As far as students are concerned, having a favorite teacher is common as students spend a lot of time with them and their impact can be significant. When that topic shifts to administration, well, maybe I am biased as a senior, but I believe a school-wide consensus is in place for the one and only, Dr. Mugerwa.
Dr. Mugerwa has been at Paint Branch for four years now, and began his time at PB along with the class of 2026, so it is perhaps fitting that
when the class of 2026 says goodbye so will he. As an administrator who came in with this year’s seniors, Dr. Mugerwa has been able to watch this group grow and flourish. Similarly, the class of 2026 has gotten to see Dr. Mugerwa flourish and offers him a bittersweet goodbye as he prepares to leave PB to move into a new position as a Principal Intern at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville.
Dr. Mugerwa says that looking back on his past four years at PB, he’ll “remember the wonderful staff and students that I have come across.”
He adds that he’ll “most certainly miss the Class of 2026, as we have been together since freshman year. The seniors are so special to me and
I will miss them when they graduate.” His appreciation of the seniors isn’t a one-sided relationship, as many in the senior class see Dr. Mugerwa as someone who not only oversees the senior class but cares for each senior as well. Senior Rokiatu Sankoh says of Dr. Mugerwa, “I love how he’s very interactive with the students, and his pictures are so nice and memorable.”
Dr. Mugerwa is a common sight at PB events, photographing the events and the students at them before posting them to Instagram for all to see. Senior Richie Phe loves how “He’s been the most involved and vocal admin since day one.” The appreciation train doesn’t end there as Dr. Mugerwa’s fellow staff members also reflect fondly on their time working with him. Mr. Ripley says “Dr. Mugerwa is always accessible, and involved in the betterment of the school and the students.”
This admiration includes his fellow administrators as Mr. Beamer reflects on Dr. Mugerwa’s departure: “He seems to know just about everything it takes to be a really good AP.” Mr. Beamer adds, “ever since I’ve gotten here, there’s been a lot of times I would go to him and ask him questions, and he would always have the answers. He’s a great admin and even better person.”
After spending four years at Paint Branch, Dr. Mugerwa says that he’ll “remember the wonderful staff and students that I have come across.” This includes the senior class because “we have been together since freshman year. The seniors are so special to me and I will miss them when they graduate.” Asked about moving to RM, he says, “At this time, I don’t know much about RM,” but he states that he “looks forward to meeting all of the staff members, students, and community members.”
As the year goes on, if you see Dr. Mugerwa in the halls, don’t forget to tell him how much you will miss him. Oh, and if you were wondering, yes the photography will continue. Dr. Mugerwa says he’s “grateful for the students at Paint Branch to allow him to capture moments throughout the school year.” He says that it feels great knowing that “some students have some of my pictures as their lockscreen on their phone or some parents have printed out my photos to hang in their home. This really means a lot to me.”
