Students and Faculty Participate in Student Diversity Leadership Conference

12/7/2018

For the six Masters students and eight faculty who attended last week’s Student Diversity Leadership Conference, the topics covered, the connections made, and the impact the overall experience had on them was nothing short of profound.

The four-day conference is a multiracial, multicultural gathering of upper school student leaders from across the United States and the world, and focuses on self-reflecting, forming allies and building community. Throughout the four days, students develop cross-cultural communication skills, design effective strategies for social justice practice through dialogue and the arts, and learn the foundations of allyship and networking principles.

“I came in thinking that the primary outcome of this trip would be learning [about others], but I didn’t realize that along with that, I’d learn about myself. I have never felt happier to be the person that I am, never felt so validated and empowered, and I know this is a feeling that I want to spread to others,” said Gabriela Seguinot ’20 about her experience at SDLC.

With 1,600 participants taking part in affinity group sessions and seminars that focused on pressing equity and justice topics for independent schools, there were plenty of opportunities for attendees to learn about intersecting issues and forms of injustice, expand or re-consider their knowledge about a particular group or subject, and share their own experiences with others. The conference also included dozens of workshops taking place throughout the four days on topics such as “Identifying and Supporting Learning Challenges in Students of Color,” “Navigating Identity, Equity, and Justice in the Classroom and Beyond,” “Rethinking American History: Creating an Equitable and Inclusive Narrative for All,” and “Colorism in the Latinx Community.”

The mutual interest and passion of the participants, combined with the importance of the issues discussed, was invaluable for Abdoul Bah ’19. “SDLC has been one of the most beautiful things I have ever been a part of. The love, understanding of community, trust, respect and knowledge I was able to witness, feel and give made my experience unbelievable.”

And, back at Masters, students reflected on the ways in which the conference made an indelible and mission-aligned impact. “Together we were there to further ourselves in becoming wiser, more aware, kinder,” said Audrey Corrigan ’20. And, said Jaelyn Felton ’20, she feels confident using her voice to effect change. “Something that I have taken away from SDLC and that I will keep with me for the rest of my life is: always speak up for what you believe is right.”

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Upper School students Abdoul Bah ’19, Madison Burton ’20, Audrey Corrigan ’20, Jaelyn Felton ’20, Sage Francis ’19 and Gabriela Seguinot ’20 attended SDLC with Director of Equity and Inclusion Karen Brown, Head of Middle School Tasha Elsbach, Head of Upper School Nikki Willis, Upper School history teacher Brendon Barrios, CITYterm Dean of Residential Life Jayde Bennett, Middle School English teacher Chris Mizell, Upper School Language Department Chair Richard Simon and CITYterm Urban Core teacher Trinity Thompson.