Meet Fleetwood’s Newest Chemistry Teacher Lucas Bricker

Following the retirement of chemistry teacher Matthew Biniek, Fleetwood Area High School introduced the new teacher filling his place last year: Mr. Lucas Bricker.

Bricker – residing in room 212 – brings years of teaching experience and science education to Fleetwood. He currently teaches Chemistry, Chemistry Career and College Preparation (a new program introduced by Fleetwood to summarily introduce students to a blend of scientific concepts), and Environmental Science. 

In the past, he has taught at Pottsville Area High School for eight years, and he has coached hurdles as well as football for ten years. Bricker was also involved in track as a student himself.

“I was a thrower. I threw in college, and then I helped out with throws, but our old school, they needed a hurdles coach, and I said, ‘Sure, I’ll figure it out.” I watched a whole bunch of videos, and I figured it out and helped a bunch of kids,” Bricker said.

Bricker earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Ursinus College before beginning his teaching career. He came to Fleetwood at the start of the 2024-2025 school year after seeing a position available for a chemistry teacher.

“I saw an opportunity, and my wife and I live in the area, and so it was nicer to kind of be in and around the community,” Bricker said. “Once I learned a little more about Fleetwood, I learned that it kind of matched my ideals as a teacher.”

Chemistry is a field that Bricker has maintained a consistent interest in from a young age. This interest stems from the fact that the majority of Bricker’s family are “science-folks.”

Chemistry in particular fascinated Bricker because of the hidden forces behind everyday reactions.

“Chemistry always seemed very, very interesting – even at a younger age – because it was something that you couldn’t see. It was like, there’s all these invisible forces at work, and somehow it makes the universe tick,” Bricker said.

In addition to his chemistry courses, Bricker teaches Environmental Science – a subject he enjoys because of to its real-world importance. According to Bricker, environmental science allows students to learn about topics that directly affect people’s lives and the world in which we live.

Outside of school-related activities, Bricker enjoys a variety of hobbies, including cooking, drawing, painting, and listening to music.

“I’m always up for trying new art styles, so I never painted for years, and then I got into painting, and I’ve gotten better at it the longer I’ve worked at it,” Bricker said.

Bricker also enjoys reading books and watching movies. His favorite book is American Gods by Neil Gaiman (an author that Bricker was adamant about not supporting). The story dives into ancient mythologies and compares them to modern “gods,” such as technology and the media.

Bricker’s favorite movie is Indiana Jones: The Last Crusade – “full-stop.” Bricker describes the movie as being his favorite due to its all-around “greatness” – its acting, premise, music, and overall story. Bricker describes himself as a “sucker for a father-son story.”

Traveling has also been an interest in Bricker’s life – so much so that he has traveled to Australia and New Zealand (the locations of his honeymoon) as well as multiple national parks throughout the United States. Bricker also has a planned trip with his wife to Paris, which will be over spring break. Bricker plans to take a cooking class while in Paris.

Bricker closed by instructing students “not to sweat the small stuff.”

“Let yourself be happy, man – like, there’s going to be goofy, funny moments… don’t be afraid to be silly. You don’t have to take everything seriously,” Bricker said. “Don’t be afraid to be a silly goose.”