LEAD IN THE UPPER SCHOOL

Reprinted from The Hilltopper Magazine, Fall 2025

 

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Students come to Marshall School’s Upper School with a strong foundation. They’ve explored their way through Forest School and learned to learn in Middle School. Now it’s time they learn to lead, by developing critical thinking, communication, and collaboration skills that prepare them for deeper academic and personal growth. Megan Perry-Spears, Head of the Upper School, explains how this final stage completes the “Marshall Way,” a culture that transforms kids into confident, purposeful leaders. 

 

WHAT'S NEXT?

In Upper School, students are challenged to transform themselves and the community around them. Through service learning, coursework, and real-world problem solving, Marshall students embrace challenges and are equipped and empowered to lead to create positive change.

Marshall’s mission exists in every step of this journey: inspiring lifelong learners to embrace challenge and create positive change. According to Megan, leadership at Marshall is about transforming communities and problems. And transformation is twofold: external and internal. “Externally, it’s about transforming the communities we’re in for good,” she explains. “Internally, it’s about kids figuring out who they are, what they stand for, what matters to them, and how they want to be in the world. That internal and external transformation comes from learning to lead.” 

 

LEADING, BY THE GRADE

The school has introduced a course called Foundations. Designed for ninth graders, Foundations is focused on communication and another key area. This foundational course emphasizes writing, speaking, and analyzing sources, which are all critical communication skills. It’s a one-semester class required for all ninth graders.

There’s also a strong emphasis on community building that focuses on learning how to live together and thrive in a diverse environment. Ninth grade, then, is centered on skill development and cultivating a sense of community.

In tenth grade, students engage in solutionary service learning. The entire grade collaborates with a local church (usually St. Andrew’s Episcopal) which has agreed to fund student-led service learning initiatives. Bettina Keppers, in a role focused on DEI and social justice, has partnered with several community organizations.

Much of this work is done with Life House, a youth organization addressing homelessness. These partners present real-world challenges related to homeless youth, and students work in teams to develop actionable solutions. They then pitch their ideas to both the funders and the organizations. Selected proposals receive funding and are implemented by the students themselves. There’s real money, real action, and real-world impact.

Not every student will feel a personal connection to the issue, but all are encouraged to explore. It’s collaborative work wherein they discover individual strengths, learn to understand others’ skills, and learn how to work together to solve complex problems.

By eleventh grade, students are offered greater curricular choices, like Advanced Placement (AP) courses, College in the Schools (CITS), STEM, and art. This is when they begin to explore their interests more deeply: what they want to study, what their purpose might be, what skills they bring, and how they hope to make a meaningful impact.

The college search begins here too: Where will they thrive? Where can they begin to shape their future? It’s a dual journey: internal (Who am I?) and external (What do I want to do?).

Many students enter the Scholars Program, which allows them to dive deeper into a subject area—almost like declaring a minor—refining their focus and expertise.

Senior year culminates in a program called Let Your Life Speak. Students choose colleges, write personal essays, and deliver “This I Believe” speeches to the entire school. Each senior has the option to finish their final year with a senior capstone, a two-week project focused on a topic that reflects their passions and talents. “It’s their moment to declare, “this is who I am, and this is how I want to show up in the world,” explains Megan.

 

LEADERSHIP IN PLAY

In Upper School, students are encouraged to get involved. “Education isn’t just about classes,” points out Megan. “It’s also about community. There are plenty of sports teams, student clubs, music groups, and other activities for the student to choose from.”

The general recommendation is that students participate in at least three extracurricular activities. That could be music, a club, a sport; whatever fits their interests. It’s a delicate balance, Megan explains. “If a student is doing more than five, there’s concern they might be overwhelmed. Fewer than two, and there’s a worry they’re not engaged enough.”

The culture at Marshall is all about involvement. The “Marshall Way” means practicing your skills and interests in different venues. The school wants every student on a sports team, involved in clubs, doing music and art. There’s a curricular requirement, but it’s especially meaningful when students stick with music or art for all four years. That’s the goal; nurturing heart, mind, and soul. There are also opportunities to volunteer at the Forest School or the after-school program to nurture the transformation of Marshall’s next wave of leaders. 

“It’s about being well-rounded,” says Megan. “Exploring and developing leadership skills in different areas helps students become happier, healthier people.”

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