For Katlin Lidy, that simple conviction shaped her life’s direction. A 2015 graduate of Newton High School, she now serves as a special-education resource teacher in the same district that once taught her — and it feels, in every way, like coming home. “I am excited to give back to the place that gave me so much,” she says with a smile.

Before joining Jasper County Schools, Katlin spent five years teaching for Southeastern Special Education, working with students who faced emotional and behavioral challenges. “I learned a lot of helpful resources while teaching at SESE and plan to incorporate them into my teaching career here at Jasper County.”

Her compassion for students with special needs reaches back to childhood. Growing up, she was close to a cousin with developmental challenges. “I remember the difficulties he faced in school and how his teachers assisted him in meeting his goals.” she says.  That early empathy only deepened as she spent time in special-education classrooms during one of her senior classes.

After beginning her college years at Eastern Illinois University studying education, Katlin shifted to psychology, earning her master’s degrees in clinical counseling and then later in special education. “I’ve always wanted to help people,” she reflects. “It just took me a little while to figure out exactly how I was meant to do it.”

Today, Katlin works with first- through sixth-grade students, helping them strengthen their reading, writing, and math skills while building confidence. “There are days you have everything planned and then five minutes into the lesson you have to pivot.  This is part of teaching!  If the students' basic needs are not met, then learning is not going to occur.”

Teaching runs in the family. Her mother, Lori Rauch, also teaches in the district — a presence Katlin credits as both example and anchor. “My mom has always told me, ‘never give up on your dream of teaching and always show compassion, even on the difficult days.’ I have always wanted to live near my family and teaching in the same school district as my mom is an additional perk,” Katlin says.

That home now includes her husband, Jacob — also a Newton native — and their two young sons, Gabriel and Grant. “We’ve always wanted small-town life, family close by, people who know your name,” she says. “It’s the kind of place where you feel supported.”

Returning to Jasper County has also reconnected Katlin with mentors who have eased her transition, including Abby Jansen and Morgan Lidy. “They’ve been incredible,” she says. “Always there with advice or to listen when I need it.”

Every success story, no matter how small, fuels her. “When a child reads a sentence on their own for the first time, or finally understands something they’ve been struggling with — you can see the pride in their face,” she says. “Those are the moments that remind me of why I do this.”

And though she’s only in her first year back with the district, she has no plans to leave. “I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be,” Katlin says. “This is home — and I’m grateful every single day that I get to teach here.”