Couple returns to their roots to teach at Hartington-Newcastle

HARTINGTON – A Wausa couple has returned home to teach at Hartington-Newcastle Public School.

Kyle Stevens, a 2002 Hartington Public School graduate, and his wife, Smantha, a 2008 Cedar Catholic grad, began teaching at HNS last week.

Kyle Stevens graduated from Wayne State College with a 7-12 Language Arts degree and a minor in journalism.

After student teaching at Crofton High School, he spent two years at St. Edward High School. He left St. Edward in 2012 to begin teaching at Wausa High School.

He has previously taught 7-12 English classes, along with courses in journalism, composition, communication and public address.

He will be teaching English to 7th, 9th, and 11th grades at Hartington- Newcastle.

Samantha Stevens graduated from the University of South Dakota in 2012 where she majored in Elementary Education with a minor in Reading and an endorsement in Early Childhood Education.

She began her teaching career in Wausa, where she taught third grade for six years and then first grade for six years.

She is teaching second grade at HNS.

Samantha was involved in coaching high school Speech for about 10 years. She will help with the HNS One-Act team this year.

“I am excited to take on a new adventure of being involved with the Hartington-Newcastle One-Act as an assistant coach,” she said.

Although she graduated from Cedar Catholic, she is very familiar with Hartington-Newcastle.

“When I was in college, I was lucky enough to get to do my student teaching at Hartington-Newcastle back in 2012 and I knew way back then this was a place that was going to teach me great things,” she said. “I learned a lot under the guidance of some amazing educators. Some of the things I learned, I was able to carry with me throughout my teaching career. I am happy to be back working with some of those very same people that taught me how to be an educator way back when.”

During his two years at St. Edward, Kyle Stevens was the assistant one act coach, head speech coach, and director of the all school play.

In his 12 years at Wausa, he was assistant speech coach for two seasons and head speech coach for 10 seasons.

He will be taking over for long time Hartington-Newcastle Speech Coach A.J. Johnson, although Johnson said he will assist Stevens.

Like many young college students, Stevens didn’t know what profession he wanted to go into at first.

During college he worked for the Cedar County News and at one time considered going into journalism on a full-time basis.

“I took an indirect path to the teaching profession, but I am so fortunate it found me,” he said. “I started as a special education major in college. I changed my major to pursue communication, public relations, and journalism. I wanted to write and work in newspapers. I got an opportunity to do that and loved talking to people and writing, but teaching was always in the back of my mind.”

After some self examination, he went back to what he discovered as a young child.

“Since I was young, I really developed a passion for fine arts, specifically Speech and One Act,” he said.

That passion was instilled and fostered in him during his time as a Wildcat.

“I never really quit judging speech or helping out with coaching. I really enjoyed working with people to help them achieve goals. I made the decision to go get a Language Arts teaching endorsement and that was it. I found a career — not just a job. I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

Stevens said he is grateful to have worked with so many great students, parents, teachers, and administrators.

“I have met so many wonderful people during my career. I have taught and coached so many talented students and worked with so many great and talented people,” he said. “Coming to Hartington-Newcastle is a fantastic opportunity that I certainly do not take lightly. It is a great school with talented faculty, staff and administrators and a clear mission and vision. My family and I are so lucky to be a part of it. I have always been proud to have grown up in this area. I have always been proud to have been a Wildcat, and I am so excited to get to be a Wildcat again.”

Stevens said he is looking forward to working with the students, parents, faculty, staff, administrators, and community supporters to do great things here.

“I am ready to give back to this community because it has given so much to me,” he said.