Eighth-Grade Night of Influence

By Sam Martin ’07

A staple and highlight of our eighth-grade English curriculum is, without a doubt, the Night of Influence. Initiated in 2008 by then Middle School and now Upper School English teacher Karen Bixler, the project has evolved since it began.

What remains the same, as Amy Housley, eighth-grade English teacher, put it at the start of this year’s event, this is the moment when “eighth-graders go from looking like middle schoolers to high schoolers.” They end the evening standing a little taller, ready to walk the Upper School halls the next fall. This intensive biography project, on display every spring, is the culmination of years of learning and months of hard work. Students select figures, past or present, they believe have had a positive impact on some aspect of society and exhibit a noble character. A student may choose an athlete, for example, or a performer in the arts, a missionary, a politician, an activist, a member of the military, a visionary scientist or innovator, or someone who heroically overcame a trial. Among this year’s heroes were Albert Einstein, Katherine Johnson, Billy Graham, and Fred Rogers.

After students decide on the subject of their projects, they read a biography or an autobiography about the person. A now optional element is to team up with a partner: Students are encouraged to identify an adult — a parent, an older sibling, a teacher, or another mentor — they’d like to read alongside them. This is designed to foster further thought through meaningful discussion. It also promotes a healthy understanding of the support they can find in community and mentoring relationships.

Following the reading phase, students create their presentation. They design a viewbook that summarizes the highlights of their figure’s life, achievements, and character. The project culminates in a presentation at the Night of Influence. Students spread throughout the Upper School as parents and other guests listen to their short summations and about the notable contributions of their subjects. In addition, students must identify character qualities that make their selection a person worth emulating.

For instance, in choosing Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez, former Texas Ranger catcher, Josh Jordan, who has ambitions to play major league baseball, found meaningful lessons throughout his reading. “Rodriguez’s contribution . . . wasn’t saving the world or inventing a huge piece of modern technology, but just because he didn’t do any of that stuff doesn’t mean he had a lesser impact. He was just built for baseball and he channeled that into his contribution to the world. He showed that if you work hard, focus on your goals, and constantly grow, you will succeed. Just because God has a plan for you doesn’t mean it’s automatically going to happen. You still have to put in the effort to get what He wants your life to be and to do His will.” After listening to the presentations, classmates and Night of Influence guests vote for the student they believe has made the most persuasive case for their person’s positive impact, and the top ten make it to the Hall of Influence.

THIS YEAR’S TOP 10 INDUCTEES:

Blake Buhl | SECOND PLACE:

for Renaissance artist and sculptor Michelangelo

Elina Corral

for surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost an arm to a shark attack

Marshal Dunlap

for former president Donald Trump

Kinsey Fulks | FIRST PLACE

for Medal of Honor recipient Kyle Carpenter

Gabby Gebhardt

for Darlene Rose, a missionary in Papua New Guinea who spent four years in a concentration camp

Nathan Kaster

for theoretical physicist Albert Einstein

Lynlee Kennedy

for Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to earn a medical degree in the United States

Amelia Thompson

for children’s television pioneer Fred Rogers

Carson Warren | THIRD PLACE

for WWII veteran and Olympian Louis Zamperini

Cody Young

for Christian evangelist Billy Graham

Sam Martin (’07) lives in Frisco with her husband, Spencer, and their two kids, Lachlan and Meryn. She serves on the board for the Down Syndrome Guild of Dallas and volunteers with Hope Mommies.