English teacher Natalie DeYoung was selected as the THS Teacher of the Year.

DeYoung teaches exploration of English and learning strategies and co-teaches other English courses with English teacher Andi Dubitski. 

“I feel blessed, I feel honored. I really appreciate my colleagues recognizing the hard work I put in even though I’m silly sometimes,” DeYoung said.

DeYoung has been teaching in the Wentzville School District for 21 years, at Wentzville Middle School for 11 years and Timberland 10 years. DeYoung moved into the Wentzville school district in 2004 so her boys could graduate as wolves. Previously, taught in the Wright City school district

 “I became a teacher, because I never really had a teacher I could connect with at school, and that made me feel like an outsider. Growing up in the school, I never really clicked with anybody. So, I wanted to turn around and be that someone for someone else and to connect with kids and teach them something whether it’s something in English or something about the real world,” DeYoung said.

DeYoung splits her time between two classroom, room 259 and  room 262.

“She can be brutally honest in a way that kids love her. She can say the hard things but kids love it when she does that. She is hard on them, but the kids know she will do anything to help them,” Dubitsky said.

DeYoung was nominated for this award by her peers. She had previously been nominated for the award, but this is her first time winning. 

“Congratulations to DeYoung for winning Teacher Of The Year. She is a wonderful teacher. Her strengths are wonderful personality and caring for other students and staff in the building. I think she is one of the best I’ve ever seen at building relationships with kids and that’s what makes her special in the classroom,” principal Dr. Kyle Lindquist said. 

DeYoung said she plans to retire in three years with the class of 2027.