CU’s 3 Minute Thesis Competition winner highlights rural education

Today on A Public Affair: the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. KGNU’s Joe Richey brings us snippets from the competition at CU Boulder, and KGNU’s Lyra Stone sat down with the winner.

CU Boulder graduate student Loraine Glidewell took home top honors at the competition, earning both first place and the People’s Choice award, along with a $2,000 prize and a spot at the regional level. Her message focused on something often overlooked in Colorado: rural education.

Glidewell, a former middle school teacher in Monte Vista, found her path to education unexpectedly after working in Colorado fisheries. In the classroom, she discovered a deep connection to rural students and communities. Now a PhD student, her research centers on how pre-service teachers can benefit from teaching in rural schools, even as those areas face ongoing challenges.

Colorado ranks in the bottom third nationally for education funding, and rural districts often feel those constraints most acutely. Lower salaries, geographic isolation, and recruitment barriers make it difficult to attract and retain teachers. At the same time, most educators come from urban or suburban backgrounds, and tend to stay in places that feel familiar.

Glidewell’s work challenges that pattern. She highlights the unique opportunities rural schools can offer, including greater autonomy in the classroom, stronger community connections, and a chance to see how local systems function up close. For some educators, that experience can reshape how they approach teaching and community engagement.

She also emphasizes that rural communities are not one-size-fits-all, and that stereotypes can obscure the diversity and complexity of these regions. Her goal is not to romanticize rural education, but to encourage future teachers to understand its value and consider the role they can play.

With most school districts in Colorado classified as rural, Glidewell hopes her work will help bring more attention, resources, and educators to these communities.

For Glidewell, the mission is clear. It is not just about teaching. It is about ensuring that rural schools, and the students they serve, are no longer left out of the conversation.

This story aired on A Public Affair, KGNU’s weekday morning show featuring in-depth discussions on local news issues. Click here to listen to other episodes of A Public Affair.