Five students from The Meadows Upper School recently attended the NAIS Online Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC), which is a multiracial and multicultural gathering for student leaders in grades 9-12. SDLC focuses on self-reflecting, forming allies, and community building. The conference helped students develop cross-cultural communication skills, design effective strategies for social justice practice, and learn the foundation for networking principles. In addition to meeting as a large group, each student had the opportunity to participate in smaller affinity groups to engage in meaningful dialogue with other students of similar backgrounds.
Here is what the students had to say about the conference:
Kristine Ndubisi
I knew little about the Student Diversity Leadership Conference going in, as it was my first year participating and it was held virtually, but it was an experience that I would like to repeat next year (in person, fingers crossed!). Meeting so many people from countless different schools over the course of a 5-day week was fun and informative. It surprised me how quickly we were all able to form a community over such a short amount of time, which only speaks to how engaged and open participants were with each other. A lot of us exchanged social media information and other forms of communication to keep in touch after the conference ended. My highlight was just seeing how common discussions of race and identity are becoming and how comfortable people are starting to feel with talking about their experiences and relating to those similar to and different from them.
Alexis Coffee
I honestly wasn’t expecting much from the SDLC because it was the first time it was held on Zoom rather than in person, but from the first day, I was able to feel like I was a part of something big. Within four days, I was able to be a part of this community where I was able to express how I truly felt without being judged. It gave me the opportunity to connect with people all around the world who felt the exact same way as I did. SDLC gave me a safe environment where I was able to discuss race and mental illnesses without being judged. Overall, SDLC taught me how to open up and have those difficult conversations society tries to shy away from because you’ll never know who feels the exact same way.
Nick Pereira
Although I did not expect much from the conference because it was online, when it started, it quickly became clear that SDLC managed to create a space for people to ask uncomfortable questions that are very often ignored. While there, I got to see differences and similarities between different minority groups’ experiences in the world. The Latinx affinity group I was in was by far the most impactful to me because it became very clear how common some problems are, and while I didn’t always agree with the solution and ideas brought to the table, it was comforting to see that serious thought was going into fixing our problems and creating a brighter future.
Lauren Zimmerman
Because the conference was held over Zoom this year, we all knew that our experience attending the SDLC would vary greatly from past alumni. While we were never actually able to meet each other in real life, attendees were able to create a comfortable environment in which participants felt they were able to discuss their experiences and struggles as students, and people, of color. Our conversations about race and equality were held in a forum where no one was discouraged from speaking their minds and openly sharing their opinions. Because society often shies away from discussions like these, naturally, some of us were foreign to the transparency of others. However, very quickly, we were able to acclimate to the tolerance of our respective groups and fluidly create conversations amongst ourselves. I have never truly been able to connect with others who share the same views and experiences as me, and it became clear when in attendance, that there are others who share my same feelings and adversities. My lasting impression from SDLC is that there is a whole community of others like me whom I have never encountered nor had knowledge of before, and with that, comes a sense of comfort in knowing that I am not alone.
Veena Kittusamy
SDLC was definitely one of the major highlights of my junior year. Although the conference was virtual, it still quickly became what felt like a community. I finally had a forum to discuss topics and experiences that I felt had been overshadowed or neglected in our own community. Oftentimes, conversations about race and diversity are avoided to ensure people do not feel uncomfortable. However, SDLC showed me that these conversations don’t have to be uncomfortable and can actually be incredibly productive and educational if everyone involved is receptive and willing.
