One question consistently predicts student success: “Is there an adult at school who knows you well?” For me, that adult was Roger Rumppe, and he changed everything.
Middle school wasn’t kind to me. I was that kid who got tripped in the hallways, who loved chemistry way more than was considered cool, who felt out of place pretty much everywhere except the science lab. But then I got to high school, and I met Mr. Rumppe.
Picture this: a chemistry classroom transformed into “Chemrog, Inc.” – a fully simulated research company where students became chemical technicians. We didn’t just learn chemistry; we lived it. We managed research projects and earned “chemdollars” for our work. We analyzed Chlorophyll content in spinach and created peanut brittle for the holidays. It was science, but it was also so much more.
Mr. Rumppe’s philosophy was simple: Excite, Empower, and Establish. He believed that once you got students excited about learning, they would naturally start asking questions – the first step in scientific thinking. But what made his classroom special wasn’t just the innovative projects or the hands-on experiments. It was the way he made students feel valued.
Whether you were struggling with basic concepts or ready for advanced challenges, there was a place for you in his classroom. He had this incredible ability to meet each student where they were while pushing them to go further. Under his guidance, I wasn’t just the science nerd anymore – I was a young researcher with potential.
Today, as Cherokee Heights Middle School PFO President, I see both sides of that same equation. When students feel known – really known – by at least one adult at school, everything changes. Attendance is above 90%. Behavior incidents have plummeted. Because when kids feel they belong, they show up ready to learn.
That’s what drives my passion for education. Every student deserves what Mr. Rumppe gave me – an adult who sees their potential, believes in their capabilities, and creates a space where they belong. Whether you’re the kid reading chemistry textbooks for fun, the student struggling to find their place, or somewhere in between – you belong here.
Sometimes all it takes is one teacher, one classroom, one moment to change a student’s entire trajectory. Mr. Rumppe did that for me. He is the #1 reason I pursued chemical engineering at UW-Madison. Now it’s our turn to make sure every student in Madison has that same opportunity.
Because when we get belonging right, everything else becomes possible.