Our Leadership Approach
At Midland, students are entrusted with authentic leadership roles and real responsibility in the daily life of the school through our Jobs Program, Senior Prefect System, internships, and a range of student-led roles across campus. From daily work assignments to mentoring younger students and leading crews, each experience builds the habits of initiative, accountability, and follow-through. This approach reflects a core belief: meaningful work helps students develop a sense of purpose, and prepares them to take care of themselves and to serve their communities in life well beyond Midland.
Jobs Program
Every student participates in the work that sustains our school, taking on assigned roles across campus as part of the daily schedule. Students contribute directly to dining, maintenance, and farm operations, supporting the day-to-day life of the community.
Senior Prefectships
Midland Prefects are faculty-selected seniors who hold meaningful responsibility for the well-being of younger students and the strength of our residential community. Class prefects are each assigned to a specific class and residential area, living alongside the students they support and serving as a mentor, role model, and guide to Midland’s philosophy, expectations, and daily life.
For younger students, this means arriving into a community with clear support and connection. For seniors, it means taking responsibility for others and helping to uphold Midland’s community standards. Over time, students experience both sides of this structure, building the capacity to contribute, to lead, and to be accountable to themselves and one another.
Prefect Roles
Annually, two Head Prefects serve as the school’s primary student leaders, overseeing both the Prefect System and the Jobs Program, as well as their respective living yards. They work closely with faculty and the Dean of Residential Life, helping to guide student leadership across campus and support communication, accountability, and the overall functioning of the community.
Junior Prefects are seniors who live and work within junior residential spaces, providing guidance as their prefectees take on increased responsibility across campus and prepare for senior leadership roles.
Sophomore Prefects are seniors who live and work within sophomore residential spaces, reinforcing expectations and helping students build consistency in their academic, work, and community responsibilities.
Freshman Prefects hold a special role at Midland, living and working within freshman residential spaces and serving as a guide to students as they transition into our community, helping new students adjust to daily routines, understand expectations, and find their place within our academic and extracurricular program.
LEADERSHIP ROLES AT A GLANCE
Junior Leadership Development
Formal leadership development begins in the fall of junior year as initial conversations begin about preparing to be senior leaders. During the spring, juniors participate in Experiential Week, a week-long leadership institute focusing on communication, feedback, and conflict resolution. Led by our Dean of Residential Life and supporting faculty, juniors prepare for senior leadership roles by practicing how to lead, how to support others, and how to contribute effectively within a group. This experience provides a foundation for the responsibilities students will take on as seniors, reinforcing Midland’s expectation that leadership is practiced through participation, accountability, and daily contribution.