Mesquite Junior High Welcomes a New Assistant Principal

The Mustang family is excited to announce the appointment of Assistant Principal Jennifer Smith in the upcoming 2026-2027 school year. Read on to hear about Jennifer Smith's passion for education in her own words.

"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."