Meet the Principal
This school year marks the largest turnover in administrative positions the Edwardsville School District has seen. Most of these changes were due to retirements with a few administrators making moves to other districts. These new positions yield a number of new faces with whom families may not be familiar. Now more than ever, with the change in the educational landscape to hybrid schedules and remote learning, it is important for a community to know the people leading their teachers and children. Riverbender.com and EdGlen Today.com are currently hosting a series titled “Meet the Principal” to help readers become acquainted with these new faces.
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Ms. Jennifer Morgan – Lincoln Middle School Principal
Although Ms. Jennifer Morgan is an Illinois native and a Collinsville High School graduate, her career prior to District 7 has taken her far beyond her Madison County beginnings. Directly after receiving an Associate’s degree, Ms. Morgan moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where she spent the next eight years working for an organization called Master’s Commission, a Biblically-based non-profit. The organization’s central focus was one of serving others, and Jennifer has brought that mind-set with her to Lincoln Middle School.
“I was a motivational speaker and traveled with a team whose objective was to deliver an “anti-drug, anti-gang, your actions today affect your tomorrow” message to young people in schools, churches and communities. With this, I was afforded the opportunity to travel both nationally and internationally, having experiences in Samoa, Myanmar, Peru, Nicaragua, different countries in Europe as well as others in Southeast Asia,” said Morgan. Her experience in this area sets a foundation for how she works with her middle school students, an age that is very vulnerable to peer-pressure.
After 8 years of public speaking, school assemblies, and traveling the globe, she soon realized that a career in education was what she wanted to pursue. She was fortunate to be able to attend classes in Guadalajara, Mexico, San Jose and Costa Rica which formulated a love for the Spanish language and culture. Jennifer came back to Illinois and in 2010, graduated Summa Cum Laude from McKendree University with her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Spanish Studies and eventually earned a Master’s degree in Educational Administration from SIUE.
After graduation in 2010, Ms. Morgan taught Spanish in District 7 for six years, beginning her career at Liberty Middle School. She was at the high school level for four years as a teacher and then two more as an assistant principal.
Her next season with District 7 was at Lincoln Middle School, where she was an assistant principal for two years before becoming the first-ever female principal in the Lincoln Middle School/old Edwardsville High School building.
Jennifer is a people person – one who loves to travel and be with friends and family. “Playing games, cooking, or just talking about life is all more fun with those you love.”
When asked to share a favorite story about being an educator, Ms. Morgan said, “When I became a principal, I remember fearing that I wouldn’t be able to make connections with students the way I could as a teacher. I was afraid that I would end up behind the desk too much and the students wouldn’t even know my name! I will never forget pulling up to a stoplight not too long ago. I heard my name a few times and then looked around. There was a car full of graduates that I hadn’t seen in quite a while. We rolled down the windows and chatted about what they’re doing and how it’s all going. I was so happy to see their smiles and catch up. I was so sad when the light turned green, but I was reminded that we can build relationships, no matter what our job title is, so long as we are intentional about it! I was so blessed that day to be reconnected with graduates and reminded how much relationships matter!”
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