Advancing Student Leadership at ASMS
When the legislature created ASMS in 1989, they wanted the school to promote leadership. Leadership is at the very core of the ASMS mission statement. It is our aim to equip students to positively transform their community, state, and nation through their leadership - as current students and as graduates. During their time at ASMS, many of our students become leaders through the positions they hold and the roles they are called to serve in on our campus.
However, is a person a leader simply by holding a position? Is a person prepared to maximize their leadership when given a title or responsibility? Does a person know how to spend their time and energy when entrusted with a leadership role?
The ASMS Jo Bonner Leadership Academy (JBLA) was created to answer all of these questions as our school takes a more intentional approach to student leadership development. Through the JBLA, our students will learn about exemplary leadership, and when we think about exemplary leadership, we think about our ASMS School Board member, Jo Bonner. He graciously agreed to let us name the Leadership Academy after him, and he serves as the key-note speaker at the JBLA retreat each year.
About JBLA
The Jo Bonner Leadership Academy will maximize the potential of ASMS students to do the exceptional and to lead with purpose. Through a combination of leadership development and experiential learning, the academy provides opportunities for students to participate in group workshops, team building exercises, skill trainings, breakout sessions, and personal reflection. Students will learn to achieve goals and address challenges through realizing their own leadership impact and working collaboratively on a team. Graduates of the academy will live with character, serve generously, and envision the future for themselves and the world around them.
The JBLA was created with a long-term view for our students as well. It will provide our students with a robust leadership experience on their resume for the purposes of college admission. It is also modeled after college-level leadership programs, so our students will have a strong leadership foundation when applying to such programs one day.
The Real-Life JBLA Experience
What is it actually like to be in JBLA? One of our JBLA program graduates, Lex Mroczko (Class of 2024), shares her experience in a recent article she wrote. We invite you to read her story!
Read Lex's JBLA Story