“Hillsboro is a special place to live. The school is the heart of this community, and our staff are united in the mission to support students in their goals. They are all our kids.” For over thirteen years, Sarah Schmidt has been working towards this calling.
“My first job as an educator was with Rockford Lutheran High School in Illinois as a resource teacher. I was in that position for four years, and it opened up a new path for me professionally. I felt a real sense of purpose supporting those students, and I didn’t ever want to give that up.” When Sarah’s life guided her move to Wisconsin in 2016, it was difficult to leave the students she had built relationships with and supported over the last four years. “I get invested in students’ outcomes. You build relationships with kids, and you feel committed to their success. You become part of their story. They become part of yours.”
Upon arriving in Wisconsin, Sarah wasted no time getting back into a school district, landing a multifaceted position at the Norwalk-Ontario-Wilton School District in both the library and technology departments. She also coordinated an in-school tutoring program for NOW students who were failing classes or had missed more than ten days of school. “It’s easy for kids who are struggling to start believing negative stories about themselves. I have had many students who mistakenly believed that they weren’t capable of doing better. They want to give up, act out. But when you stick with them, support them, and believe in them, it changes their school day. Kids who are succeeding academically start sitting up straighter, answering questions, engaging, and putting in effort.”
After four years in the Norwalk-Wilton Ontario school district, Sarah decided to throw her name in the hat for a job opportunity closer to her home in Hillsboro. The demands of her farm made the proximity particularly attractive, and after her interview at Hillsboro School had concluded, she felt it was meant to be. “I knew Hillsboro was my next chapter.”
For two years, Sarah worked as a middle school paraprofessional until she felt another pull of fate. “I woke up one morning in December and felt a calling to be the next Agriculture teacher. I followed that feeling and applied. Everything fell into place, and I really believe it was meant to be.” The transition to the new role suited Mrs. Schmidt’s philosophy of education impeccably. “My mother was an educator, and she really instilled in me the importance of project-based activities. My lessons focus on real-world application, which means they grapple with complex topics. This is not dull coursework.” Planning for her days in the classroom is equally involved, and necessitates flexibility. “Our content is often centered around wildlife, the natural world – there’s a lot of prep in an ag teacher’s life. My courses are heavy on labs, hands-on, and usually require a lot of adjustment up until the very day of. You have to be adaptable.”
Today, the stamina and vision necessary to engage students is tremendous. “Teaching is one of the most demanding careers you can enter. But when I see kids connecting with the material, watch them become confident, then proficient – that’s changing someone’s life. For me, nothing else could compare.”