LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Jill Wilson was nominated by her colleague, Kristina Stansbury.

"When you meet Jill Wilson, she will most likely be wearing pink and a smile," said Stansbury. "Seven years ago, I met Jill as we were walking our children to school at Gateway Pointe Elementary. Her family was new to the neighborhood, and she had many questions about Gateway and the Higley Unified School District. Jill signed up to volunteer in her child’s class right away and soon became a familiar face at Gateway Pointe."

For the past seven years, Ms. Wilson has been a dedicated volunteer who has gone above and beyond to serve kids. She can always be counted on to lend a helping hand, whether it's by laminating, making copies, putting together a bulletin board, assisting with book fair, or setting up a school event. Ms. Wilson takes time to get to know teachers and continuously checks in with them to help however she can. She also does small things for the staff to say thank you, such as bringing them a soda or sweet treat.

Ms. Wilson served on the school site council and has a willingness to help wherever there is a need. She also sees needs within her school and district and does everything she can to bring a solution. Last year, during the Red for Ed walk out, Ms. Wilson was instrumental in helping Gateway’s social worker organize food distribution to the students on free and reduced lunch. Gateway Pointe is a Title I school and provides extra food to many families through donations from the community.

"During the 2016-2017 school year, Jill and I served on Gateway Pointe’s PTO board together. Jill was the president and I was her vice-president," said Stansbury. "Jill was a committed president who served countless hours to support the Gateway community. She listened to other’s ideas and input before making decisions. She was dependable and completed her assignment and commitment with excellence. Jill always kept in mind what was best for the Gateway Community. She was willing to share the load with others and the credit as well. She would also support administration, even when there may be a conflict with what her own child might need versus others. When she completed her term as president, she was happy to support the new officers and continues to participate in the PTO."

Ms. Wilson is a voice for Gateway Pointe when there has not always been one in the past at the district level. She has served on district communication, calendar, and hiring committees. Whenever there was a decision to be made within these committees, she would survey the parents in her community to receive input before making a decision. She is always concerned with others' thoughts and opinions, not just her own. When it came time for the community to vote on decisions the committees had come up with, Ms. Wilson would communicate to the parents, teachers and community members to make sure they had the opportunity to provide input and vote.

Ms. Wilson's value for education and creating the best environment for students played a major role in her decision to start attending Higley School board meetings. She spent seven years getting to know the school boards’ function, and this past January, she was elected to be a Higley Unified School Board member. She has demonstrated her desire for what’s best for all Higley Unified students, teachers/staff and families. Ms. Wilson is committed to the community, is extremely responsible and follows through on her commitments.

"Public servant is a phrase that describes Jill Wilson. Her desire to leave her community better makes her a LifeChanger," said Stansbury. "I would say Jill is a “behind the scenes” LifeChanger. When there is a need Jill takes action to meet that need. She is a volunteer, giving countless hours to her children’s school and the district as a whole. She is hard working, dependable, and supports others in being LifeChangers of their own."