Bentworth hires scholarship coordinator

Bentworth School District students now will have someone to help them find scholarships for college.
The board voted last week to hire Kristy Smydo as the district’s scholarship coordinator.
The district received a $25,000 state grant to pay for the position and ancillary expenses, said Superintendent Charles Baker. Smydo will be paid $20,000.
Smydo was hired because Bentworth was familiar with similar work she performed in other districts, Baker said. While guidance counselors are aware of generalities, there are specifics about scholarship searches that the district knew Smydo was well-versed in, he said.
She will do more than search for scholarships. She will help students fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, which is required to be completed before students can get aid. She will contact specific students about scholarships that might meet their needs, Baker said. She also will meet with parents.
Smydo will have a flexible schedule and will work some evenings if that works best for parents, he said.
She will help students who want to continue any post-secondary education, he said.
She will begin the job immediately and the position will last for one year. If she is successful, Bentworth will seek other funding sources for her position or determine if the district can pay for it out of its own budget, Baker said.
The board also hired E. Emily Bryan-Reeder as a middle school librarian with a salary of $35,974.