By: Matt Emma
At Marian Middle School, leadership is not just about structure and strategy—it’s about ensuring every decision aligns with the mission. Principal Sierhah Price understands that the heart of running a mission-driven school lies in both honoring that mission and evolving it to meet the needs of students and staff. As the only all-girls, faith-based middle school in the St. Louis region specifically serving girls from under-resourced communities, Marian operates with a strong commitment to preparing students for life beyond middle school. But doing so requires strategic leadership, team empowerment, and a sustainable approach that can adapt to evolving needs.
Since becoming Principal, Sierhah Price‘s influence on Marian has focused on aligning internal operations with its core mission. “It’s easy to implement change for the sake of change, but every shift we’ve made has to serve a higher purpose,” she says. From replacing outdated uniforms with new, well-deserved uniforms that foster pride to refining admissions processes that support a more committed school community, each decision is part of a broader strategy aimed at building a cohesive and sustainable learning environment.
Her approach begins with the people. Hiring is not just about filling a teaching position; it’s about identifying how a candidate’s skillset can contribute to the school culture. “In a mission-driven space, you’re not just hiring a math teacher. You’re hiring someone who can nurture, model resilience, and grow into a community leader.” Price positions staff members to operate at their best by helping them evolve professionally. “People don’t come here to simply clock in and out. They come here to help our students grow, and grow themselves in that process.”
Price is intentional about hiring educators who are passionate and continually learning. Marian’s academic programming reflects this. With the adoption of a new tech-forward math curriculum and the school-wide use of Naviance to foster individualized high school, college, and career planning for each student, Marian’s academic evolution is rooted in the idea that the students Marian serves are already acting as adults because of the circumstances they face. “I’ve never been a fan of saying we’re preparing students for the ‘real world,’ because they’ve been forced to grow up way beyond their years. Growing up facing poverty and succeeding takes grit, persistence, and profound strength. Our job is to make sure they’re prepared for what’s next, not just right now.”
Photo Courtesy: Sierhah Price
That readiness includes leadership development. One of the programs Price is most proud of is the Investment Club, which gives students the tools to understand finance, entrepreneurship, and accountability. She believes public speaking and presence are often learned aversions, so Marian creates space for students to lead—as ambassadors, daily assembly leaders, chapel speakers, or buddies on campus tours.
“We don’t make girls speak in front of an auditorium on day one,” she says. “We teach them to introduce themselves, to recognize their strengths and opportunities, to apply intentionally, and even to respond to rejection. That’s leadership.”
The impact is tangible. One student who participated in the Investment Club wrote a handwritten letter to the instructor asking how to open an investment account for her growing small business. Another student with a nail business shifted her mindset from a short-term hustle to a longer-term plan after feedback from Price. The lessons extend beyond the classroom.
Community connection is another area where Price brings business acumen and mission alignment together. “I treat our students as our clients. We think about the experience we’re delivering every day and whether it reflects who we are.” That customer-first mindset is why Marian continues to prioritize second languages, the arts, and physical education—classes that are often cut in other institutions. “We think about what inspires us to do our own best work as adults, and apply those same standards to the students,” she adds.
“I don’t see these programs as nice-to-haves. They are integral to our core values,” she says. Events like the Poetry Slams, Hispanic Heritage Month, Black History Month, and Daddy Daughter basketball games aren’t just fun moments. They reflect Marian’s culture and intentionality about helping each student see herself through a lens of self-value. “We build pride through visibility, celebrating the uniqueness of the individual, and belonging.”
Photo Courtesy: Sierhah Price
Under Price’s leadership, Marian also expanded athletics to ensure students feel energized and supported throughout their day. “We went from a 10-hour academic block model to a schedule that respects the whole child. We want girls to move, express, and thrive. As adults, we know movement is key to self-regulation and remembering our coping skills when things get tough. Children need—and deserve—these same tools.”
This mission-aligned leadership extends to faculty, too. Price is the first principal to proactively ask for 360 feedback; she also scales professional development to better serve the school’s diverse demographics. She creates space for staff to be heard and supported. “I try to be approachable without losing sight of the bigger picture. It’s a balance of staying grounded and staying strategic.”
Perhaps one of the most profound aspects of her leadership is her ability to separate identity from outcomes. “The biggest lesson I’ve learned is not taking every decision personally,” she says. “In this role, I have to make decisions aligned with the mission, even when they’re challenging. I can’t operate based on feelings; I have to lead with clarity.”
That clarity has yielded results—not just in student performance and faculty retention, but in the culture as well. Marian girls return after graduation not just to visit, but to give back. “They’ll tell us, ‘I didn’t realize what a cheat code Marian was until I got to high school.'”
What drives Price isn’t just a passion for education. It’s a calling to ensure that girls who often go overlooked are seen, heard, and prepared. “I’m not here just because I love kids,” she explains. “I’m here because I’ve seen systems fail our communities. Here, I know the mission is real, and with business acumen and a healthy dose of humility and humanity, the impact is generational.”
As Marian continues to grow, Principal Sierhah Price is leading with a simple but powerful belief: that strategy, compassion, and accountability can coexist. And that, in a mission-driven school, they must.
