Leadership Club at Jefferson Builds Character

A new Leadership Club at Sherman ISD’s Jefferson Learning Center is instilling confidence in its members while serving the wider community.

“None of our alternative campuses has ever had a club of any kind,” said Gena Graham, Jefferson teacher and sponsor of the Leadership Club. “We’re breaking new ground.”

Members meet once a week during lunch to plan activities or perform community service, such as helping fill food bags for needy families.

“Our students often volunteer with the ACES [Adult Continuing Education Services] students and build relationships with them,” Graham said. “They learn about volunteer hours and service opportunities in the community.”

The Leadership Club also recently planned spirit days for the entire school and encouraged students to dress up. While it’s a common high school experience, students usually miss out on it when attending an alternative campus. 

Jefferson is a non-disciplinary school of choice that allows high school students to take self-paced, accelerated classes that may allow them to catch up on credits or graduate early. Some Jefferson students face situations in their lives outside of school that have made the typical school experience especially challenging.   

“We wanted to bring back some of these things they might have missed at the traditional high school,” Graham said. “Our campus students are a unique population who are trying to navigate school as successfully as they can, given some of their difficult circumstances.”

Throughout their time with the club, students learn how to more effectively communicate and collaborate, which is important whenever new members come into the club.

“Membership changes a lot because students graduate and new students come in,” Graham said. “Others who have been with the program longer are able to step up into a leadership position.”

For member A’Nyjalai Cox, the club has boosted her public speaking ability.

“This club has helped with my shyness because I had to speak in front of the whole student body,” Cox said. “I’ve never done that before.”

Graham looks for a wide array of personalities to join the club, from the charismatic types to those who organize everything behind the scenes. She also looks for the inherent qualities of a born leader.

“We see it as adults, but the students may not always see that they have leadership potential,” Graham said. “So we’re giving them opportunities to grow, to do things they wouldn’t normally do.”

“I’m more confident in speaking out now,” Cox said. “It helps develop a side of you that you never thought you had.”