Somerset Co. Special Needs Teacher, EMS Captain Competes For 'America’s Favorite Teacher'

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — Katelyn Sowden, a special needs teacher at Auten Road Intermediate School in Hillsborough, is currently a quarterfinalist in the nationwide America’s Favorite Teacher competition. She is in the running for $25,000, a feature in Reader's Digest, a trip to Hawaii, and a school assembly with Bill Nye.

Sowden of Bridgewater has been working with children with Autism for 12 years. She has also been an EMT with the Finderne First Aid and Rescue Squad since she was 16 and has been a Captain for 5 years.

"She gives of herself day and night. Works tirelessly to see her students receive every chance to succeed, and then spends her nights and weekends serving the community as a volunteer on the rescue squad," said Sowden's mother Kathy.

"I just love being able to help people. They're calling you on their worst day of their lives. And I have the ability to come and comfort them and, you know, fix for the most part, what's going on, and be able to get them to the help that they need," said Sowden to Patch.

Sowden had always wanted to have a daycare and work with little kids, but when the special needs opportunity came to her, she "just fell in love with watching the kids."

Over time, she was able to create a sense of understanding between herself and the children.

"Even they have no voice — a lot of them are nonverbal — so giving them that chance to express themselves and understand things that maybe were confusing before, and just watching them light up really made me want to stick with this special ed," Sowden. "I always wanted to be a teacher since I was a little kid, but ending up in this special needs field was heartwarming, because the connection that you make with them is just priceless."

On Sowden's America’s Favorite Teacher application, she described one of my most memorable teaching experiences for her. It was after a hard day with a student who is limited in his expressive language. He used maladaptive behaviors such as hitting, biting, kicking and throwing things.

"We worked through the behavior all morning, after lunch, he came to me, gave me a hug and said 'I sorry'. He knew I was there to support him through his tough times and not react to his aggressive behaviors," said Sowden.

Hillsborough School Superintendent Michael Volpe said, "Katelyn embodies the spirit of dedication and compassion that we value deeply within our district. Her commitment to her students, as evidenced by her own words about her journey into education and her memorable experience, truly shines. The anecdote she shared about a student expressing 'I sorry' after a challenging day speaks volumes about the trusting and supportive environment she cultivates in her classroom. It's clear that she goes above and beyond to understand and meet the individual needs of her students."

If Sowden wins the $25,000, she says she would pay off my remaining debt, donate to a school to pay off student lunch accounts, invest some for my future, and take some toward a little self-care and take a small vacation.

While the money is nice, Sowden expressed her desire to win the competition is really for her students.

"I really want to win for the chance to give my students the assembly. I just feel like that's a once-in-a-lifetime experience, right? And these kids would never get that ever again. Like I loved Bill Nye as a child, and I'm now 37 years old, so to be able to see him, to me, it's honestly mind-blowing," said Sowden. "To be able to give the kids that assembly would just be amazing."

Voting for quarter-finalists ends Thursday, April 17 at 7 p.m. Community members can show their support and vote every 24 hours at americasfavteacher.org/2025/katelyn-sowden.

"Katelyn's passion for helping others, which led her to teaching, is evident in her daily interactions and the positive impact she has on the lives of our students. Her desire to pay off debt, support other students by paying off lunch accounts, invest in her future, and prioritize a little self-care with the prize money demonstrates a well-rounded and thoughtful individual," said Volpe. "We believe these qualities, coupled with her evident dedication to her students, make her truly deserving of the title 'America's Favorite Teacher'."

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