By Melanie Eggleton, experience coordinator
On February 27, members of the Wellington Parents Association (WPA) gathered for a special session of the WPA Leadership Lab, a condensed version of the four-part experience offered to upper school students last year. Led by Wellington parents Jennifer Miller and Jason Miller P ’26, in collaboration with Head of Upper School Rishi Raghunathan P ’27 ’30, the workshop invited participants to slow down, reflect, and co-create around a shared goal: strengthening Wellington’s community.
Jennifer Miller P '26, Rishi Raghunathan P '27 '30, and Jason Miller P '26
Using the Theory U framework from MIT, the session challenged the 25 participants to engage in active listening and personal reflection before jumping into problem-solving. After opening with one-word identifiers and grounding exercises, small groups formed to explore a focus area — from supporting new families to increasing transparency around tuition dollars to fostering collaboration between parents and the school. Participants even used art supplies in one activity to build 3D models of their envisioned outcomes. “Toward the last portion of the Leadership Lab sampler, we laughed, and we cried as a community so invested in our students' education,” said Jennifer. “What was unique was experiencing that love and unity as a community versus as individual families or individual volunteers.”
Jennifer and Jason Miller brought their deep expertise in emotional intelligence and organizational leadership to the session. Jennifer founded Confident Parents, Confident Kids, and is a frequent contributor to national platforms including NBC’s TODAY Parenting and PBS. Jason, who runs the coaching and consulting practice Inner Sound, has worked with Fortune 500 companies and serves on the Hudson Institute of Coaching leadership team. Together with Raghunathan, they guided participants through exercises designed to move from insight to action — with care, creativity, and purpose.
Throughout the morning, participants were reminded that leadership at Wellington does not just reside in classrooms or on stages — it lives in the community, too. As Jennifer reflected, “We are all busy, competent, and caring, but so many times we are running in our own lanes and in our own directions. We rarely create the time and space to deeply listen to one another, feel one another’s joys and pains, and envision how we can work together to be better together.”
The session was a powerful example of how the WPA is more than a volunteer group — it’s a leadership engine. With members who bring professional expertise, big ideas, and a commitment to connection, the WPA helps make Wellington not just a school, but a thriving community. “When we make time for meaningful reflections and connections,” Jennifer said, “we become exponentially more powerful as a united school community.”