After 24 years of teaching at Rogers Heritage High School, Kristie Daut has been all across North West Arkansas from graduating at Bentonville High School to earning her degree at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

Daut was born 1977 in Potsdam, New York. Shortly after, she then moved from New York to Michigan then to Berryville, Arkansas with her final destination being Bentonville. Daut was raised in Bentonville from 7 years old all the way to graduation. When talking about her high school experience, Daut never fails to mention how she was always helping her peers, specifically as a mathematics tutor –  yet she never considered becoming a teacher. After high school, Daut applied for and attended the University of Arkansas on a full ride for her undergraduate degree. Daut had always maintained a high interest in English, however her parents believed that getting a degree in English would not support her financially which led them to the fear that she would waste her scholarship. So, as a solution, Daut went into Speech Pathology.

However, Daut felt as Speech Pathology was way too particular and detailed, yet she managed to get an undergrad and made it into a Speech Pathology program in Missouri State. It was a two year associates program, yet Daut only finished one year of the program due to her choice of switching majors to English. After time, she managed to earn her masters.

“Not many people [switch majors and I] highly do not recommend doing that in your masters work, but I switched to English and I was so much happier,” said Daut.

She later goes on to explain that the reason for her happiness was because she was able to take classes about Shakespeare and Mark Twain. Around the same time was when Daut was introduced to teaching. Daut began her career in teaching for college freshman, not having any plan as to becoming a high school teacher. Unexpectedly, she received a call that Rogers was in need of a sophomore English teacher. Since Daut was planning on becoming a professor, she snatched the opportunity and took the job while she awaited to apply at more PhD programs.

“I went in and had no idea how to teach high school classes, and how to have discipline, and to teach all day six classes a day. I had no training and it was horrible at first, like I cried everyday of the first week. It was awful because I was so young and the kids were just taking advantage [of me],” said Daut.

Amidst the struggle, she later mentions that after a few months of teaching high schoolers, she came to the conclusion that this is what she truly wanted to pursue. Daut later got hired at the Rogers High School’s original campus as a sophomore English teacher.

Now 24 years later, Daut is mostly known for her incredible help with college readiness and teaching the concurrent class of College Composition I and II.

“I love Heritage because I feel like I have more of a purpose. At Heritage, I know the students [and] I know the population,’ said Daut. “So for me it’s not just a job, but it’s a wonderful purpose everyday when I come to work to mean something and to help. I like to help other people [either] when something is hard for them, or when they feel left out or when they feel like they can’t do something, I like to be their supporter and encouragement.”