Most teachers will student teach prior to graduation and Mead High School  is an ideal community for that. 

The Mead community welcomes new student teachers joining us during the spring semester of 2025-2026. According to all of the student teachers, Mead has welcomed them with open arms and makes them feel accepted. 

For  Ryan Platt (who’s teaching under Coach Tatum), he said he loved Mead High so much that when he graduated from Mead, he came back to get involved as an educator. 

He also enjoys working with his favorite teachers. 

Mr. Platt graduated in 2021 from Mead High school. He said, “I graduated from here and had a good relationship with Ty Tatum.”

Mr. Platt attended the University of Western Nebraska and the University of Northern Colorado. He was also involved in Mead’s sports programs including boys golf and baseball.

Additionally, student teacher Bentura Salazar also feels welcome. Mr. Salazar teaches under Ms. Meehan. 

To Mr. Salazar, Mead’s building was a big change compared to his school down in Lafayette which was Centaurus High School. He also attended many different colleges and schools like CSU, Front Range Community College, where he eventually earned his bachelor degree at CU.

Mr. Salazar said, “I’ve had several teachers inspire me [including] several university professors, where I was like, ‘Why couldn’t I be taught this way?”

He also said that back in high school, there were several teachers who he felt believed in him. He wants to share those special teaching moments with his students.

“I really love it when students get that light bulb moment when it clicks in their head,” Mr. Salazar said.

The motivation for Mr. Salazar’s desire to go into education was not only influenced by people above him, but by students as well. 

Additionally, Mead High has another student teacher named Mr. Rich Williams. He attended Arkansas State, the Defense Language Institute in the military, and most recently CU Boulder. 

Mr. Williams’ track coach helped him enjoy the idea of going into education and inspired him in ways no other teacher has been able to.

Students can have a great impact on how student teachers decide what to do for the remainder of their life, from simply interacting with students and staff in Mead High School’s community, student teachers feel like their hard work can pay off.