“There have always been lots of education options for Rochester parents. My parents chose to send me here, and now I’m choosing to send my kids here.”
Becky Montpetit is the founder of Rochester Local, an online, locally-focused and curated resource that offers guides to parenting, parks, camps, schools, product reviews, local activities, event round-ups, and more.
After having her first child in 2014, Becky found herself in unfamiliar territory. For the first time in a long time, she was out of the loop.
“It was such an interesting time. I was a new parent, but I didn't have a full understanding of everything available to me or things going on in the area. I didn’t feel like a ‘local’ anymore.
As a new mom, Becky’s search criteria had to be: affordable places for dining and entertainment, family-friendly events around the city, input from other parents in the area about things to do, and it all had to be in a comprehensive website. Left frustrated and craving information, Becky started the Rochester MN Moms Blog in October 2015.
“I knew it was a risk to leave a fully-fledged career to pursue this, but I learned from my experiences and education that getting uncomfortable and trying new things is all a part of the human experience.”
Becky felt poised to take on this challenge because of her upbringing in the Rochester school system where she not only developed her academic skills and proficiencies but also sharpened her empathy and resiliency skills, which would prove pivotal in her future endeavors including starting her own business.
“I was in a peer help group at John Marshall High School [as a student], and that’s where I learned how we all handle situations and receive information differently. Without my experience within that program, my perspective on how I interact with my community members, clients, and even family would be completely different.”
Still strong within RPS high schools exists the T.O.P.S. (Teens Offering Peer Support) program. T.O.P.S. is the evolved program that Becky was in herself.
At its core, Rochester Local serves to welcome people into the community with as much helpful information as possible. Becky found a way to make her community more accessible, all while building a community for herself.
But like most things in March 2020, things changed. The COVID-19 pandemic forced people to modify the way they did business, communicate, travel, and everything else! Rochester local was no different.
“The other two big things I took away from high school were resiliency and creativity. High school is full of ups and downs. I learned what paradigms were and found out how to frame things from multiple perspectives. Creatively, nearly all of my instructors challenged me to think outside of the box. When COVID happened, the livelihood of Rochester Local depended on my resiliency and creativity.”
When thousands of Rochester residents searched for information on local COVID numbers, vaccine availability, and restaurants that delivered, Rochester Local changed its content to local guides, event information, outdoor activities, and safe social distancing opportunities rather than primarily parenting content and perspectives.
Now with two kids of her own, Becky and her husband AJ proudly send them to Rochester Public Schools.
“There has been a big emphasis on making school a community. This is crucial for developing relationships in a student body population. Belonging to something has been a theme throughout my Rochester Schools experience and now my kids' Rochester Schools experience."
Becky in her "natural habitat." Her family recently took a trip to New Zealand.
Through her and her children’s experiences, the Montpetit family has sustained a school spirit, of sorts, that keeps Rochester a great place to raise a family.