The calling to work with children came early for Kashtyn Shull. As a teenager at Newton Community High School, she would spend her study halls in the preschool classroom tucked in the basement, volunteering to help the youngest learners. That decision set her path. “I think that’s what got me,” she recalls. “I wanted to work with younger kids, so I got my early childhood degree to teach preschool through third grade.”

Now in her own first-grade classroom at Newton Elementary, Shull is building on that foundation. It’s her first year as a full-time teacher, following a year as a paraprofessional in the resource room. That experience, she says, gave her a vital introduction. “I had first through sixth graders in the resource room, so I got to see a wide range of skills and needs. It helped me understand how to meet kids where they are.”

Meeting children where they are has become her guiding philosophy. Shull emphasizes reading as the cornerstone of success. “If you can’t read, you can’t do math either—you have to read the word problems,” she explains. She sees her role as helping students master the essentials—letters, sounds, numbers—that will unlock everything else. And when her students catch on, she savors the moment: “To see the joy on their face when they figure it out, it’s incredible.”

Her belief in the importance of early learning is rooted not just in training but in personal conviction. Shull spent time teaching at a daycare before staying home with her two sons during their early years. She created learning activities at home, teaching them letters, colors, and even multiplication before school introduced it. “They’d ask to learn things, and I thought, okay, let’s go for it,” she says. One son was reading at age three, and another was asking for fractions in fourth grade. Those experiences deepened her appreciation for the role parents and teachers play in building strong beginnings.

Now, her sons—fifth and seventh graders—attend school in the same district where she teaches. She delights in the occasional lunchtime encounter or quick check-in about after-school plans. “It’s really cool being in the same building,” she says. “I like that he can pop in if he needs to.”

Shull is equally grateful for the support of her colleagues. With four first-grade classrooms in the building, she leans on her peers for resources and advice. “They’ll say, here’s what I’m using this week—do you want copies? They’re amazing,” she says. She credits Principal Jessica Guzman as well: “If you need anything, she’ll get it for you. She has your back.”

Her classroom is already brimming with stories, drawings, and the endless excitement of six- and seven-year-olds eager to share. Shull treasures their enthusiasm. “At this age, they still love school,” she says. “They think you’re the best teacher in the world. And you know what? That feels pretty great.”

If she could speak to her younger self, the one helping her mom babysit or volunteering in the preschool basement, she’d offer the same advice she gives her students now: keep at it. “Always do your best and don’t give up if it’s truly what you want to do.”

For Jasper County, that persistence has paid off. In Kashtyn Shull’s first-grade classroom, the footings of education are being laid—one sound, one word, one joyful breakthrough at a time.