I'm planning a virtual call where we can connect and share ideas in another way beyond the newsletter. And I'd love your help determining what that call focuses on! Please comment (or like a comment) here about what you'd be interested in talking or hearing about. Some ideas to get us started are in the comments:

In the most recent Mile Markers edition, I share about rootEd Alliance, a national nonprofit that helps train and place advisers in rural high schools. They emphasized the importance of hands-on experiences like job tours or shadowing. I'd love to hear how this compares to programs you're familiar with, or any ideas that came to mind when reading about it.

Hey all, I reached out to Beehiiv (where this community and the newsletter is hosted), and they confirmed that email notifications have not been set up yet. So if you are missing new posts or messages, that's why. It's a bummer, and I hope they add it soon. If you want to download the app, you can activate push notifications there, but I can also keep you posted if I hear any changes. Thanks for your patience!

I would love to hear from you all about the stories related to rural higher education or job training that you think could use more of a spotlight. Comment below!

I grew up in southeastern PA on my family's fourth-generation farm. We have a pumpkin patch and corn maze in the fall, and I grew up raising sheep as a 4-H kid. I've worked as a community reporter in Delaware/Maryland, and as an editor at the Reynolds Journalism Institute where I supported small and local news organizations across the country. I'm currently based in Columbia, MO. I've been loving leading this Mile Markers series and learning more about higher education stories in rural spaces. I'm looking forward to connecting more with you all here. As always, I'm open to feedback and ideas for what you'd like to see. Talk soon!

I've heard from several people that colleges and universities can serve as the heartbeat of community in rural places. They are hubs for accessing arts and culture. Internet. Public meeting spaces. And more. I would love to hear about the special places where you've lived, worked or studied.

We're trying something new, so thank you for jumping in with me. My hope is that this will be a space where we can more openly connect and share ideas and stories with one another. It is still connected to the newsletter, so you can find all recent newsletters in the dedicated Newsletters channel or the Community Feed.

By joining this community, my only ask is that you would follow a few simple community guidelines:

💙 Be kind and respectful of varying opinions and experiences shared in this space.

💙 Anything in this space will not be quoted or attributed to specific people unless the person posting gives permission to do so.

Please comment or message me separately if there are other guidelines you would like to include!

Thanks,

Emily