Emma Wall Honored by State JMG

Glasgow High School Senior Emma Wall was one of only four students recognized by the statewide Jobs for Montana Graduates organization this year for an essay she wrote about her JMG experience and what that experience has meant for her life. The essay competition gives 11th and 12th-grade students an opportunity to showcase how JMG benefits their personal and career goals.

“It’s really about how JMG has helped me come into myself,” explained Wall, discussing her essay. She went on to describe difficulties overcoming a deeply personal childhood trauma and hardships that made it difficult to adjust going into her high school years.

But she said, joining JMG her sophomore year changed a great deal about her motivation and outlook for her life, and it gave her something to work for and learn from. Simply put, she said her essay is about, “how JMG has taught me to cope with [those struggles] and learn how to be happy and deal with all the things that come with life.”

For Wall, partaking in JMG has become a way to make friends, work towards goals and move into the future that has been equally challenging and rewarding. She described joining the program her second year of high school and sticking with it the past few years to ultimately become the 2020-2021 Glasgow JMG president.

She even credited the skills she learned through JMG—such as leadership, teamwork and kindness—with helping her earn a $52,000 scholarship to Rocky Mountain College in Billings.

“It really boosted my confidence in terms of academics and my social aspect,” she explained, about JMG. “I really tried hard academically since I joined JMG because I realized I can actually do things, and I’ve just been too hard on myself.”

Wall hopes to study elementary education and become a teacher, so she can help kids grow through their own challenges and be motivated about their futures. She’s keenly interested in helping students overcome their own traumatic experiences.

In a typical year, the essay winners would earn themselves a trip to Washington D.C. to take part in the National Student Leadership Academy. This year the academy was held virtually, and the students were unable to make the journey to the heart of America’s democracy.

Not traveling to D.C. aside, Wall said the payoff for winning the competition for her was being recognized for something she worked so hard to complete. “It really just shows me personally, that I can do anything. That I’m good enough to win with this essay and it’s really just amazing to have that [recognition],” she said. “It was really a confidence booster.”

Glasgow High School JMG advisor, Jill Page, pointed out that the essay contest is very competitive, and it includes submissions from across the state from dozens of schools of varying sizes and backgrounds.

Page amplified the differences she has seen in Wall between her sophomore and senior years at GHS. She described a reserved and distant 10th-grade student that was “difficult to pull into” group work and team building exercises, but since then Page said she has seen Wall mature and take on leadership roles. “For sure she’s grown in Leadership too,” said Page, before adding. “I think one of her greatest strengths now is she’s not afraid to be herself.”

Wall was not the only statewide recognition for the Glasgow JMG students in 2020. GHS Student Ty Kittleson received second-place honors for his logo submission in the statewide JMG logo competition.

Jobs for Montana’s Graduates provides students an opportunity to practice decision-making, critical thinking, and leadership skills; while learning the essential professional skills needed for career readiness to gain employment in Montana’s workforce. The program started as a JAG chapter 30 years ago to serve middle and high school students.

JMG encourages Montana students to stay in school, graduate, and successfully transition from school to the workforce, college, apprenticeships, or military service. The program has positively affected over 22,000 students across Montana and currently serves approximately 1,100 youth across 50 educational facilities. To learn more about JMG, visit jmg.mt.gov.