On April 15th, Kent students attended the 16th annual CAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference at The Hotchkiss School. The 2018 conference theme was “Breaking Boundaries:  Identity and Intersectionality.”

Keynote speaker Dr. Marshall, an English teacher at Phillips Exeter Academy and Black feminist fitness instructor, spoke to both students and adults. Students discussed “intersectionality, and how it plays a part in our life and Dr. Marshall’s life, and racial prejudices in boarding school, in particular ours,” said Musheerah El-Amin ‘19.

Students also assembled smaller groups to discuss current events. Avery Clark ‘20 explained how groups, “talked about diversity within our schools, racial prejudice, homophobia, and how to respond to problematic comments.”

Morgan Zee ‘18 participated in a group comprised of seniors and discussed how to transition to college and the intersectionality it brings. In addition, they skyped a professor at American University who read touching poetry about modern diversity. Baljaa Borgil ’20 and Amy Fang ’20 also led discussions. As students worked, Dr. Marshall taught teachers how to promote equality within their schools.

At the end of the conference, students by discussed what they were going to bring back to the community from the conference, and Kent’s takeaway was “to unapologetically be yourself.”