16-05-2025
From student to teacher: A full-circle story of classroom impact
SALT LAKE CITY () — Fresh off Teacher Appreciation Week, it's the perfect time to highlight a story that proves the power of a great educator doesn't just shape a school year — it can shape a life.
At 8 a.m. sharp, when the bell rings at Newman Elementary, Ms. Sabrin starts the day with more than just a lesson plan. Mornings in her classroom begin with hugs, fist bumps, and even a little dancing — a routine her third graders look forward to as much as recess.
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If the students had the power to hand out grades, they say Ms. Sabrin would earn an easy 'A plus plus plus.' But those glowing marks aren't given out lightly. Her students are quick to explain why she deserves them.
'She makes learning really fun and throws parties for us with her own money,' said Maya.
Classmates Julissa and Mia agree, calling Ms. Sabrin their role model. 'She's telling me I can be anything I want to be,' said Julissa. 'She makes me want to be a teacher too.'
What's remarkable is that the very words her kids use to describe her are the same ones Ms. Sabrin once used to describe her own teacher, Ms. Stimpson.
The story begins in seventh grade, on Sabrin's very first day of school in the U.S. A refugee from Egypt, she arrived full of excitement.
'I got a new outfit, a new backpack,' said Sabrin.
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What she didn't expect? To accidentally get on the wrong school bus after dismissal.
Sabrin told that she was missing for five hours until a stranger eventually called 911 and police brought her home. While the moment had a happy ending, the experience left Sabrin shaken.
'I went from 'I love school' to 'I hate school.' I didn't want to leave home anymore. I didn't go to school for a week,' she said.
That might have been the end of her story — if not for Ms. Stimpson.
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Though she had only known Sabrin for one day, Ms. Stimpson noticed her absence and refused to ignore it. She showed up at Sabrin's doorstep with a simple promise: 'I'll make sure you get home safely.'
And she kept that promise.
Every afternoon after that, Ms. Stimpson left her classroom a few minutes early to personally walk Sabrin to the correct bus. But her care didn't stop there. Sabrin said Ms. Stimpson believed in her when no one else did — and made sure she believed in herself too.
Today, Sabrin is back — not just in the classroom, but in the very district where she was once a student. And now, she's the one her students look up to.
As for Ms. Stimpson?
'I always knew she had it in her,' she said. 'She would take the Expo marker and teach the class, and when the boys didn't listen, she'd scold them in her teacher voice. They'd sit up straight and pay attention. She was a teacher from the very beginning.'
Still, she says hearing how much she meant to Sabrin humbles her.
'Everyone has that one teacher who made a difference — and to know you were that for someone… it's pretty special.'
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