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Returning to Boulder to serve as dean of the School of Education is a dream come true and a full-circle moment for me. As a CU Boulder undergraduate, I had a wonderful experience that set the stage for my career as a high school English teacher, an education researcher and a higher education leader. Walking the campus paths again reminds me of my responsibility and privilege in continuing to serve this community and our mission as a public university.

In this issue of Voices, our “full-circle” theme reflects the many ways our journeys and work embody renewal, connection and commitments. Some paths grow and transform, while others twist and turn—bringing us back to where our story began, enriched by experience and perspective. In this issue, you’ll discover an alumna who realized a lifelong dream with a trip to the butterfly sanctuary in Mexico. You’ll meet two of our undergraduate students—one who just graduated and another who’s just starting out—who literally run circles with Ralphie as part of one of CU Boulder’s most beloved traditions. You’ll learn about a former rural teacher who now shares her passion for rural classrooms with pre-service teachers as a doctoral student and mentor for undergraduates. And you’ll see how, even with threats to public education rising, educators, researchers and communities remain steadfast in re-centering the “public” nature of public education.

Each of these stories reminds us that education is full of new beginnings and meaningful returns. I am honored to be back at CU Boulder, learning alongside our alumni, students, faculty and partners as we work together. I look forward to getting to know more about you and your stories in the years to come.��

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Amanda Haertling Thein