Pryor students and staff continued the leadership legacy on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, by hosting a Leader in Me Mini Symposium that welcomed educators from across the region to observe how leadership development comes to life in classrooms, hallways, and student culture.
Pryor Public Schools is widely recognized for its leadership focus. In May 2020, PPS became the first K-12 district in the world to achieve District Lighthouse status, meaning every campus is designated as a Lighthouse school. In 2024, Roosevelt Elementary advanced further, earning recognition as a Leader in Me Legacy School.
Now in its 15th year of implementing Leader in Me, the District continues to serve as a model for schools seeking to build student leadership systems that endure.
A Student-Centered Start
The event launched at Pryor High School with an energetic welcome featuring student performances. The opening session set an upbeat tone centered on student voice and empowerment. Lincoln Elementary students Katie and Selah performed a leadership-themed showcase song, followed by a surprise Eight Houses, One Family house-sorting ceremony. Keynote speakers Muriel Summers and Dr. David Hatch each spun the house wheel, placing Summers in Intellectus (Orange) and Dr. Hatch in Civitas (Black).
Following greetings from District Superintendent Dr. Lisa Muller, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Tiffany Ballard, and Leader in Me Representative Ashley Carranco, attendees boarded buses led by student tour guides to observe how learning through a leadership lens comes to life across the district.
Students Lead the Way—Literally
Event planning and execution placed students at the center. High school students served as campus tour guides, holding signage for their former elementary schools and answering visitor questions during bus rides.
Dr. Ballard encouraged educators to ask questions during transit, then follow up after touring each site to deepen reflection.
Through interactions on buses, in buildings, and on panels, attendees experienced leadership directly from PPS students—not as a program, but a culture.
Student Voice Takes the Stage
After school tours, attendees reconvened in the AVRA Performing Arts Center for a student panel featuring:
Ruby Round — Lincoln Elementary
Hattie Thompson — Jefferson Elementary
Grace Ballard — Roosevelt Elementary
Avery Raper — Pryor Middle School
Jarrett Cowen — Pryor High School
The student panel answered questions from the audience, explaining how the implementation of the leadership program changes as students progress through the school system and how the students’ personal lives have been impacted by learning through a leadership lens.
Students explained how leadership principles evolve as they progress through school—and how habits apply beyond academics.
PHS senior Jarrett Cowen shared how leadership matures with age: "It is no longer something you learn. It is something you act out."
Elementary student Hattie Thompson explained that leadership helps students build relationships: "We all get to be friends."
Roosevelt student Grace Ballard highlighted their new leadership song that includes the 8th habit—Finding Your Voice: "We use voice to do things like we are doing right now." She reflected on the impact of her teachers: “The great teachers at Roosevelt put me on a different path, and now I do things like this.”
Middle school student Avery shared that leadership habits helped her transition into a combined student body from three elementary schools. She also applies them at home, using Think Win-Win when resolving conflicts with her sister.
Elementary student Ruby added that she uses leadership habits to help her family.
Middle school student Hattie summed up the experience: "The habits mold us into a better person."
Jarrett emphasized long-term impact: "We have better prep for our adult lives... Teachers would see the changes made in your students after they get out of high school."
In addition to hearing from a student panel, attendees could select from breakout sessions, focusing on practical implementation, leadership culture, student ownership, and applying habits outside the classroom. These sessions were led by Pryor students and staff, as well as guest presenters from Moore Public Schools and Bartlesville Public Schools.
Keynote Focus: Turning Observations Into Action
Keynote speakers Dr. David Hatch and Muriel Summers, co-authors of Teacher Believed in Me, guided attendees in connecting what they observed on school tours to broader leadership frameworks and classroom application. They shared the first of seven methods they emphasize in their book, Teacher Believed in Me, encouraging educators to build strong student connections and create positive environments for students.