Ms. Monica Krysztopa
Chief of Communications and Marketing, School District of Beloit
January 2024 - Beloit Memorial High School Expo: The Little Engine That Could
The Little Engine That Could is a children’s story written by Watty Piper and published in 1930. This classic story and the lessons shared have remained timeless, and the book is listed as one of the “Teachers’ Top 100 Books” for children, according to the National Education Association. The lessons of the importance of believing in yourself, the value of optimism, the benefits of perseverance and resilience, and the rewards of hard work remain just as steadfast and relevant today as they were almost 100 years ago.
We, like that little engine, may be small. Still, with the collaboration of our business, community, and higher education partners, we are making big strides and are positively impacting our students, district, and community. We embrace the lessons from that story and believe in the memorable phrase, “I think I can, I think I can.”
In early December, Beloit Memorial High School hosted an Expo with more than 120 booths, activities, and student performances, showcasing the four academies of BMHS. Just over 100 business, community and higher education partners participated with information, resources, scholarship opportunities, internship and career opportunities, and a willingness to spend time with our families and students. Our students were able to showcase their skills and talents while networking, connecting, and engaging with companies, non-profits, colleges and universities, civic leaders, and the armed forces. Our students experienced firsthand support from a broad community of people and organizations that care about their future goals and aspirations.
With the leadership and commitment of Beloit Memorial High School staff, this event far exceeded anyone’s expectations. As Superintendent Dr. Willie Garrison II likes to state, “When talent meets hard work, nothing is impossible.” We embrace knowing that we are the little engine that could district, and we will continue to believe in ourselves, value optimism, benefit from our perseverance and resilience, work hard for our Ford NGL academies, and, most importantly, make sure our students are Career, College, and Community ready.
