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When Christie Rolph opened her classroom to a student teacher last fall, she was in for a surprise: the student teacher she was paired with was one of her former eighth-grade students.

Rolph was in her first year teaching U.S. history when her path first crossed with Kamilah Bugarin Rodriguez. Now, 12 years later, Bugarin Rodriguez is back in Rolph’s classroom, teaching side-by-side as her student teacher at Longmont High School. 

“When Christie emailed me, I felt like it was a sign,” said Bugarin Rodriguez. “Also, she teaches all the classes I would love to teach, with a mix of AP human geo, world studies and psychology. This is the perfect spot for me to try everything.” 

Bugarin Rodriguez loved studying psychology as an undergraduate, but it took a teacher-friend’s introduction to substitute teaching to realize she could share her passion through teaching. In CU Boulder’s one-year Master’s Plus Teacher Licensure program, she’s working toward a master’s degree while gaining teaching experience. 

Rolph is grateful to be teaching with a talented, up-and-coming teacher and reconnecting with a former student. 

“I am excited for her,” Rolph said. “I didn’t have a straight path to teaching either, so it is lovely to see her giving back to the community in this way.”