Seneca Students and rootEd Advisor Meet with State Legislators to Discuss Career Advising and Workforce Development

Jefferson City, Mo. – On February 10, Seneca students Addison Sampson and Maddy Hembree, along with the school’s rootEd advisor, Lori Brock joined fellow rootEd students and advisors from across Missouri at the State Capitol. During rootEd Capitol Day, participants met with legislators to share firsthand how career and college advising is supporting students’ career success and strengthening Missouri’s workforce pipeline.

rootEd Missouri places dedicated career advisors in rural high schools to help students define and realize their career goals, whether through college, workforce credentials, apprenticeships, or military service. Through partnering with local employers, rootEd advisors help students learn about in-demand careers, including those close to home, and the necessary training or education pathways.

Governor Mike Kehoe met with rootEd Capitol Day participants to discuss the initiative’s impact on rural students and communities and the importance of making students aware of career pathways aligned to Missouri’s workforce needs.

As part of rootEd’s Capitol Day, Sampson, Hembree, and Brock met with their legislator Rep. Dirk Deaton. Students from schools with a rootEd advisor from across the state described to legislators how working one-on-one with their rootEd advisor helped them to better understand their options for after graduation and access the right training and education for their chosen career pathways. High school seniors and recent graduates also represented high schools with rootEd advisors in Ava, Moberly, New Bloomfield, Ste. Genevieve, and Trenton.

Dr. Karla Eslinger, Commissioner of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, invited rootEd students and advisors to the Missouri State Board of Education meeting, which coincided with rootEd’s Capitol Day, and during the meeting, engaged with each student and advisor, asking about their plans after graduation. Additionally, Mary Schrag, President of the Missouri State Board of Education, recognized rootEd Missouri for its success in supporting college and career readiness across the state in the President’s Report section of the meeting.

rootEd’s Impact for Rural Students and Communities Since launching in 2018, rootEd Missouri has supported more than 60,000 Missouri high school seniors and as of the 2025-2026 academic year, operates across 173 rural high schools, reaching nearly half of

the state’s rural high schools. rootEd was able to expand into an additional 50 schools this academic year, thanks to state funding signed into law by Governor Kehoe.

The results of rootEd’s model are clear: 20% more students pursuing college or career training after high school and 47% fewer students entering low-skill, low-wage jobs.

In her meeting with Rep. Deaton, Addie Sampson, a senior at Seneca High School who plans to become a government teacher and is an A+ Scholarship recipient, shared how her rootEd advisor, Lori Brock, helped her: “My rootEd advisor Ms. Brock has been incredible in helping me plan for my future. As I’ve applied to schools this year and tried to figure out how to make it all possible, it’s been so helpful to have Ms. Brock right down the hall. She helps me break everything into steps, and walks me through each part, and it’s made such a difference to know she is always in my corner.”

Lori Brock, the rootEd advisor at Seneca High School who has worked as an educator in Missouri for 35 years and now supports all 118 seniors while beginning prep with younger classes, shared, “My role as a rootEd advisor is to help students explore all of their career options, to figure out a plan for their next step for the relevant training or education, and of course, to carry out that plan together.” Brock continued, “To support that work, I regularly partner with local employers through engagements including career speakers and apprenticeships to give students ideas and insights on the great career opportunities, including those right by home.”

Working with Educators and Employers

“rootEd bridges education and industry by helping schools connect students’ next steps in training or education to their long-term career goals,” said Brian Crouse, Chief Operating Officer of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry. “When rural schools have a rootEd advisor, students are set up to understand the skills and opportunities required to thrive in Missouri’s evolving workforce, today and into the future.”

To date, rootEd advisors have partnered with more than 700 businesses and organizations across Missouri on career exposure opportunities including job shadowing, internships, and industry tours.

Nearly 99% of rootEd seniors participate in at least one regional career exploration experience, and rootEd schools have 30% higher participation in apprenticeships.

Dr. Hal Higdon, Chancellor of Ozarks Technical Community College, which operates rootEd Missouri, shared, “Connecting education and training to in-demand careers helps both students and local economies thrive, and rootEd advisors provide the expertise, connections, and passion to do just that. We’re proud of the rootEd advisors who serve as these critical bridges in rural communities across Missouri.”

rootEd Missouri is a statewide public-private partnership between the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Ozarks Technical Community College, the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and national nonprofit rootEd Alliance.

To learn more about rootEd Missouri, including viewing our new video, visit our website here.

About rootEd Alliance

Founded in 2018, rootEd Alliance is a national nonprofit that helps rural high school students achieve career success and strengthens America’s skilled workforce. rootEd places dedicated career advisors in rural high schools to support students in defining and realizing their career goals, whether through a college degree, workforce credentials, apprenticeships, or military service, while partnering with communities, states, and employers to close talent gaps and drive rural economic prosperity. To date, rootEd advisors have supported nearly 90,000 students across 280 rural high schools in six states,

including Missouri, Texas, Arkansas, Alaska, Idaho, and Tennessee. rootEd Alliance is made possible by a group of philanthropists, convened by BDT & MSD Partners. Learn more here.