Most know Mrs. Nitchoff as the beloved science teacher who not only helps us learn but brightens our day. She has worked at this school for a collective of 17 years but not everyone knows her story.

Opposed to what might be assumed, Nitchoff was originally interested in nutrition. She got her degree from Arizona State and went straight into the medical field serving Jello as a nutritionist at St. Thomas Hospital.

“That first day, I went home crying, I hated it,” she said. She quickly realized the job was not for her and started exploring her other interests.

After a friend recommended going into teaching, Nitchoff initially thought she wanted to become an elementary teacher since she loved little kids. However, after realizing schooling for elementary education was four years as opposed to six months for a high school science teacher, the obvious option became clear.

Nitchoff was nervous at first, but after remembering her favorite science teacher (Mr. Wear) and how fun he made the class, she knew it would be okay.

The second she stepped into the classroom she knew it was her niche. Nitchoff made it her mission to bring joy and enthusiasm into the lives of her students.

She said, “One of my favorite quotes is ‘enthusiasm is contagious,’ and I hope to share with my students that they can be enthusiastic about whatever they’re passionate about.”
Since then, Nitchoff has been on a mission to make science the best she possibly can for her students. She said she has learned over her years of teaching how to make learning fun and effective.

Aside from teaching, Nitchoff also loves dance. As most know, she was the poms coach for Broomfield, but she has had a whole career in dance teaching before this. She began her dance teaching career working with 2 to 4 year-olds. At first, worried about their age, the fear was quickly diminished as soon as she started, and she fell absolutely in love.

Since then, dance has taken her all over the country, from Orlando to Oklahoma to New Mexico. It’s far from over though: Nitchoff plans on going to Omaha and New Jersey in the next year.
“It’s really cool because it still lets me be part of the dance world and the pom world, and I get to see the dance styles from all over the country.”