I Was Moved by What I Heard at SDLC
by Riley Newport, Ninth Grade Student
This past November, I attended the Student Diversity Leadership Conference with five of my peers. According to the National Association Alliance of Independent Schools, “The NAIS Online Student Diversity Leadership Conference is a multiracial, multicultural gathering of upper school student leaders (grades 9-12) from across the U.S. and abroad. SDLC focuses on self-reflecting, forming allies, and building community. Led by a diverse team of trained adult and peer facilitators, participating 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.”
Prior to this experience, I had attended a couple of meetings at NCCS regarding diversity, equity and inclusion, but I had never been exposed to anything as intense as SDLC. This conference was extremely enlightening and encouraged all of us to find new or different perspectives. At the conference, we were surrounded by so many different people who identified in so many different ways. I heard from people all over the country, and although everyone was extremely different and diverse, we all shared a passion and need for change.
The people that I met at SDLC were some of the most accepting, kind, and generous people that I had ever met. Hearing about the ways that they had been mistreated, underrepresented, and undermined in their own communities was incredibly upsetting. Not only did I learn about the struggles and accomplishments of people whom I had never met, but I also learned more about the people from my school who attended the conference. On that last day, I was engulfed with powerful emotions. Other SDLC attendees expressed their feelings regarding every aspect of the conference and the acceptance that they had felt among these people. As they spoke, tears streamed down their faces, and I noticed that I was so lost in their words that my emotions were reflecting theirs. I was full of heartbreak listening to the injustice that people had suffered, and regret knowing that I would soon be leaving. However, I also felt joy and empowerment as I realized that I would soon return to my own community with new ideas, ready to spread change.
Hearing about these acts of undeserved hatred moved me in a way I had not experienced before. It further motivated me to continue prioritizing DEI work. So many people at the conference put out positive energy in their daily lives, but they were met with the direct opposite of this by some of their peers. This prejudice was just because of the ways that they identify. Hearing about these negative experiences first hand versus hearing about them in the news was even more raw and upsetting.
Overall, DEI work has always been evidently necessary. Helping every individual experience a sense of belonging is worth the lengths that it might take to achieve this. Of course, sometimes this can seem like an unimaginable utopia. This is why it is so important not to allow ourselves to become discouraged. Step by step, we can work towards a brighter future, a more diverse and equitable world. Maintaining a growth mindset is one simple and beneficial way to work toward this goal.
For the future, I am honored to have the opportunity to bring SDLC back to the NCCS community. My SDLC peers and I are preparing to tour different classes to share in the DEI strategies we developed. We will also continue to meet and discuss areas of growth regarding DEI so that we can positively contribute to our community. I look forward to the future of DEI at NCCS, and I am excited to work toward this objective.
New Canaan Country School
New Canaan Country School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin and are afforded all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, national origin or ancestry, or disability in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, financial aid policies or any other school-administered programs.
