Talent isn't the problem for rural students. Access is | Kirsten Lane Oct 1, 2026 5 hrs ago 0 Prefer us on Google Learn More Facebook Twitter Bluesky WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Kirsten Lane Submitted kAmpD 9:89 D49@@= D6?:@CD 862C FA 7@C E96 9FDE=6 2?5 8C:?5 @7 E96 4@==686 25>:DD:@?D AC@46DD[ E96 6IA6C:6?46 42? 36 5:776C6?E 7@C DEF56?ED :? CFC2= 2?5 FC32? 2C62]k^AmkAm(96? x H2D 2446AE65 E@ '2?56C3:=E &?:G6CD:EJ :? a_ab[ 25>:?:DEC2E@CD :? >J CFC2= r6?E6CG:==6[ %6??6DD66[ 9:89 D49@@= H6C6 D9@4<65i p 8:C= 7C@> @FC 5:DEC:4E 925 ?@E 366? 25>:EE65 :? @G6C ad J62CD]k^AmkAm%96 BF2:?E E@H? 92D @?=J @?6 9:89 D49@@=[ 3FE :E 3@C56CD @?6 @7 E96 ?2E:@?’D H62=E9:6DE 4@F?E:6D[ (:==:2>D@? r@F?EJ] r6?E6CG:==6[ H96C6 x 8C6H FA[ :D ;FDE 2 =:EE=6 =6DD E92? 2? 9@FC D@FE9H6DE @7 }2D9G:==6[ H96C6 '2?56C3:=E[ @?6 @7 E96 %@A `_ D49@@=D :? E96 4@F?ECJ[ :D =@42E65]k^Am The Duck River flows through rural Centerville, Tennessee, where students lack the resources of their suburban and urban peers. Nicole Hester / The Tennessean kAm$9@4< D9@F=5 ?@E 36 E96 5672F=E C624E:@? H96? 2 DEF56?E 7C@> 2 CFC2= D49@@= DF44665D]k^Am People are also reading… Ex-wife of Lancaster County sheriff candidate raises questions about fitness for office Which school has the best marching band? Vote for your favorite How to watch Nebraska volleyball vs. Rutgers on Friday: Time, TV 'It's just frustrating': Football parents ask LPS to restore postgame interactions USA TODAY Sports bowl projections unchanged for Nebraska football Flash Flood Warning from WED 11:46 PM CDT until THU 3:00 AM CDT A $60 loaf of rye bread is getting a lot of hate online Q&A: What are these new fiber optic boxes and where can they be put in Omaha yards? Wastewater from Black Hills testing turned Antelope Creek red, Health Department says Former North Platte Police investigator formally charged in federal court over child porn Judge finds Waverly man not responsible by reason of insanity in police threat case Flood Warning from THU 2:54 AM CDT until THU 1:00 PM CDT ‘Never seen it that high’: Omaha flooding prompts 80 water-rescue calls across city Kearney mother of 3 is seeking a kidney. A benefit is planned Oct. 10 Shatel: Matt Vrzal, man of football, pizza and people, left us too soon — but he left us full kAm(9:=6 r6?E6CG:==6 :D :? 4=@D6 AC@I:>:EJ E@ '2?56C3:=E[ E96 @AA@CEF?:E:6D @776C65 E@ DEF56?ED 5@?’E DE24< FA E@ E9@D6 :? 36EE6C\C6D@FC465 A=246D] xEVD ?@E 2>3:E:@? E92E :D 9@=5:?8 E96> 324<] k^AmkAm#FC2= D49@@=D 2C6 @7E6? EC62E65 2D 2 3C665:?8 8C@F?5 7@C 3=F6\4@==2C H@C<6CD] x 92G6 :>>6?D6 C6DA64E 7@C E9@D6 :? 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CFC2= DEF56?ED H9@ 5@ >2?286 E@ AC@G6 E96>D6=G6D E@ 6=:E6 F?:G6CD:EJ 25>:DD:@?D @77:46CD DE:== 7246 9FC5=6D]k^Am kAm#FC2= DEF56?ED >2J ?@E 92G6 366? 6IA@D65 E@ H92E uC6?49 E96@C:DE !:6CC6 q@FC5:6F 42==D 4F=EFC2= 42A:E2=[ ?@?\7:?2?4:2= 2DD6ED =:<6 A6CD@?2= <?@H=6586[ D<:==D 2?5 E2DE6D E92E :?7=F6?46 D@4:2= >@3:=:EJ] p DEF56?E 7C@> 2? 6=:E6 9:89 D49@@= >2J =62C? E96 :>A@CE2?46 @7 =6256CD9:A[ 4C:E:42= E9:?<:?8 2?5 ?6EH@C<:?8] |62?H9:=6[ 2? F?56C7F?565 9:89 D49@@= =:<6 >:?6 @7E6? E62496D 2 4FCC:4F=F> 7@4FD65 @? 7@==@H:?8 DE6A\3J\DE6A :?DECF4E:@?D 2?5 @C56C]k^Am kAm%9:D >62?D E92E >J A66CD 2?5 x H6C6 AC6AA65 7@C E96 H@C<7@C46 367@C6 H6 6G6C C62=:K65 :E]k^Am kAmx?G6DE:?8 :? CFC2= D49@@=D :D 6DD6?E:2= E@ 249:6G:?8 2 H@C=5 H96C6 @AA@CEF?:E:6D 2C6 2446DD:3=6 7@C 6G6CJ@?6] #FC2= D49@@=D :? %6??6DD66 92G6 @?6 @7 E96 =@H6DE =6G6=D @7 DA6?5:?8 :? E96 &]$] !C@A6C 7F?5:?8 D9@F=5 36 6BF2==J 5:DEC:3FE65 24C@DD DE2E6D 2?5 2==@42E65 7@C 4@==686 C625:?6DD AC@8C2>D[ DF49 2D p! 2?5 x?E6C?2E:@?2= q2442=2FC62E6 4=2DD6D]k^Am kAm$EF56?ED ?665 C6D@FC46D 2?5 7F?5:?8 E@ 86E E@ C6DA64E23=6 EC256 D49@@=D[ =@42= DE2E6 F?:G6CD:E:6D 2?5 4@>>F?:EJ 4@==686D] qFE D@>6@?6 H9@ 5C62>D @7 D@>6E9:?8 5:776C6?E 2=D@ 56D6CG6D E@ 92G6 2 492?46 2E 7F=7:==:?8 E96:C 5C62>]k^Am kAm%96 D6=64E:@? 2?5 6IA6CE:D6 @7 CFC2= 9:89 D49@@= 4@F?D6=@CD 2=D@ ?665D :>AC@G6>6?E] |2?J D49@@= 4@F?D6=@CD 2C6 DEC6E4965 E9:?[ 2?5 :E :D :>A@CE2?E E96J 86E AC@A6C EC2:?:?8 E@ 96=A DEF56?ED E9C@F89 E96 4@==686 2AA=:42E:@? AC@46DD] u24F=EJ D9@F=5 =:7E DEF56?ED FA 2D E96J DEC:G6 E@ AFCDF6 E96:C 8@2=D C2E96C E92? AC6DDFC6 E96> :?E@ 36:?8 >@C6 “C62=:DE:4[” D@>6E9:?8 x H2D E@=5 >2?J E:>6D 2D 2 9:89 D49@@=6C]k^AmkAm#FC2= DEF56?ED 5@?VE 5:776C >F49 7C@> DEF56?ED 7C@> DF3FC32? @C FC32? D49@@=D] %96 ECF6 5:776C6?46 =:6D :? E96:C D49@@=D’ =24< @7 7F?5:?8 2?5 C6D@FC46D[ 2?5 E9FD E96 @AA@CEF?:E:6D E96J >:89E 92G6 2446DD E@] x7 H6 H@C< E@ 4=@D6 E96D6 82AD[ E96? @?6 52J :E >:89E ?@E D66> D@ D9@4<:?8 H96? 2 8:C= 7C@> 2 D>2== E@H? 86ED :?E@ 96C 5C62> D49@@=]k^Am Lane is a junior at Vanderbilt University. She wrote this for the Nashville Tennessean and USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect. 0 Comments Catch the latest in Opinion Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Related to this story Most Popular David Hoffmann: Local news can bring communities together Hello, I’m David Hoffmann. Like many of you, I’ve been thinking a lot about our country, our communities and how we find our way back to one another. 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