What we do

Our Mission

Every rural student should be in a position to graduate high school on a path to achieve career success and economic stability. rootEd places dedicated college and career advisors directly in rural high schools to work with all students to define and plan their futures, whether through a college degree, work-based learning, or military service.

Our MODEL

rootEd advisors work alongside school counselors to ensure that every senior has a realistic plan for life after high school. rootEd advisors aim to work with every senior in the high schools they are placed within.

The Role of a RootEd Advisor

rootEd advisors help students…

Explore different career paths via hands-on experiences, such as job fairs, business visits, job shadowing, and training programs

Identify and apply to best-fit postsecondary options through college tours, meetings with admissions counselors, and one-on-one application support

Create a financial plan and complete scholarship and financial aid applications (e.g., FAFSA) to ensure their preferred postsecondary plan is financially within reach

Work with their families, schools, and other institutions to remove any logistical or administrative obstacles

Prepare for the transition to postsecondary by securing housing, understanding transportation options, and more

Helping our students develop a personalized postsecondary plan really is the final piece of this puzzle—the parting gift that we in K-12 education can give our students and families. We’ve equipped students with a high-quality education to be prepared for this next part of our journey—and with the help of partners like rootEd Missouri, we can be certain students have the map to get to their next destination, and beyond.

— Dr. Margie Vandeven, Commissioner, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Advisor Highlight

5 Questions with Nancy Strothmann

rootEd Advisor at Cape Central High School, Missouri and rootEd Missouri Advisor of the Year Recipient, 2022

  • I have an undergraduate degree in Social Work and a Master of Arts in Professional Counseling. I am a first-generation college and high school graduate.

    My parents migrated from Cuba in 1980 and they had a middle school education. Spanish was my first language. I grew up poor and had no idea about FAFSA or other supports that were out there for me. The summer after I graduated high school, a local educator came to my home to meet with my younger brother and talked to me too. The next day, she picked me up and took me to the local community college where I enrolled. She took the time to educate me on financial aid too. Without her, I am not sure if I would have attended college.

  • I knew from a young age that I wanted to work with kids in some capacity, especially at-risk teens. I even worked at a daycare my senior year of high school but at the same time I was that teen that had no plans and fell through the cracks. At first, I thought about elementary education and then Spanish education. I took a Social Work class during my undergrad and knew this was it.

    When I finished my master’s degree, I fell into a job as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor. During my almost 14 years in that role, I realized that Career Exploration with students and adults was where I was meant to be.

  • It is crucial to expand their knowledge of post-secondary opportunities. That means educating them and their families on various careers, two- and four-year degree programs, trade programs, and other options, and helping them locate resources they might not be aware of.

  • There are so many that stand out. One that makes me tear up every time is my student from Honduras.

    She has lived in the U.S for three years and has a pending asylum application because of the violence that was occurring in her city. She has always had a desire to attend college, have a career, and give back to her family and community. Her family works hard but they do not have the means to pay for college. She applied to Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) to allow her to continue working and to live with her parents, which would both help to save money. She was accepted at SEMO, but they were charging her out of state tuition, which is double.

    Until her asylum is approved, the only way that she would be able to attend college is with scholarships and I assisted her in applying for every possible scholarship that she was eligible for. In case she was not awarded scholarships, we also had to have back-up plans, including taking one class at a time and paying out-of-pocket.

    In June, I received a text from her that she received $12,000 from the rootEd Scholarship. I’m happy to say she is now enrolled at SEMO and will be starting classes soon.

  • Meet them where they are. Do not assume that they know what you are talking about. Follow up with them. Listen. Be empathetic and patient.

Stories from rootEd Advisors

MISSOURI

[One junior student I work with] couldn't think or dream big about her future. When asked about plans after graduation, her response was "probably just get a job.” This year, we have been able to meet with her and identify goals and challenges. One challenge included getting her birth certificate to get her ID and then working on getting her driver's license. We arranged a ride to the Health Center and paid the $15 for her birth certificate. Helping her over this hurdle has given her the confidence to think about her future in a different way. She now has two college visits set up. Just last week, she said to me: "I can't believe I'm doing this. It's just the beginning of my senior year and I know I will be going to college next year."

MISSOURI

I had the privilege of getting to take a group of our seniors on an industry tour where they were able to meet with various employers and tour their facilities. Because I had already been able to meet with 100% of my seniors prior to this event, I had a good idea of what many of these students planned to do after graduation. While visiting a local mechanical and home services company, I was able to introduce several of my students to the human resources director in person, who had previously told me that the company was in desperate need of welders. All the visiting students are currently enrolled into a two-year career welding program through our career technical center, and had mentioned an interest in working at this company during our initial meetings this year. Separately, I had three students take up an offer for a job shadowing experience (one in sales, one in accounting, and another in auto tech) during a visit to a local car dealership. Watching these students take charge and shake hands with a potential future employer was incredible to watch as they began to network and make these types of career connections.

TEXAS

Two students were eager to start their college journey and over the summer I had the opportunity to take them to register for their classes. At the last minute, another girl was invited to attend. She had been unsure of attending college and was very nervous about owing money or not having enough money to attend. So I convinced her to just come along for the ride and see what there was to offer. She came and as we talked to the college counselor, she signed up for classes. It came out that she had a boyfriend that was not encouraging her to attend college. She is a smart girl and as we talked, she became more convinced to take the leap. She is now enrolled and doing well at a local junior college. I am so glad that she went with us that day. Now her future looks brighter than it ever did before!

TENNESSEE

One student of mine was raised by her grandparents, after her father was incarcerated and her mother abandoned her at a young age. Tragically, one week before last Christmas, shortly after my student turned 18, her grandparents kicked her out. She and I had previously discussed the possibility of college, but it was in the face of this adversity that she found the determination to pursue a postsecondary degree that would open doors to greater economic opportunity. The school’s social worker and I helped this student file the documentation required to certify her “homeless, unaccompanied youth” status, which will ensure she receives the full Pell grant. Inspired by her own challenges, she hopes to eventually pursue a Master’s in Social Work and become a counselor supporting children and teens in crisis.

Other Key Aspects of the RootEd model

Community perspective, accessible guidance

rootEd advisors are embedded in high schools and their local communities to better enable them to reach their goal of working with every student in the senior class

Informed by data

Our data system keeps advisors focused on upcoming deadlines and allows them to provide targeted support to ensure all students are on track to finalizing a plan

Tailored training and coaching

With our first-of-its-kind rural advising training program, all rootEd advisors apply best practices and are ready to help students on day one of each new school year

Driven by rural leadership

rootEd is anchored in rural community-based institutions and partnerships that bring the rootEd model to schools and connect students to local colleges and workforce opportunities

Last dollar scholarships

The rootEd scholarship, a renewable scholarship of up to $12,000 a year available to rootEd Missouri schools, is designed to meet the remaining gap in college tuition and fees not covered by other sources of financial aid