Unity Point CUSD 140 has always been remarkable, but perhaps its most striking quality is its diversity. In this small southern Illinois district, classrooms hum with voices and backgrounds from across the globe. Students bring with them a range of languages, cultures, and life stories that make Unity Point not just a school, but a reflection of the wider world.

That spirit of diversity now finds a powerful echo in the district’s new superintendent, Dr. Yaa Appiah-McNulty. Born in Ghana, she arrived in the United States at age nine without a word of English. “I literally couldn’t share with my teachers or communicate my needs,” she remembers. “Even simple things—like going to the restroom—I didn’t have the language.” What made the difference was her father, a USDA inspector who worked nights yet partnered with teachers by requesting lesson plans and drilling vocabulary with his children.

Those early lessons—of persistence, of support, and of the role schools play in opening doors—would shape her life. And now, they connect directly to the lived experience of Unity Point families, where dozens of languages are spoken at home, and where students are growing up negotiating multiple worlds every day.

Dr. McNulty knows the journey of starting from scratch. At Freeport High School, her senior-year principal, Pat Norman, recognized her potential and urged her into leadership roles she never imagined—student government, cheerleading, even a local pageant. “Her ability to connect with me as a principal made me think about the supports I had received,” McNulty recalls. That spark ultimately led her to pursue education, earn her doctorate, and spend 13 years leading schools to dramatic improvement.

But what excites her most about Unity Point is how the district’s story mirrors her own. At Weber Elementary in Iowa City, a school with a similar global mix, she learned firsthand that diversity is not an obstacle but an accelerant when harnessed well. “I love communities that allow our kids—when we talk about diversity—to experience so much more,” she says. Unity Point, with its mosaic of cultures and perspectives, offers that every day.

The students themselves sealed her decision. During her interview process, McNulty met a group of Unity Point kids playing in Evergreen Park. When she asked what they loved about their school, they answered without hesitation: “It’s the best school, with amazing teachers. You should try to get a job here.” Their joy spoke volumes about a school that not only teaches, but inspires loyalty and pride.

This joy is rooted in Unity Point’s culture of inclusive excellence. Teachers here are known for challenging high achievers, supporting struggling learners, and ensuring every child—whatever their starting point—finds room to grow. Dr. McNulty’s leadership approach, built on data and student voice, fits seamlessly into this ethos. During the pandemic, she led one of the only middle schools in her district to improve its letter grade by bringing students directly into the data conversation. “We have our kids take all these assessments, and nobody ever tells them why,” she explains. “When students see their own progress, they become active learners instead of passive test-takers.”

Her multilingualism (she speaks Twi and Fante in addition to English) and her immigrant perspective are invaluable in a school where students come from every corner of the globe. She understands the pride of preserving one’s identity while also navigating American classrooms. For Unity Point families, that lived empathy matters as much as administrative expertise.

In Unity Point CUSD 140, diversity isn’t a statistic—it’s the air the school breathes. And in Dr. Yaa Appiah-McNulty, the district has found a leader whose own story embodies the very promise Unity Point represents: that every background, every voice, and every culture enriches the whole. From Ghana to southern Illinois, from a frightened child learning ten new words a night to a superintendent leading a district, the journey comes full circle—not just for Yaa, but for the remarkable school community she now calls home.