Nichole Lyn Rue, known to her students as Ms. Rue, is a cornerstone here at Mead High School. She teaches AP Seminar, English, English extensions, and also advises student council. She has been an educator for over 13 years.
Ms. Rue was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where she attended Valley High School and graduated with an excess of extra English credits. She “really liked high school, but didn’t like [the] classes.” Post graduation, Rue attended Des Moines Area Community College for one year, (though she really wanted to go to CU Boulder), before transferring to Drake University, where she majored in advertising and copywriting. The moment her family moved to Colorado, the opportunity to go to CU Boulder finally presented itself, so she took it. Rue transferred to Colorado University, changing her major and graduating with a bachelors in creative writing.
Finding a job that she could qualify for with this major proved quite difficult, so while on the hunt for a career, Rue worked for Pier One Imports, Ann Taylor Loft, and the Butterfly Pavilion, eventually deciding to get her teaching license at Metro and her masters degree at CU Denver.
“There’s really nothing I would rather be doing than teaching,” she said.
Being married to her husband for 12 years and together for 20 years, Ms. Rue says, “I have the patience of a saint.” Staying with someone for eight years before engagement is admirable for both individuals. She is a mother to her 9 year-old daughter, Nora, and a friend to anyone who needs one. When asked what her relationship with students is like, Rue mentioned that it “is difficult to maintain her teacher role and be casual with her students simultaneously.”
She said, “I constantly have to remind students of our [student-teacher] relationship.”
Rue has had plenty of memorable experiences in her decade of teaching, including the time she had a student flip their desk out of anger, or the time she had to perform the Heimlich to save a student’s life. Some of the more positive experiences include the former students she forged a strong connection with that still contact and visit her in their adult lives.
