Marymount students consider the 'Big 8 of Diversity" at the 21st annual Student Diversity Leadership Conference

During both large-scale presentations and small, intimate breakout sessions, the conference tackled the big 8 of Diversity (Ability, Age, Ethnicity, Gender, Race, Religion, Sexual Orientation, and Socio-Economic Status), asking participants to reflect on their lives at school and beyond. Junior Annabelle Liljegren attended the conference to consider her own identity, and to bring back tools for pursuing social justice and equality with the Marymount community. Annabelle also noted that she was excited to attend because her older sister, Lucy ’14, had attended, loved the experience, and came back  ‘a changed person.’

 

Senior Kendall Ferguson was excited to attend for a second year; having one conference under her belt inspired her to dig deeper into issues of diversity and try to figure out ways to help to make the most of opportunities to embrace and celebrate diversity at Marymount.  This time around, Kendall says, she really thought about the idea of being a bystander to others’ challenges, and the importance of standing up for others, in the pursuit of true equality for us all.

 

The honest, sometimes raw, stories they heard from other attendees about experiences of discrimination, bullying or hatred for ‘being who they were,’ caused Marymount girls to step back and recognize how lucky they all were to be in a school that embraces diversity so fully, and to be blessed with open-minded families.

 

Heather Bayle noted that she saw an evolution in the girls throughout the conference. By the end, she said, she felt a tangible growth in each girl in terms of embracing her unique voice. Brian Nichols concluded that these five girls clearly developed a more sophisticated sense of what Diversity really means, and left the conference with a strong desire to lead their fellow Marymount students in celebrating the incredibly diverse environment this school truly is.