Gayle Solsvig: the woman behind the emails

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Photo by Olivia Braun

Gayle Solsvig is an important resource for students planning their futures at SAHS. Her frequent stream of emails have given students access to scholarship and job opportunities for years. It is important to, “Cherish the important part of your life whether it be going to a four year college, a technical school, the military or a job,” said Solsvig. She helps students prepare to live these years to their fullest.

Brooke Thingvold

Gayle Solsvig sends out thousands of emails to Stillwater Area High School students through Naviance. The emails she chooses to send usually regard college visit opportunities, college scholarship opportunities and job opportunities. The large amount of emails Solsvig sends has made her known as the “woman behind the emails.”

Solsvig sends out one to two emails everyday, depending on what is going on and what upcoming events are taking place. Solsvig uses Naviance to send the emails automatically.

Solsvig said, “I put all the school visits in the Naviance program under ‘visits’ and if students have indicated on their profile a certain school it will notify the student by email letting them know the school will be visiting. This is totally automated; I have no clue who has indicated what school they would like to visit.”

Many seniors at SAHS use the College and Career Center often while they are on their path to graduation and moving forward in their post-secondary education.

Senior Paige Hietpas said, “I read the emails quite frequently. They are helpful in moving forward in my college process because they are all about ways of earning money and searching for the college best suited for me.”

Along with emails regarding college visits and scholarship opportunities, sophomores and juniors may be more interested in the emails regarding job opportunities in the community.

Junior Sarah Matschi said, “I find all the emails helpful because I would love to get some college scholarships and I am also hoping to get a job soon. I like having Gayle Solsvig sending out emails for both making it easier for me to know all the opportunities I can capitalize on.”

The main goal of the College and Career Center is to give students options for when they are out of high school. Whether a student is planning on going to college or finding a job after graduation, the College and Career Center has many resources to help with finding the right path for each student.

“Cherish the important part of your life whether it be going to a four year college, a technical school, the military or a job. Hopefully more students will sign up for Naviance so they can see all the information that is shared with each of these opportunities,” said Solsvig.

The most common email that students find themselves being intrigued by are the ones regarding scholarship opportunities. With college being so expensive, anything will help.

“Since I am already pretty set on where I am going to college, the emails about scholarships are what really interested me in receiving the emails.  She sends ones about scholarship meetings, essay contests and other scholarship opportunities.  I know going to the College Career Center informs any senior of scholarship opportunities they would have never dreamed of,” said Hietpas.

Emails are sent out to all that apply or could find use in them to avoid sending large amounts of emails to every student when they may not be interested.

“Many scholarships are sent out and they are sent out on a criteria basis. In other words, if a scholarship requires only seniors above a 3.7 GPA, that is who the email is sent to. If a scholarship is to be sent to Native American students only, that is who I will send that to. I will always look at criteria before I send an email and then try and get it to the right student group,” said Solsvig.

All of Solsvig’s emails are intended to help students of all grades seize every opportunity possible. As each student decides what their future will hold after graduating, Solsvig and the rest of the staff at SAHS will do everything they can to help each student succeed.