St. Francois County Beyond the Tassel is a weekly flash briefing hosted by education equity advocate and rural communities champion, Craig Williams, featuring insider tips to help families and students prepare for the transition from high school to college. College isn’t for everyone but, on average, about two out of every three students from rural communities wind up going to college. Our mission is to help rural students make the most out of that process, helping them with the tools to gain admission to the schools of their choice and to help parents with strategies to make college more affordable. We know that students from our rural communities are hardworking, smart, and motivated. But too often, they lack easy access to some of the tools and educational resources their suburban counterparts take for granted. Through this podcast, and our website, journey12.com, we want to enhance the odds for young people from less populous areas to find success with their college admissions process and level the playing field for access to the nation’s top colleges and universities with that of their suburban counterparts.