This yearlong qualitative case study examines the successful collaborative partnership between a first year academic coach and a teacher in a rural school setting. The partnership became a source of interest as a means to understanding how rural school partnerships are developed and sustained. Data was collected through thirty-four site visits utilizing formal and informal interviews, observations, artifact collection, and detailed field notes. Characteristics that were associated with a successful rural school collaborative partnership include life experiences, personality, a willingness to change, empathy, trust and confidentiality, respect, and persistence. The partnership was also impacted by personal and professional needs, many of which were rural in context. The findings present a nuanced look inside a rural school collaborative partnership.