Jennifer Smith, Assistant Principal

I am so excited to join the Mustang family at MJHS. My favorite age to work with are middle schoolers and I am ready to get back to the age group with which I started my career.

My dad was a special education teacher in California and talking with him about my future and my love of working with young people lead me to the natural choice of education.

I believe the most important things a school can provide a child during their years in school are safety and belonging, access to high-quality learning, strong relationships with adults, opportunities to build confidence, and real-world skills and resilience.

In my first year in this new role, I hope every student and parent can say that I care and I didn't give up on their child. I want them to say I helped their child build options for their future. Those personal moments of student growth keep me passionate about working in a school. I am driven to serve the Mesquite Junior community to see students show up to school differently -- more confident, more engaged. I hope to have an influence beyond students as well by helping shape the conditions teachers work in. I want to support Mesquite staff so the students benefit.

Thinking back to when I was a student, the memories that meant the most to me were when teachers made learning fun and tied it to things I could relate to. I remember my English teacher using an album by Simon and Garfunkel to teach poetic devices. I loved that he used music to teach English techniques. I hope to foster an environment where these kinds of memories are made for every MJHS student.

A fun fact about me: I used to own a clothing store where I altered vintage clothing. I still go thrifting and alter clothing for myself.