SILEX, Mo. — Silex high school seniors announce and celebrate post-graduation plans at inaugural “Decision Day” event.

Silex Administrators, Teachers, Staff and Fellow Classmates Encourage All Students to Create Strong Plan for Life After High School

Silex High School along with RoodEd Alliance Advisor, Amy Grote, hosted their  inaugural “Decision Day,” on April 5, 2023. This is an event in which 37 graduating high school seniors publicly announced whether they are enrolling in college, seeking career training or enlisting in the military following graduation. Silex Administrators, Teachers and Staff attended the event to celebrate students’ plans for success after high school and to encourage younger students to begin planning for the future.

High School Principal, Chris Gray says “I have really enjoyed getting to know our graduating seniors. They’ve had an unbelievable amount of success not only in the classroom, but outside the classroom in our clubs, sports and organizations. They have represented the Silex School District and community well. We are all so proud and can’t wait to see all the amazing things they go on to accomplish.”

“This is our inaugural Decision Day. We are so excited to celebrate the Class of 2023 and announce their future plans to the community,” said Amy Grote, rootEd Advisor.

Seniors celebrated the occasion with games of Corn Hole & prize giveaways. Lunch consisted of pizza, cookies, and soda. The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department provided sno cones. “One of the neatest aspects of Decision Day was the response of our faculty and staff. We asked the staff to each adopt a senior class member.  Unbelievably, within an hour, every senior was adopted. The support the Silex R-1 staff shows every student is just amazing,” added Amy Grote.

Senior Class President, Maddy Hall said “This was such a fun event to recognize every member of our Senior class and to celebrate our decisions on where we are headed in the future. Mrs. Grote & Mrs. Heitgerd have been a tremendous help to all of us this year in helping with college, tech school & job applications and scholarships.”

The Decision Day event is part of a larger effort by Silex High School to support students to prepare for lifelong success. As the result of a partnership with national organization rootEd Alliance and Ozarks Technical Community College to improve outcomes for high school students, Silex is among select high schools statewide that have added a dedicated college and career advisor to its school community. RootEd advisors work alongside school counselors to ensure students have the resources they need to chart a path beyond high school—to the military or technical school, community college or a bachelor’s degree.

Superintendent, Nick Heggemann would like to relay the following message to the Class of 2023: “Congratulations on this time in your life where a new adventure begins. Many of you will be off to college looking forward to the future. For the rest of you, this starts your world of being a productive citizen.  As you leave Silex, remember failures are not the end of the world but are growth opportunities, get better each and every day.”

About rootEd Alliance 

rootEd Alliance, Inc. is a collaborative effort founded by family business owners and philanthropists who recognize that all students need more than a high school diploma to succeed in today’s economy. Rural students face unique barriers to pursuing a postsecondary pathway, and rootEd aims to remove these barriers and expand opportunity by investing philanthropic capital in a transformative advising model and partnering with states to bring it to scale. The rootEd model trains and places dedicated advisors in rural high schools. This ensures students have the resources they need to chart a path beyond high school—to the military or technical school, community college or a bachelor’s degree. The rootEd model has a proven track record of success across rural communities in Missouri, Tennessee, Texas, and Idaho. rootEd Alliance was born out of BDT & Company’s commitment to convening and catalyzing philanthropists around big ideas that are under-resourced and overlooked, with great potential for impact. For more information, please visit: https://rootEdAlliance.org/.