my STORY of helping Wyoming students shoot for the STARS by Nicole Cooper

Peep the Grand Tetons

This spring, I had the chance to reconnect with my rural Wyoming roots through my work at MIT. As someone who has made the journey from a rural upbringing to working at selective institutions, I often wondered how to give back.

In Fall 2023, I joined the inaugural STORY (Small Town Outreach Recruitment and Yield) Trip, which took us through Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa.

We visited the Old Spanish Caves in Arkansas! (I know that looks like a big bat but it’s me!)

This spring, we traveled to New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, and my home state of Wyoming. I was thrilled to join the planning team and attend the second trip, especially after enjoying the first one so much. As the lead planner for the Wyoming stop, I was excited to bring the college fair experience back home to students who might never get the chance to visit institutions outside of their home state. 

Planning the 5 stop college fair was a whirlwind but so satisfying. Teaming up with folks from Rice, Yale, USC, Barnard, and Case Western, we dove into every detail together. From reserving space to host students, sending out invites, and developing content to present, to even renting cars and purchasing plane tickets—we had so much to do! This was especially challenging during the busiest time of the year, when each of us had many competing priorities. Coordinating across different institutions and time zones wasn’t easy, but it was totally worth it. We connected with the STARS (Small Town and Rural Students) College Network and managed to both plan and execute a five-state/25+ institution traveling college fair through rural America!

We got up at about 5 am to drive to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park!

Traveling in a van with reps from Harvard, UChicago, and Rice, we shared laughs, explored new places, and tried local cuisine. Beyond the college fairs, the hours spent on the highway turned out to be quite a highlight; one of the best parts of road tripping through small-town America is learning about the culture and eating at local restaurants. We ate some of the best New Mexican Food at Jerry’s Cafe in Gallup, drove through Navajo National Monument and were awed by its vast landscape and rock formations, learned about the history of potatoes at the Potato Museum in Idaho, and finished out with the breathtaking (and cloudy) views of Grand Teton National Park.

While we appreciated the beauty of the rural American West, the real magic happened in the connections we made—with each other, with students, with counselors, and with local communities. We aimed to show them that they can seek amazing opportunities outside their hometowns and return with fresh perspectives. Seeing the students’ excitement in realizing their potential, which is beyond what they had when they first walked through the doors, and receiving heartfelt thanks from high school counselors, inspires us all to continue the work that we do.

Ending the trip in Wyoming was particularly special for me. Jackson Hole High School was gracious to host us, and as the school counselor handed me the microphone after her warm welcome I was in awe seeing the room was packed—filled with over 300 students and guests from over 200 miles all across Wyoming, here for what they called “a once in a lifetime opportunity to speak with so many institutions.” Thanks to the efforts of the planning team, the University of Wyoming (Go Pokes!) and Jackson Hole High School, we put on what (we think!) was the largest college fair in Wyoming history, and the highest attended event of the trip—no small feat for the least-populated state!

Admissions officers from all over the country visit Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and spoke to over 300 students and guests! Ofc we had to get a group photo

Speaking to all of these incredible rural students from my home state was both nerve-wracking and incredibly fulfilling. The students’ reactions to having 25 institutions visit their state reminded me just how personal and significant my job is. The students were beyond grateful for the chance to connect with universities from all over the country and felt that this event opened doors they hadn’t even imagined existed. I totally understand where they’re coming from. Growing up on a farm in rural Wyoming, college felt like a distant dream, and every step of the process was a daunting challenge that consistently felt unreachable.

Rural students still face significant access barriers to higher education. After all, it’s easy to feel discouraged when the nearest institution is a four-hour drive from home (through the mountains, I might add), and the closest Ivy+ institution is a ten-hour journey away—if not more! Seeing their excitement and hope for the future reminds me why this work is so important. It’s about making dreams feel attainable and helping students discover a world of possibilities and opportunities they didn’t know existed. We will continue to highlight their unique talents and bring knowledge of opportunities to rural America with trips to small towns every fall and spring.

After the event, I reunited with an old teacher of mine who had driven five students from my old high school three hours through a snowstorm just to attend the college fair. In his words, ‘An opportunity like this doesn’t happen in Wyoming.’ Thanks to STORY and STARS, now it does.

Students visiting from Wind River High School (3 hours away) and catching up with my old teacher!