt that overwhelmed him, the feeling becoming so strong that he gave up photography altogether.

Last year, Bucher experienced a terrible accident. He was fixing an electrical wire when he fell off a ladder, breaking his hip. In those moments of immense pain, waiting for an ambulance, he thought of why this happened. 

“The very first thing I thought was I wanted to make sure I hadn’t hurt any other part of my body, because my head is where I make my money,” Bucher said, “When something bad happens to another person, you should never say, ‘oh, I bet you God is disciplining them.’ But when something bad happens to you it’s not a bad idea to take stock and ask ‘why did that happen?’”

He thought of his recent actions, and if the accident has any correlation with his disobedience to God the day before. The incident prevented Bucher from continuing on a path fueled by temptation. He believes that is what God wanted. Satisfied that it happened, he kept a positive attitude throughout the whole healing process.

Click here to watch an Instagram Reel with more fun facts on Scott Bucher 

Bucher taught for thirty one years in total. His experience made the learning experience an easier process for his students, and the creation of bonds between him and his students.

Antonio Ruelas, ‘23, who took chemistry, and is currently taking AP Statistics and AP Calculus, gives his opinion on Bucher before and after the chapel in which he spoke in. 

“I always saw him as a smart man. He is very respectable, and funny,” Ruelas said, “His sermon made him look like someone who struggles, but with God he overcame those struggles. Which made him even more admirable.”

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