Middle schoolers don’t always realize it, but they’re already learning what leadership looks like. Jennifer Hargrave sees it every day in her seventh and eighth-grade literature classes and during every Student Council meeting she leads. For her, helping students find their voice—whether through a novel discussion or a schoolwide project—is the best part of her work at Unity Point.

Jennifer’s days are divided between two groups of students she loves watching grow. Mornings belong to her seventh graders, who are currently reading A Long Walk to Water, the dual-narrative novel about Salva Dut, a real Sudanese “Lost Boy,” and Nya, a fictional girl whose story reflects the daily work of collecting water in South Sudan. Before opening the book, Jennifer helps students explore Africa through scavenger hunts and research so they can visualize where the story takes place. “Some students didn’t know Africa was a continent,” she said. “I want them to have the background knowledge so they can really understand the story.”

Afternoons are for her eighth graders, who dive into The Outsiders with the same energy. They analyze characters, compare greasers and Socs, and study what the 1960s looked like—from hairstyles to cars—before watching the movie at the end of the unit. Jennifer enjoys the excitement students feel when the characters they’ve gotten to know on the page come alive on screen.

Jennifer’s own story winds through several creative paths. She grew up in Jerseyville, Illinois, a small town north of St. Louis, and came to SIU Carbondale to study art education and art history. She worked part-time in after-school programs and art camps, then stepped back from work while raising her son, Ethan. When he started kindergarten, she returned to school—this time to study English education.

That shift came from a moment of clarity. “If I want to make a difference, where am I going to have the most impact?” she said. Books had opened the world to her when she was growing up, and she realized she wanted to offer that same sense of possibility to her students. Literature, she felt, could reach every child, no matter their strengths or background.

Her connection to Unity Point began long before she taught here. She was involved as a parent when Ethan attended school at UP, volunteering often and getting to know the staff and programs. By the time a teaching position opened, Unity Point already felt like the community she wanted to be part of. She joined the junior high team in the 2021–2022 school year, and during her first two years, Ethan was actually in her literature classes. She admits it was both “challenging and meaningful,” especially during the post-COVID period when students nationwide were working hard to regain academic and social confidence. Being at Unity Point during that time, she said, “felt like it was meant to be.”

Jennifer has now sponsored Student Council for four years, and the group remains one of her favorite parts of the week. Typically, seven seventh graders and seven eighth graders are elected each fall, but this year, only three seventh graders ran. Jennifer embraced the smaller group, guiding them through elections, officer roles, and planning responsibilities.

Student Council meets every Tuesday during lunch, and this year, they added after-school meetings to tackle bigger goals. They plan Red Ribbon Week, choose spirit day themes—pajama day is always a favorite—and take charge of the junior high dances. Usually, there are three dances each year, but this fall, they adjusted their schedule after talking through the best use of time and resources.

The Giving Tree is one of the group’s most meaningful service projects. Nearly seventy names were on the list. To raise money, students sold holiday grams—small snacks like cookies, Goldfish, fruit snacks, or Jolly Ranchers—that are delivered right before winter break. The profits help purchase clothing and gifts for children who need them. Jennifer takes students shopping so they can help choose items themselves. “They have agency in it,” she said. “They love getting to pick things out, especially for the younger kids.”

Even beyond these projects, Jennifer encourages her Student Council members to think about how their decisions shape the school environment. This year’s group has already discussed planting more native species, adding milkweed for monarch butterflies, and finding ways to make the school more student-centered. and independence, reminding them that leadership isn’t about being told what to do.