MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — A former Manatee County student was able to reunite with his high-school math teacher after promising to see her when his college team played Clemson University.
The last thing Hamlet "Nikko" Rodriguez-Pena said to his math teacher, Karen Kaminski-Beyer, was “I’ll see you on the field when the Citadel plays Clemson in 2024!"
On Saturday, he kept his promise.
Beyer graduated from Clemson and grew up in a nearby town. According to school officials, her classroom is covered in Tiger orange and shows off her school spirit. She also doesn't stray from talking about college football with her algebra students.
Her former student Rodriguez-Pena signed with The Citadel to play football for the military school in South Carolina and recently reached out to her to remind her of their agreement.
When Beyer went to the game at Clemson's Death Valley, she cheered for the sophomore, despite being a die-hard Tigers fan.
"When any of your former students remember you, it tugs at your heart! I can not say enough great things about this OUTSTANDING young man! Great job Mom and Dad for raising such a fine young man! You make Manatee proud!" she wrote on Facebook.
Beyer described her former student as kind, positive and uplifting. She said she remembers the day Rodriguez-Pena signed with the school and said she would retire at 100 if she had more students like him.
"It felt like Christmas finding him in the sea of people on the field that day," Beyer said. "He's just that kid who is pretty unforgettable and super easy to love!"
