Each month Our Broomfield Magazine profiles different members of the community. Through Our People: Meet “insert name,” our goal is to introduce Broomfield area change-makers and highlight their contributions.
About Michelle Pearson
Michelle has lived in Broomfield for some 30 years. She and her husband, Kirk, raised their three children, Myra, Alex, and Drew here.
Michelle is an educator and historic preservationist. She has taught 23 years in the Adams 12 Five Star Schools at Hulstrom Options and Century Middle School. Michelle was named the 2007 Colorado Apex Technology Teacher of the Year, the 2011 Colorado Teacher of the Year, and in 2025 was inducted in the National Teacher Hall of Fame.
She has received state and national awards in historic preservation for her work connecting students and community members with preserving historic places, including the Governor’s Award for Historic Preservation. She has served as a White House Fellow in Education during the Bush, Clinton, Obama, and Biden administrations.
Michelle and Kirk enjoy volunteering in their community, traveling, reading, and herding their three border collies when she is not teaching.
What do you enjoy most about teaching?
I have always loved teaching and connecting my students to the world around them through the literature they read and the places they study.
Tell us a little about your career path.
I went to school at Mary Washington College and graduated with five majors, with a focus on education and historic preservation. I started my teaching career in Virginia, married this guy I met in middle school who convinced me to move back with him to Colorado, and started teaching at Annunciation School in Denver. During that time, I worked to help preserve historic buildings in Colorado, developed educational curriculum on historic places and for STEM and civics. I wrote two books: Historic Places of Denver for Children and Families, and Historic Sacred Places of Denver.
I became a White House Fellow in Education working for the White House Historical Association and was an international Fulbright Fellow to Japan. After we started our family, I joined the Adams 12 Five Star Schools.
What CCOB organizations have you served on?
I’ve served on the Broomfield Library Board, connected with the Broomfield Historic Grange, and I collaborate with the Broomfield Veterans Museum.
I have served on a variety of focus groups associated with the city, contributed to the conversations about the community re-examining the development of the Broomfield downtown area, and currently serve on the Broomfield Landmark Board.
I am a member of the Front Range Daughters of the American Revolution Chapter which partners with the Broomfield Historical Society.
What is your favorite restaurant and park in Broomfield?
I love the Broomfield County Commons for the walkways, the open skies, the ability to walk with our dogs, the fields, and wildflowers. I love Mountain Thai Kitchen restaurant, not just for the wonderful food, but for the amazing service.
Who is the most interesting person, past or present, you’ve met in our community?
This is an incredibly hard question because I have met so many people in Broomfield that are interesting and just plain wonderful to share time with. However, Colleen Sawyer, a longtime resident, educator, arts enthusiast, avid library supporter, and volunteer extraordinaire, is wonderful. Her research and activities are fascinating, and her wealth of knowledge of Broomfield is tremendous.
What advice would you give to people living in or relocating to Broomfield?
Broomfield is what you make of it. Be present, be involved, volunteer with an organization, share in an event. Any one of these special moments will allow you to see and experience why Broomfield is as special as it is.
Who or what inspires you to be a better person?
My mother and father instilled in our family the notion that love of family, and service to others are hallmarks of a good life. Kirk and I have strived to help our children live those same values and we continually look for ways to serve others, especially in Broomfield. Broomfield has always been our home as a family, and the people here, along with the city, have those values which makes this city incredibly special.
Bette Erickson writes about people, places, and events. Contact her at bette_erickson@hotmail.com.
