Becky Hoyt will be stepping into a big role at the Wellsville-Middletown R-I School District for the 2022-2023 school year.

The longtime teacher was chosen to head the Missouri Postsecondary Advising Initiative at W-M beginning next fall. The Missouri Postsecondary Advising Initiative is a statewide effort to place trained advisors into high schools to provide students with individualized college and career support.

W-M was selected to participate in the initiative on Feb. 15 and will receive grant funding for two years. Schools were chosen based on school and community need, COVID impact in the community and geography.

“I am very excited about this opportunity for both myself and for the students at W-M R-1,” Hoyt said. “This grant is designed with the rural communities in mind, so I believe it will be beneficial to all of the students as they go through their last years of school and prepare for the future.”

Hoyt will be working with W-M high school counselor Ryan Blaue in the initiative.

“Mrs. Hoyt and Mr. Blaue will work together to provide a pathway of more intense support for our students in order for them to be ready for the postsecondary career or college of their choice,” W-M Superintendent Dr. Erin Oligschlaeger said in a statement.

Hoyt, who is the K-12 librarian at W-M, said she’s looking forward to working in this new position.

“After receiving notice of the school being selected for the rootEd Missouri Postsecondary Initiative, Dr. Oligschlaeger and Ms. (Principal Jessie) Cobb discussed preferring to hire someone for this position that was familiar with our students, had knowledge of the postsecondary process, would work well with our established school counseling program and would take the lead in putting the initiative successfully in place,” Hoyt said. “I expressed interest in leading the initiative and was transferred into the position for the next year.”

The Missouri Postsecondary Advising Initiative was launched last fall by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and rootEd Missouri, a partnership between philanthropic organization rootEd alliance and Ozarks Technical Community College. The three-year initiative is funded by federal COVID relief dollars and aims to make sure high schools have an advisor who will focus on helping students achieve in the future.

Hoyt will join a group of advisors that will support students’ postsecondary pursuits by developing and implementing plans for postsecondary education and training, identifying opportunities to secure financial aid, coaching students through the transition from high school to lifelong success and giving students support when they either work to enroll in college, earn a workplace credential or enlist in the armed services.

“For me personally, my own children are at different stages in their education,” Hoyt said. “One is in junior high, one is in high school and one is in college. Because of this, I feel like I have a good understanding of what is needed at different stages of the career and college processes. I am excited to help the junior high and high school students explore different career opportunities and create individual plans.”

Hoyt has been working at the W-M School District since 2004. She’s a graduate of Community R-6 High School.

“Having graduated from Community R-6, I have always enjoyed being in a small-school environment,” Hoyt said. “The staff and students are like another family to me.”