Harriet Tubman Play Brings Cheers and Tears to Prep School

PREMIER ISSUE 2010

OUR VOICES sTudenT ColumnisTs: summer life/ baCK To sCHool

HoraCe manns, ConvenT of THe saCred HearTs, monTClair Kimberley aCademys HeadmasTers sHare diversiTy insigHTs

Teen ColumnisTs: Health, Money, Dating, Movies and more PRESENTS The The Resurrection of Meeting Harriet Tubman "The Meeting," an engaging and intelligent play that depicts a fictitious secret meeting between Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., follow - "The Resurrection of Harriet Tubman," stage ing the bombing of Malcolm X’s home shortly before he was assassinated. actress Melissa Waddy-Thibodeaux’s riveting Malcolm and Martin meet in a room inside the historic Theresa Hotel portrayal of the legendary freedom fighter and where they challenge each other’s strategies to end war, poverty, racism founder of the Underground Railroad who infil - and how to establish Black power. They were men with different ideologies, trated the slave-holding South repeatedly to but a common understanding of the plight of Black Americans. free her people. The emotional heft Waddy-Thi - bodeaux brings to the role frequently leaves “I wasn’t born when the audience in tears. Just recently, Texas Gov. Rick Perry honored the actress as a final - Malcolm and Martin were ist for the Humanities Texas Award, which rec - ognizes imaginative leadership in the here, so all I knew was performing arts. what I had read and what my parents had told me. But this play, fictional it might be, was as informa - tive and helpful to my un - derstanding of these great “The children welcomed Harriet Tubman leaders as anything else with excitement and awe. Her keen acting I’ve learned about them.” talent and warm personality engaged them immediately. ” –Sandy Rubenstein –Ricardo Barnes Fourth Grade Teacher Junior Horace Mann New York University The Bronx New York

“The Meeting” and “The Reserruction of Harriet Tubman” will be touring local schools in the To book a performance of either production – or both – at your school, please Tri-State region from January to March, 2011. contact JWD Enterprises at 914-450-4269 NotE fRoM thE PUblIShER....

NEVER TOO YOUNG TO BE A LEADER A Teen Lifestyle Publication By Dion Clarke

utside of classrooms and fields of athletic competition, Oour society tends not to associate leadership and Diversity Prep is a quarterly publication and website that adolescence in the same breath. recognizes and celebrates multiculturalism in the academic and social lives of teens and gives voice to their teachers, While everyone recognizes that today’s teens will be school administrators and parents. It is published by tomorrow’s leaders, we don’t always act like it. We as parents, Diversity Prep LLC. All Rights Reserved. teachers, administrators and neighbors are too consumed with making sure that teens follow orders, obey the rules, stay quiet, pay attention, study hard, avoid harm’s way and respect Chief Executive Officer/Publisher DION E. C LARKE authority, to appreciate signs of leadership they possess. Chief Financial Officer CHRIS ROBERTS Not that any of those precautions are bad. But can it stifle Associate Publisher – Atlanta ANTHONY WITHERSPOON leadership? Editor and Chief MILFORD PREWITT Dion Clarke, Publisher It was in their youth that Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Diversity Prep.com Internet JAY GREENE , M EDINA MEDIA Alexander the Great, Martin Luther King, Jr., Bill Gates, Winston Churchill and many other notable figures first showed signs that would one day make them world leaders and change makers. Advertising Sales/Marketing/Print and Web: Rather than muffling some teens’ instincts for leadership, we should take the National Sales: DION E. C LARKE [email protected] blinders off and support their efforts, as adolescence is a critical time for leader - 914-980-4427 ship development. The positives of embracing such an attitude far outweigh the negatives: Adolescent leadership development encourages self-esteem, reinforces Art Directors & Production Managers: Creative Insight, LLC the responsibilities of citizenship, nurtures team work, helps deglamorize the lure NANCY ANDERSEN of risky behaviors and sets a young person up on the road to success as an adult. MICHAEL LOMBARDO In this premiere issue of Diversity Prep, you will read about several schools, [email protected] enrichment programs and youth-centered leadership development organizations 203-594-9409 that are ahead of the curve when it comes to investing in the next generation of Academic Contributing Editors leaders. These institutions know that even if a young person does not obtain the PEARL ROCK KANE , Oval Office or the top suite in a corporation, life skills development expands by Columbia University Teachers College, Ph.D. Education multiples when teens experience leadership roles and responsibility. Communica - DR. E LLEN FERGUSON , tion, conflict management, decision-making, time management and more are all Montclair Kimberley Academy, Ph.D. English developed when young people are given leadership experiences. Contributing Writers A central core of our mission at Diversity Prep is to spotlight these teens, a tiny LISA WEINREB , J ODI GWALTNEY , D INA BERTA , sampling of whom have written articles in this issue. BONNIE KAVANAUGH , T ISH JOHNSON COOK AND JAYLA ROSS For example, Jayla Ross is an 11th grader at West Orange High School in West Orange, N.J., who writes that her comfortable lifestyle is no excuse not to give Special Columnists back to others less fortunate. Jennie Chieco is a 10th grader at the Convent of the Health: DR. W ANDA MCCOY Sacred Heart in Greenwich, Conn., whose volunteer work with the Red Cross has Teen Finances: DONNA SOTOLONGO , P SY .D. Teen Romance: TIFFANY TAYLOR SMITH , M.S. E DUCATION inspired her to work in the medical field one day. Olutola Ebunlomo is a sopho - Experiences: TIFFANY DUGUÉ , BA more at Montclair Kimberley Academy, in Montclair, N.J., whose book review of the Administration: PORCIA GARDNER autobiography of a Santa Clara (Califor - [email protected] nia) University professor who used to 914-450-4269 be a gang banger, speaks to the Diversity Prep would like to thank the student writing teams at injustice and unfairness she wants Montclair Kimberley Academy, Convent of the Sacred Heart and to correct as a lawyer one day. Horace Mann who contributed to this premiere issue. The jury is still out as to whether leaders are born or made. Either way, young people need our We welcome reader feedback and advertising inquiries at support and mentorship, and we JWD Enterprises P.O. Box 232, hope Diversity Prep can highlight Purchase, New York 10577-0232 the path. or email: [email protected]

www.diversityprep.com

2 NotE fRoM thE EdItoR...

New School Year A Teen Lifestyle Publication Welcomes New Teen Mag: Diversity Prep PREMIER ISSUE: 2010

“ one of us is as good as all of us,” NRay Kroc, the co-founder of Mc - realreal Donald’s, once told his franchisees. In that simple statement is the essence of diversity and, by extension, the mis - sion of Diversity Prep: to celebrate mul - ticultural inclusion in the independent, preparatory school world. My name is qualityualitlit Milford Prewitt, and it is my proud Milford Prewitt, Editor pleasure to introduce myself to you as the founding editor of Diversity Prep, a quarterly lifestyle magazine for and by high-aspiring teens unrealunr and their immersion in all that is considered multicultural and inclusive. But we also hope to be a forum and sounding board ON THE COVER: for teachers, parents and administrators. A tile mural at the Martin I come from the world of business journalism, having Luther King, Jr. Labor enjoyed an award-winning career as the national Center in Times Square priceprices affairs editor at Nation’s Restaurant News, where I over - celebrates diversity in education. saw the weekly’s national and international news coverage. Prior to that, I was a general assignment reporter for several years with such renowned publica - tions as The Baltimore Sun, The Milwaukee Journal and the Associated Press. I am also a graduate of the Maynard Institute for Jour - coNtENtS nalism Education, formerly known as the Summer Program for Minority Journalists, at the Graduate School of Journal - 4 PUBLISHERS OPENING NOTES ism at the University of California at Berkeley. Named after “Teen Leadership” and founded by the late Pulitzer Prize-winning Washing - AJWrightWright is all about ton Post reporter Bob Maynard, the MIJE struggled to make 6 A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR the case for diversity in the newsrooms of America’s top realrealal fashion, frfrom newspapers and media organizations long before corporate Welcome to Diversity Prep Magazine America or academia “got it.” I bring my background into the mix to establish not 64 LISTING OF TRI-STATE AREA PREP SCHOOLS rrealeall brand names, Edyta only my credentials and experience, but to seek a Nowak relationship between you and Diversity Prep. We have Forest assembled a skilled team of writers and editors nation - INTERVIEWS: priced for rrealeal pepeople. Park, GA Pierre wide who, I am sure, will bring you in the months and Armster years to come the many slices of life that are tinged by 45 Movie Review Interview: Lansing, MI diversity in the 8th-to-12th grade, prep school environ - Andre Lee of “I Was A Prep School Negro” ndnd the storstoree nearnearestest yyou: Jocelyn Velez, ment. Lithonia, GA Each quarter, students will write columns on how their 62 Sports Legend: aj-wright.com or 888.SHOP888.SHOP.AJW lives are shaped by multiculturalism and what it means to St. John’s University’s Legendary Men’s Basketball Coach them. While we will also have columns on teen health Lou Carnesecca Says Diversity was His Sixth Man and family financial advice, and student-written columns on sports, the digital world and entertainment, we also hope our pages will be a forum for teachers, administra - tors and parents to exchange ideas, too. We hope to be engaging and look forward to your input on our efforts.

Wish us luck. LLADIESADIES MENMEN KKIDSIDS SHOESSHOES AACCESSORIESCCESSORIES HOMEHOME 62 4 coNtENtS 66 26

11 40

FEATURES COLUMNS AND DEPARTMENTS

11 Dr. Pearl Rock Kane 36 Student Book Reviews Diversity Needs Measurements Hard Truths of Poverty and Racism

12 Headmasters Diversity Challenges 39 Student Book Reviews Dr. Ellen Ferguson Chats with Three Progressive Headmasters: – “Revolution,” A Tale of Two Teens who Lived In New York, New Jersey and Connecticut 300 Years Apart – “Drown” – A Novel About Troubled Dominican Teens 24 People Of Color 2010 Conference Flashback 50 Teen Health: Attacking Acne Ask Dr. Wanda 26 Keio School “We Speak Japanese Only” 52 Teen Finances: Money Matters 32 ABC Changes Young Lives Organizational Profile / Successful Alumni 56 Radio Music As Bad As Fastfood

34 Oliver Scholars 56 Digital Diversity An Open Letter to Facebook Fans Organizational Profile / Successful Alumni 59 Teen Romance: Be Cool Expressing Affection 40 Harlem Fine Arts Show 60 Experiences Hosts “Diversity Prep Day” What I Know Now I Wish I had Know Then 42 Harriet Tubman 32 Play Thrills Area Prep STUDENTS VOICES Schools 21 Our Voices – Insightful Student Writings: “GLEE” 46 – Sacred Heart Student has Fun Volunteering We Love It – Attending Summer “Nerd Camp”

49 Area Prep School 22 Our Voices – Insightful Student Writings: Headmasters – Unis Student Involved in Global Relief Projects Discuss Diversity – Volunteering Makes a Difference in Young Children’s Lives 54 DAIS: 20 Years of Teaching Teens 28 Our Voices – Insightful Student Writings: Critical Thinking – Jack & Jill 12th-Grader Weighs in on Giving Back – MKA Teens Enjoy Tutoring the Less Advantaged 66 Leaders on Diversity A Selected Sampling of Prominent 31 Our Voices – Insightful Student Writings: American Leaders on Diversity – American Red Cross Experience – Program for Gifted Students Encourages Diversity f E a t U R E

Thomas Nammack, head of Montclair Kimberley Thomas Kelly, head of Horace Mann, Dave Olson, middle school head and co-chair of Academy, Montclair, N.J. Bronx, N.Y. the multicultural and diversity team at Convent of the Sacred Heart, Greenwich, Conn.

Educational Pioneer Reflects on Diversity Commitments: Headmasters Open Up By Dr. Pearl Rock Kane

A BETTER CHANCE SCHOLAR 2004 THE DALTON SCHOOL CLASS OF 2008 STANFORD GRADUATE 2012 HARVARD MBA 2015 CEO 2030 f the article following this one is any indi - But even though Olson, Nammack and Ication of the future success of diversity in Kelly represent progress, we still have a long prep school academia, then I’m heartened way to go. that the vision of inclusion – while still a bumpy Metrics matter, so if we’re serious about road – is on its way to materializing. diversity, lets take a lesson from other sectors In the engaging article that follows, Thomas and conduct an annual school survey to Kelly , head of Horace Mann, Bronx, assess the progress each school is making in her potential, many will consider her an exception. N.Y.; Thomas Nammack , head of Montclair its diversity efforts. When she fulfills Kimberley Academy, Montclair, N.J.; and Dave The survey might be entitled the “Best Olson , middle school head and co-chair of the Schools for Diversity,” and be published With your help, she could be the rule. A Better Chance is the preeminent resource for multicultural and diversity team at Convent of annually. Schools might benchmark them - the Sacred Heart, Greenwich, Conn., discuss selves against the schools making the most identifying, recruiting and developing leaders among young people of color in the United States.To learn three different approaches to diversity and offer progress. Items on the survey should include much insight from which we can all learn. the percent of teens from diverse groups in Each leader clearly is a proponent of the student body and the numbers of working how you can help transform a life through greater educational opportunities, visit www.abetterchance.org diversity, and each can point to program - adults from diverse sectors who hold teach - matic outcome including: broadening the ing positions, senior administrative offices definition of diversity to include race, ethnic - and board seats. ity, social class, religion, disability and sexual The survey should also include the percent orientation; increasing the number of stu - of the budget devoted to financial aid to low- dents and faculty of color; completing climate income families. assessments; and fostering discussions that An essential component should address value diverse perspectives. If these schools school climate issues, specifically how wel - are representative of the independent sector coming the school is to diverse groups and at large – and I believe they are – there ap - opportunities for advancement in the school

pears to be a buy-in to increasing diversity workforce.

n i

l and infusing multicultural perspectives into Statistics would allow us to measure how

t the life of the school. Dr. Pearl Rock Kane much of diversity rhetoric has become a reality.

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Opening the door to greater educational opportunities since 1963.

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o An esteemed educator and academic leader of diversity, Dr. Pearl Rock Kane is the director of the Klingenstein Center h

P www.abetterchance.org at Columbia University’s Teachers College and professor in the Department of Organization and Leadership.

E R U t a E f Creative School Leaders Take Different Routes, But One Road To Academic DIVERSITY

By Dr. Ellen Ferguson

Slice-of-life shots – including the school’s field hockey team – from Convent of the Sacred Heart.

t is a hot day in the beginning of The Teacher Fellows program Isummer when Dave Olson and I “I feel really blessed that seeks to identify and hopefully retain speak, the air quality dubious at we have such a diverse promising teaching interns of color. best and the long stretch of summer Fully designed and ready for imple - feeling more uncomfortable than student body” mentation, it is in the funding stage promising. If breathing will be this –Dave Olson, head of middle school, right now. “We want to have it fit in the challenging, I think, maybe I do not Convent of the Sacred Heart, budget of the school,” Olson says. want it to be summer. Talking with Greenwich, Conn. “We’re going to support them to get Olson is more than the proverbial their master’s in two years.” Olson breath of fresh air. Our chat makes me feel like breathing just does now has numbers to present to the board and alums. He wants to not matter that much, and that everything is going to be all right, even be “creative to find people to join us,” seeking six people per year for if I long for Alaska right now. the masters-track jobs. Greenwich’s Convent of the Sacred Heart is lucky to have Dave It’s not p ad to perception issues: If the new faculty of color are all Olson, who, as head of the middle school and co-chair of the multi - interns, will they receive the respect older faculty do? Will they teach cultural and diversity team, truly embodies that phrase we use just a in teams with seasoned faculty, or have their own classrooms? smidge too often in college rec letters: The man is an agent of Where will the money come from to pay everyone? change. Olson is keenly aware of the sensitivity of financial issues, and in “I feel really blessed that we have such a diverse student body,” other areas of school life has worked assiduously to make change says Olson, whose “next challenge is to try and replicate that better happen. The “change to just one skirt” from fall and spring uniform in the whole community.” Sacred Heart recently did a diversity in - pieces is the work of a man who has “thought long and hard about ventory, with “all the baggage that comes with it,” he says. the extra things we do that cost extra money.” Olson’s major initiatives include expanding faculty diversity At Sacred Heart, students on 95% financial aid receive 95% aid for through a Teacher Fellows program; an overhaul of the student uni - the $700 lacrosse trip, 95% aid for the prom and 95% aid toward a form to “erase” most visible economic differences (“We run around class ring. A social evening: posh Greenwich shindig or a simple stamping out little fires,” he says) and sustaining a vital diversity cal - night that reflects the heart of the school? Planners might choose endar through programs like Café Book, Sacred Heart’s signature di - “somewhere in between,” Olson says, so that “no one will say ‘I’d versity book club. love to do that, but.…’” Continued on page 12 for the first time this academic year, building on its rich diversity film series faculty (grades 4-12), faculty diversity is not as high as the total diversity in of the past. the student community. In a perfect example of the good that can come from independent “A stronger focus on alumni, teachers already living in the Montclair schools collaborating (and in a “life imitates art” moment reminiscent of area and graduates from the very fine colleges and universities near MKA Fitzgerald’s choice to change Gatsby once he saw the cover art), this writer will provide us with candidates of color to strengthen our faculty and our brought Sacred Heart’s Café Book idea over to Montclair. community,” Nammack says. By press time, a schedule for MKA dot CAFÉ diversity conversations While job fairs, placement agencies and the school website remain im - has hit the desktop of each family and faculty member. “Quick Bites” is just portant tools, Nammack looks forward to building and sustaining one feature of the calendar, where the community is invited regularly to faculty diversity in the community of the school by connecting with its eat dinner and discuss diversity issues in the news that week. environment: the diverse community of the greater Montclair area. Students in rapt attention in a history class at Montclair Kimberley Academy. Nammack addresses the school’s socioeconomic diversity in our So, what does Nammack think about when he thinks about diversity? Continued from page 10 series of talks. “An ideal existence includes many different voices, opinions, experiences “MKA is committed to providing access,” he says, and with total finan - and points of view,” he says. And when someone does choose to essential characteristics from its location,” cial aid at 12% of the operating budget, the school stands behind his Nammack considers diversity to be a requirement. raise a point of difference, you might find “America’s preeminent Nammack boasts. words. If you look at the whole student body, it’s “tough to calculate,” Nam - “MKA requires a diverse population of students, families and faculty in that faculty member, parent or student Understanding the diversity of the strength is the degree to mack says, but he estimates that eight to ten may be from households order to accomplish its mission,” he says. down at Café Book, the quarterly meeting school’s architecture is central to under - with an income of 50K or less. of the minds where the community finds which human diversity is standing MKA’s mission. To know the “To promote the socioeconomic diversity of our school and make MKA A simple elegance time to sit with a good book and talk campus is to know that its foundation is accepted as central to our affordable to more students we have recently augmented the aid budget,” When we think of the independent school in the big city, there’s a good diversity. “All the great stuff there is to be diversity. and it now includes “expenses associated with programs such as pre- chance we can give it a name: Horace Mann. Horace Mann’s head, Dr. gained” drives Olson when he thinks national identity” “We are an urban, pre-K through 12th- season athletic trips.” Additional endowment for financial aid as one of the Tom Kelly, is more than gracious with his time, generously sharing his about diversity at Sacred Heart. It’s a - Tom Nammack, grade co-educational day school on three school’s top three priorities is part of a campaign underway at MKA. “We thoughts on diversity. He references honor and elegance when he speaks place where heart looks like day care head of Montclair Kimberley Academy, campuses,” Nammack says, adding, Montclair, N.J. are in the leadership phase of a campaign that includes additional en - of diversity at Horace Mann, and it seems fitting to begin with his beauti - starting at six weeks for faculty kids; it “MKA is both in the town and of the town dowment for financial aid,” Nammack says. ful closing words and work our way back to the beginning. looks like financial aid for students of Montclair.” “...One last thought: There’s a simplistic elegance to those students equally divided across the three divi - These three campuses – Brookside Boosting faculty of color who have embraced a diverse perspective toward life in general. A sort of sions; and it looks like a pledge to sup - (pre-K through 3), Middle (4-8) and “We have work to do to attract and retain faculty of color,” Nammack con - ‘honor before honors’; a willingness to share one’s success with the com - port kids all the way through school. Upper (9-12) – offer a unique portrait of cedes. With representation at 12% total faculty of color in a 130-member munity at large and an uncanny ability to graciously accept one’s failures racial diversity at the school. The diver - America’s preeminent strength sity numbers vary and so does the aid: Continued on next page Just as a chef making an ingredient-rich The most diverse campus receives no and colorful plate of jambalaya uses a aid. Student advisors at Montclair Kimberley Academy meeting in the library. diversity of spices, proteins and yellow Brookside is the most racially diverse. rice, so does Tom Nammack, head of The only financial aid available there is Montclair Kimberley Academy in Mont - for MKA faculty and staff. clair, N.J., infuse his policies, student Consider the numbers for this school body and staff with diversity. year. In 2010-11, the student body at “America’s preeminent strength is the MKA’s primary school, Brookside, is degree to which human diversity is ac - 30% students of color. New enrollees in cepted as central to our national iden - the new school year make up 36% of the tity,” he states. starting class. Nammack has an uncanny ability to “Yet, racial diversity at MKA is not a think about his school as part of the product of the strategic use of financial larger world, an ability he exercises with aid (which becomes available in 6th humor perhaps not evident in this lofty grade),” Nammack says. He offers this statement of purpose. fact: “Our most racially diverse campus “If what I’m saying goes over your is our primary school, where financial aid head, raise your head” reads the ceiling is available only to employee children.” of the MKA Upper School, and Nam - Nammack continues: “The happy mack embodies these words every day and healthy functioning of a diverse when he talks about diversity. community can't ever be taken for MKA is located in the diverse subur - granted.” How does he maintain the MKA headmaster Tom Nammack ban community of Montclair, where ban - enjoying Cougar Pride Day on campus. right climate? “Discussions, climate ners read, “Where the suburbs meet the assessments and mechanisms such as city.” One might think all is perfect at the school, and with a total student student organizations that are representative of a school's diversity are body of exactly 1,000 (as of Fall 2010) – 27% students of color and 160 all part of good community maintenance and growth.” students receiving financial aid – things do look good. Over at the MKA Upper School campus, a new calendar for MKA dot “Montclair is one of the most interesting, diverse and sophisticated CAFÉ has hit the ground running. MKA dot (diversity of thought) CAFÉ – towns in New Jersey, and our school both benefits from and draws conversations about film, books and current events – is being rolled out

12 13 Continued from previous page

Kelly pleads with educators to use our “instructional resources” to help others see “a life filled with meaning, passion and purpose.” He asks us The Harlem Fine Arts to use school to benefit a world “desperately in need of compassionate and articulate leadership.” Show comes to Kelly’s first thoughts on diversity come from Plato and Socrates. “The works of Plato and Socrates have shown us that an unplanned life can - The Historic Riverside not be lived well,” answers Kelly, when asked what he thinks of when he thinks of diversity. Church Complex

“How do we institutionalize that?” On Horace Mann’s campus, you’ll find a whole diversity department, headed up by Patricia Zuroski, director of diversity initiatives. A Black History Month Celebration Zuroski has been in the school for 13 years as a division head, so she February 25th thru 27th has a deep sense of what has been going on throughout campus, par - ticularly as someone working with the youngest children. Horace Mann has more than 1,700 students, and many families who joined the school World Class Fine Art! with nursery-school-age children. “I have a much greater ability to build on the past,” Zuroski says, be - –Artists Tom Kelly, head of Horace Mann, is all smiles on graduation day with 2010 cause of this connection with the youngest. –Major Galleries graduate Allison Helman, now a student at Cornell University, and ceramics The position of director of diversity initiatives only materialized late last teacher Keith Renner. –Unbelievable Social Networking winter, and Zuroski has taken it as a fresh opportunity for “rebuilding re - lationships in a different way” in a school that has had a diversity director for 13 years. “All of the years I’ve been here,” I have seen “conversations FridAy : “There’s a simplistic elegance that have continued.” 9am - 3pm Keeping these conversations fresh in a school that is almost 125 years Diversity Prep Day Free to those students who have old is the challenge. While Zuroski is pleased that veteran faculty have to students in school embraced a diverse been talking about certain aspects of diversity for years, new faculty need to join the conversation. 6pm - Midnight perspective toward life Zuroski recalls a conversation with a member of Horace Mann’s faculty who taught the first African-American history course in the Preview Gala in general. A sort of ‘honor 1980s, and whose understanding of diversity, she says, is “very deep before honors.’ ” over all these years.” sAturdAy : –Tom Kelly, head of Horace Mann, “How do we institutionalize that?” she asks. A part of my job is under - 10am - 8pm Bronx, N.Y. standing the current context we’re in.” Trying to make this happen is part of her job, so that she can reach what she calls the “final step.” Art Exhibit According to Zuroski, the “final step of equity and justice where you or shortcomings as teachable moments. Having the ability to both see have sustainable systems” is her goal, and she explains how one gets sundAy and embrace diverse perspectives, in ways that unite as opposed to di - there. : vide, remains critical to one’s ability to lead.” Continued on page 16 11am - 8pm No wonder we are all impressed with Horace Mann, a large, 124-year- Art Exhibit old independent school with 1,781 students, and 30% students of color. At Horace Mann, there are 233 full- and part-time faculty members, nurs - ery through grade 12, with 15.8% faculty of color (18.3% faculty and staff Special Musical performance by combined). Jazz Mobile But if Tom Kelly were in the room right now, he might discourage count - ing when we talk about diversity. It’s such a relief to talk to Kelly, who sees pleAse ContACt : so far beyond the numbers. “The recognition that diversity work is itself a long-term project is essential to our ultimate success,” Kelly says. Erica Mosheshe Horace Mann “is committed to diversity in a multiplicity of manifesta - 917.484.3960 tions, ranging from curricular initiatives to programs,” Kelly says. [email protected] While deeply understanding, “commitment to diversity ‘numbers’ in hiring, retaining and supporting students, faculty members and staff,” Kelly looks past the math. “The recognition of diversity as encompassing race, gender, socioeconomic class, religion, (dis)ability and sexual orien - tation has helped to broaden the perspective of the Horace Mann com - munity as a whole,” he says. A Convent of the Sacred Heart student explains a research project to her teacher.

Thehe class that inspires you,ou, the idea you can’t stopop thinking about, the ﬁeld studytudy abroad Students in the international culture section of Convent of the Sacred Heart’s extensive library. CONNECT TO PEOPLE that makes everything real. At Rollins, your educaeducattionion will be ﬁlled with moments that Continued from page 14 AND IDEAS THAATT expandxpand your woorldrld and sharpen your focus.

YYourourour classes will be Collaboration and continuity nected to the vision,” she says, “now we can keep talking about the # 1 USUS NewsNewwss & WorldWWoorrlld ReportReport OPEN YOUR WORLD Collaboration is the first step, Zuroski says, and she is making a con - next level.” Best Regional Universities-South certed effort to connect people, to help them to see likeness where oth - # 1 MBA in Florida ers see difference. “It’s not often you get both” Forbes, BusinessWeek, To “get to another place in problem solving,” Horace Mann is engag - Zuroski discusses the need for a community to draw from both a solid Financial Times, Entrepreneur ing in conscious collaboration: teachers brainstorm with parents, physics knowledge base built of substance and a rich, storied personal experi - scholars work with literary ones, African-American leaders in the com - ence: “It’s not often you get both,” she says. You want the mix of “some - munity work with Asian leaders, all to find common ground. thing I’ve attended,” such as a lecture or a conference, with “I’m aging and Yet with collaboration there must be continuity. To create continuity at I have a lot of personal stories to share.” Horace Mann, Zuroski first looks to find continuity in the student. How is Together, the people of Horace Mann’s diversity team have a range the student’s self-esteem? of experiences that “has allowed one from the very start to say some - “Some of what we’re also thinking about is that all the things we do thing,” she says, to mean: “I’m not alone.” have to establish continuity,” Zuroski says. She is thinking on the individ - “Sometimes people treat it [diversity] like it’s an emergency” and they ual level about “bullying in particular,” along with other self-esteem issues. “call” like it’s a call to 911, Zuroski says. Collaboration is key here too, accomplished “primarily by coordinating While, to these callers, it’s like getting medical advice the resemblance the good work that is going on in every division.” she wants them to take away is that “there’s a protocol.” When getting “Lots of people will say ‘I’ve done that’ when it comes to a diversity emergency treatment, a team of people works together. The same holds workshop, or speaker, or maybe they think they have just ‘done’ diversity, true for diversity work. Zuroski works with her team, her two part-time as - Zuroski says. Her job is to connect these members of the community in sistants in the admissions department, to help community members see ROLLINS COLLEGE new ways, to say “I know you’ve been part of the conversation for 20 their own role in diversity. WINTER PARK/ORLANDO years” and to find how she can “get the help” of that individual in edu - One of Zuroski’s assistants graduated from Horace Mann nine years cating the faculty. “The risk is always that you have to keep starting from ago. Her other assistant was a teacher in the nursery division for eight the bottom,” she notes. years, and he and Zuroski have been together for 12 years. Horace Mann invests money in bringing good speakers to the school, Horace Mann’s investment in its own story is its investment in diversity. but the challenge is always this: “It’s hard to figure out how to sustain the It’s a chain. When the call comes, Zuroski turns to her team; her team conversation.” Of course, Zuroski says, there’s “the big picture that we turns to their shared history; these stories and personal experiences go have to envision,” but “we have to keep taking the small steps.” out to the caller. The caller turns back out to the community and knows A ROLLINS EDUCATION “I feel like my role is so important because if I can keep people con - what to do. In this manner, diversity is sustained. GREATERGREAATERTEER CCONNECTIONSONNECTIONS rrollins.eduollins.edu

Dr. Ellen Ferguson is an English teacher and the diversity coordinator at Montgomery Kimberley Academy.

16 Our Voices ATTENDING SUMMER “NERD CAMP” WAS IMMENSELY ENJOYABLE SACRED HEART STUDENT By Zoe Ferguson HAS FUN VOLUNTEERING AT SUMMER ACADEMIES By Amy LaFleur

his was my first year volunteer - Ting at the Convent of the Sacred Heart Summer Outreach Program located at the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Greenwich, Conn. The lumni call it “Nerd Camp”: the Johns Hopkins University Center children engage in a wide mix of for Talented Youth (JHU CTY). academic and personal skills im - A Dr. Julian Stanley, a JHU professor, introduced the first Talent provement activities such as learning Search in 1972, with which he planned to “identify, challenge, and better study habits, participating in reward academically able young people.” sports and swimming, leaning to use CTY offers summer courses in humanities, writing, math, science, the library, improving computer skills and visiting a farm. and computer science, for which students qualify based on their There are four different academies at the Summer Outreach Pro - SAT scores. CTY summer programs are held all over America, and in gram: the Summer Academy, the Science Academy, the Arts Acad - Ireland. emy and the Sports Academy. CTY has identified over 1 million gifted students through the Tal - The Summer Academy is for boys and girls in grades 2 through 6, ent Search and served over 100,000 with its programs. The pro - and it focuses on a different theme each year. gram aims to be recognized as “the world leader in the education of The Science Academy is for girls in grades 6 through 8, and fo - pre-collegiate students of high academic ability,” and also makes an cuses on math, physics, biology, and chemistry. The Arts Academy effort to serve every qualified student, regardless of his or her finan - is for girls in grades 6 through 8, and it concentrates on English. The cial status. Sports Academy is for boys in grades 6 through 8 and is centered on In sixth grade, I took the SATs and received a letter encouraging physical fitness. me to participate in the Talent Search because my scores made me The academies help the kids acquire and improve their skills in eligible for CTY. In short, I have enjoyed it immensely. I feel at home such classes as penmanship, English, math, physics, biology and with the other students from around the globe, and I also feel chal - chemistry. lenged: Students learn so much from one another. I wanted to help with the SOP because I knew it was a fun way As well as taking rigorous courses five days a week, seven hours a to fulfill my community service commitment. day, students also built strong relationships with their peers. I have A family friend told my parents about the SOP when I was in the made many lifelong friends over the course of the three years I have 2nd grade, and I have been attending it and remaining involved participated. In fact, there are several happily married couples out ever since. Even before I knew I needed community service hours, I there that met at CTY. was going to volunteer. Through CTY, I know I am more prepared for college, and I have It is important to give back to the community because it allows discovered many benefits of my time there in my schoolwork and you to help others and keep the Earth clean and healthy for all. life. I have also been privy to an experience I did not know existed: For those thinking of becoming social workers, the Convent of the spending my summer with teens who enjoy learning, like me. In Sacred Heart SOP helps the volunteers advance their people skills, the words of my friend David Rips, a fellow CTY attendee: “Nowhere since they are working with others. else will you be given so many opportunities to find yourself. What makes volunteering at the Summer Outreach Program the Nowhere else will you come across such a community that tran - most fun is interacting with kids different than you. scends friendship and slips instantly into a family.” For more information about this program, please visit Amy LaFleur is a 9th-grader at Convent of the Sacred Heart, www.jhu.cty.edu. Greenwich, Conn. Zoe Ferguson is a student in 10th grade at the Montclair Kimberley Academy in New Jersey.

19 Our Voices

ENERGETIC UNIS STUDENT DEEPLY INVOLVED IN GLOBAL SACRED HEART STUDENT SAYS RELIEF PROJECTS VOLUNTEERING MAKES A DIFFERENCE By Avani Mehta IN YOUNG CHILDREN’S LIVES By Lauren Wood nternational understanding is something vital, something that Isprings from our knowledge and acceptance of other cultures and the issues that face us in the world today. At my age, 16, I look at he Summer Academy at Sacred the world through the eyes of an idealist. Perhaps I’m too innocent, THeart provides an almost free, cam - too naïve, but I think that idealism is necessary; it is the way plike experience for children in the area mankind can move forward. whose parents are not home during the day, or who simply cannot afford to attend a summer camp. At first I was just looking forward to fulfilling my required community service hours, but then I realized that the expe - rience could affect me in much greater ways. Working with the fourth grade for the second year in a row, I wanted to make the children attending the Summer Academy have a memorable summer that they would not normally have. It was fun to be able to play games with them and to help the children with various art and educational projects. I demonstrate my own international understanding through a Volunteering at the Summer Academy taught me that it wasn’t variety of ways, but the three most significant are the work I do for the physical items the children were given that made their summer the Human Rights Club at the United Nation’s International School fun; it was really the teachers and volunteers like me who made the (UNIS), my involvement in the UNIS-UN conference and the volun - difference. Many children loved having attention that they might not teer work I do during the summers in India. have had while their parents were at work, and learning could not In Human Rights, we organize a conference each year, based on have been more fun for them. a different topic we think is important in terms of universal, basic After this experience, I have learned how easy it can be to make rights, such as the rights of indigenous people. Climate change a difference. While there were only 23 children in the fourth-grade and how it impacts peoples’ lives is one of those topics. class at the Summer Academy this year, I felt that the difference I The UNIS-UN conference is an entirely student-run conference that made was huge. meets annually to discuss and learn about pressing issues facing us today, like alternative energy sources, the role of corporations and the Join our community of parents and independent schools food crisis. We invite roughly 300 students from schools all over the Lauren Wood is an 10th-grader at the Convent of the world with the primary aim of educating ourselves through a free and Sacred Heart and is thinking of architecture or sharing Resources and Research for the well-balanced open forum of discussion and awareness. interior design as a career. Retention of an independent school education. During my summers, I work at an orphanage in Bangalore, India, teaching children ages 3 to 12 English and mathematics. I also work with special needs children; most are either physically or mentally Visit us online at www.4RIISE.org Find out what the independent disabled. and learn how to: school community is up to through No matter how young or idealistic I may be, I can still nurture our featured Spotlights on Schools, change and find my own solutions to global issues. Raise your voice, share your Students, and Parents experiences on our Family Voices Blog Get quarterly updates, news, Born in New York City to Indian parents who are not UN Participate and be empowered to events and resources with our diplomats, Avani Mehta is an 10th-grader who aspires to partner with live and virtual Events ON THE RIISENewsletter become a poet or neuroscientist. sponsored by Independent Schools

Become a Member of our Academic & Enrichment Resources Visit us online at www.4RIISE.org

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f E E R a U t t U a R E Japanese Culture Thrives E f in Keio Academy, aBilingual Prep School By Bonnie Cavanaugh Members of the Keio Academy soccer team hamming it up for the camera

Keio, which is accredited by the state’s education authorities, the independent school association and the Japanese government, originally taught the children of Japanese business people posted in the New York City metro area.

“Then came the collapse of the bubble economy,” Sakomura says. While most Japanese secondary schools outside of Japan failed, Keio survived. And with fewer Japanese coming to the United States, the needs of the school changed. While the current enrollment is 314, just 25 students are foreign born and commute to school from the New York metro region. The other 92% of students live in the dormitory full time. Today’s students are the children of Japanese businessmen or dignitaries working in the United States, Japanese-American families or Japanese families overseas who want their children in the Keio system.

“It’s a very strong motivation and more likelihood they will get into Keio University,” Sakomura says. Many Keio students are the great-great-grandchildren of Keio University alumni. In his five years at the academy, Sakomura has seen only two students choose higher education at a college other than Keio University.

Keio Academy is now intentionally accepting English-speak - ing students, and recently established the Aratani Founda - tion Nikkei-Jin Scholarship for Japanese-American students, which assists one male and one female student born in the URCHASE, N.Y. – Some 35 miles northeast of Manhattan, tucked into a cozy corner of United States. The scholarship is named for philanthropist PWestchester County, is a tiny little bit of Japan. Keio Gijuku established the bilingual George Aratani, a second-generation Japanese-American, and bicultural Keio Academy of New York in 1990. The school has a sister academy in and founder of the Mikasa dinnerware and Kenwood elec - Japan’s Keio Private School System, which operates the prestigious Keio University in Tokyo. tronics corporations. Keio purchased its land some 20 years ago from next-door neighbor Manhattanville College.

What makes Keio unique among foreign-language schools is that its students learn high school subjects in both English and Japanese. While Japanese instructors teach the school’s required Japanese language courses, some 70% percent of the current faculty is American; students are taught subjects like math and physics based on the natural language of the teacher.

Called “Immersion,” this teaching concept not only helps Japanese students get a crash course in the English, language but also gives them the boost of being knowledgeable in a given subject in both English and their native Japanese. That’s something they’ll need as they plan to excel in the 21st century, notes headmaster Sumio Sakomura.

The academy also boasts a strong athletics program. Last November, sisters Kaho and Shiho Sato won the Dr. John Kilar, Keio Academy teacher, instructs a biology New York State Public High School Athletic Association tennis doubles championship. Keio’s teams compete class of Japanese high school with other private schools in the region. But these goal-minded students hope for a greater athletic challenge: students in English. to one day compete against regional public high schools, especially in soccer, basketball and baseball, Sako - The faculty, which is made up of both English-speaking mura says. and Japanese teachers, use their native languages in course discussions. Bonnie Cavanaugh is a freelance business journalist based in Hackettstown, N.J.

25 Our Voices TWO MKA TEENS ENJOY TUTORING JACK & JILL 12TH-GRADER THE LESS ADVANTAGED WEIGHS IN ON GIVING BACK By Sarah Finn and Emma Montoya By Jayla Ross he common crisis among teens seems to be “Who am I?” TWhile we may feel unsure about who we are and what we want to do with our lives, most of us teens are confident in our desire to matter and help change the world. So how do we make ourselves matter? To us, two 15-year-old girls, as con - fused about our identity as any other teenager, it is done by improving the lives of the people around us. Helping others and contributing to the community are ideals that many schools hope to instill in their students. Community service allows students to put those ideals into action and make some im - provement in the world. he importance of giving back to the community has always An organization called BluewaveNJ, which is both a political been a topic that is discussed in my house. T action committee and a resource for community improvement, I learned at an early age that because I am fortunate enough gave us the opportunity to reach out to the local populace by to have all of my needs met, I must return the favor to tutoring young students this summer. people who are not as fortunate. As a result, I have been The tutoring program is very new, beginning only in April of involved in several community service organizations and clubs 2009. Although new, the programs has been hugely successful, throughout my life. and the growth has been dramatic. In just a single year, the Jack & Jill of America Inc. is an organization I have been a number of tutors and students has nearly doubled. A goal of the part of since I was in preschool. I am currently the treasurer for tutoring program, in the words of community program director the Eastern Region of Jack & Jill, including many chapters from Massachusetts to Virginia. We will donate money that is raised from clusters within our region to different organizations in need. In my church I am an usher, and I mentor the younger youth ushers to be able to assist and accommodate the congregation for whatever they might need to make the service comfortable. These have been very eye-opening experiences. Working at soup kitchens, for example, can make one a more grateful person. Not only do I get to help people, but also it makes me feel a little better about myself that I could help Josette Simmons, is “to close the academic achievement gap someone else’s day be a little better. To watch people come that unfortunately exists in schools.” back for four or five plates in containers is sad, because I realize We are both fortunate to attend Montclair Kimberley Acad - the amount I was allowed to give them is all that they might emy, one of New Jersey’s premiere academic institutions. have for the rest of the week. We are privileged to enjoy wonderful teachers and a safe envi - Another act of service that made me very grateful was at - ronment in which to learn. However, not everyone in New tending nursing homes with my Jack & Jill group and Key Club Jersey has access to such an exceptional learning environment. members and spending time with the senior citizens. I realized Although we may not have answered the question “Who am that not everyone has family or friends to come visit him, to I?” we’ve acquired a deeper knowledge of ourselves and, more make them smile or even just to talk to. important, we’ve helped others in their journey as well. The I have learned and appreciated a little bit more after each experience of contributing to the community has made us feel experience. Giving back is something that everyone should take much more connected to our town, and in a way, our world. part in at some point in their life and be able to continue throughout their life. Sarah Finn, a rising sophomore at Montclair Kimberley Acad - Jayla Ross, 17, is a senior in the honors and varsity athletic emy in Montclair, N.J., is a poet and runs winter and spring programs at West Orange High School in West Orange, N.J. track and cross-country. Emma Montoya is a sophomore at MKA. Emma hopes to one day attend Oxford University and study international relations.

26 Our Voices MONTCLAIR STATE’S SUMMER AMERICAN RED CROSS EXPERIENCE PROGRAM FOR GIFTED STUDENTS PROMPTS SACRED HEART STUDENT ENCOURAGES DIVERSITY TO CONSIDER NURSING CAREER By Jeff Smith By Jennie Chieco

early 40 percent of Americans are eligible to donate blood, Nbut only 8 percent actually do. Every two seconds someone K-12 Tutoring-all Subjects & SAT/ACT in the U.S. needs blood. The demand for blood transfusions is growing faster than donations. These scary yet truthful state - ments are just some of the facts the American Red Cross en - counters each day, which I’ve come to learn by volunteering with the organization. hat do you look for in a summer program? Athletics, Wreading, writing, history, math? If so, the gifted and talented program at Montclair State University in northern New Jersey might be your best choice. This summer I took three classes from a diverse plethora of courses offered there, including pre-calculus, historical mys - teries and SAT verbal prep. Before starting the program, I spoke with its first-year director, Dr. Susan Paynter, who has a wealth of experience that includes 30 years of teaching and administration. She believes that the diversity of the classes is a great For the past two summers, I have volunteered at the Green - strength of the program, due to the ability to match gifted wich Chapter of the ARC, helping at their blood drives and students with teachers who share a common interest. In our being an active member of their Youth Council. interview she explained that the camp provides such a wide “… their individualized programs and The ARC runs local blood drives, teaches disaster education variety of classes in order to satisfy the “passionate interests” courses, provides help to Greenwich, Connecticut residents dur - of the gifted as well as to immerse them in a variety of passionate tutors make the difference” ing power outages and storms, hosts a Youth Council and offers subjects and a diverse group of people. safe rides during the weekends for anyone in need. With a new understanding of the camp’s goals in mind, I The ARC’s mission is to help those in need. Two years ago, attended my classes for the three-week session. Each class when I held my school’s very first blood drive, I was captured ran 75 minutes, allowing plenty of time to explore the mate - by the feeling of helping others and wanted to continue my rial. The class that stood out the most was the SAT prep work with the ARC. Since then I have attended a variety of class. Dr. Paynter was right: The teacher really shared an blood drives in the area, where I help check in donors and set interest in the material, making her teaching engaging with up canteens. unique ways of presentation. From these drives and from having hosted two of my own, Thanks to the group of gifted students, the pace of the class I have learned the critical need for blood donations nationwide was able to move quickly, which allowed us to cover a lot of and how hard work can translate into lifesaving gifts. ground in a short period of time. Since I have begun my work at the ARC, I have been inter - Some of my classmates were Korean, Chinese, Peruvian, ested in nursing as a future career. The dedication of the ARC Canadian, African and Indian. Indeed, the director confirmed COLLEGE PREP • SAT and ACT Prep members and their enthusiasm about the chapter’s incredible that 50% of the students are from a diverse background or are • College Selection progress have increased my interest in working in this field. visiting the program from outside the U.S. PROGRAMS With its wide range of classes, students and teachers, this • College Essays Jennie Chieco is a 9th-grader at Convent of the Sacred program is the ideal place to experience diversity. Heart in Greenwich, Conn. She aspires to become a nurse. 475 Main St. Armonk, NY Jeff Smith is a 15-year-old sophomore student at the Montclair Kimberley Academy in Montclair, N.J. [email protected] www.collegeassistanceplus.com

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A BETTER CHANCE ABC Alum who attended Phillips Academy, today N is the vice president

E CELI SANTANA: ABC Helped Pave Offers a Better Route to Academic Success and Community Leadership of sales transformation P in the systems technol- a Path to Professional Success

o Interview conducted by Milford Prewitt ogy group for IBM, controlling a multi- t million dollar budget. By Lisa Weinreb a

h A famed poster from the 1970s, intended to motivate young people to study hard, t

featured luxurious cars in each room of a five-compartment garage attached to a For Celia Santana , getting accepted into

S mansion. The poster’s caption: “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance!” TIM M CCHRISTIAN: From ABC to IBM an elite private school with the help of N The men and women who founded A Better Chance 47 years ago were not swayed A Better Chance was the easy part; o by the rank trappings of excessive material gain when they sought to recruit a

I By Milford Prewitt convincing her parents to let her go was national network of elite prep schools through which academically brilliant but t another effort altogether.

a financially challenged students could attend and move on to college, ideally the Ivy Then, there was the school adminis -

z League. ABC’s founders were more motivated by the soulful, spiritual and serious With the help of A Better Chance, Tim McChristian rewrote the tration. Her guidance counselor felt that I pursuit of creating a new generation of leaders who could become mentors and, script on the old boys club that used to decide who runs corpo -

N out of a junior high with several hundred later, leaders of communities, businesses and nations. Almost half a century later

a rate America. students, 8th-grader Santana was only and boasting more than 12,000 alumni, ABC, based in New York, has achieved its g Born in South Central Los Angeles, to parents who were one of three students whose academic ABC alum Celi Santana

R vision, but the mission goes on, says ABC president Sandra Timmons. postal and factory workers, McChristian was 14 years old when performance was stellar enough to get an today runs a successful

o private insurance firm in Pictured from right: Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick, an ABC A Better Chance entered his life to say that though he may be of ABC application. Manhattan. alum, as a 17-year-old Milton Academy student interview- South Central, he was not South Central. “I applied everywhere,” Santana says, ing Elliot Richardson, a Nixon White House official. Today, in his mid-50s, McChristian runs a multi-million dollar “elite public high schools, high-end prep schools, Catholic The mission has not changed: It is about talented young people who might not otherwise be found and budget as the vice president of sales transformation in the sys - schools. I had no idea what ABC was about.” But she quickly launching them on a path to being great leaders at the highest level. The mission has always been about tems technology group for IBM, where he has worked for the learned, when she was accepted into Northfield Mount Hermon access to higher educational opportunity as a way to develop and create leaders. past 28 years. preparatory school, four hours away in Mt. Hermon, Mass. ABC helped McChristian attend Phillips Academy in Andover, Raised in a traditional Latino household, Santana spent much In the beginning: ABC was started by a group of educators in 1963 who began a discussion on ending Mass., a 230-year-old, all-boys preparatory high school with a of her free time helping out her mother around the house with poverty. It was from their conclusion that “better educational opportunities lead to better lives” that A Better student body of about 900 pupils when he entered in the late her siblings. She never dreamed of going away to school. Chance came to be. From the start, the task was to identify young people, from the 6th to 12th grades, who 1960s. “Latinos just do not send girls away,” she says, explaining her Sandra Timmons, could flourish if their academic and social skills were enhanced. It didn’t take much for McChristian to notice that there were parents’ reaction when she told them she was accepted. president of only 30 other black students like him on campus in those days. At first vehemently opposed to the idea of their daughter going A Better Chance ABC’s young people have changed: It was mostly African-Americans in the beginning. Now the students are 60 Today, Phillips is coed and reports that 18 percent of its student four hours away to school, they quickly changed their minds percent African-American, 20 percent Latina/o, 10 percent Asian and 10 per - body is black. once they visited the sprawling wooded campus bordering the cent who are multiracial. When you look at our total alumni, 55 percent of “It was a very different experience for me, coming from a pub - Connecticut River in Western Massachusetts. For more information, our students were male and 45 percent were female. Our current lic school,” he says. “It was the first time people questioned my “There were students from as far away as Kenya and Japan,” visit www.abetterchance.org. class is 60 percent female and 40 percent male. Then as now, speech, the way I looked and dressed.” she says, “and NMH went out of their way to make everyone feel however, more than 50 percent of our students While McChristian handled the class and race differences welcome.” The liberal-minded school was very accepting and come from working-class backgrounds, from smoothly, he still speaks animatedly about brushing shoulders nurturing to all those who went there and was very proud of its households below $50,000 in income. not only with some of America’s wealthiest heirs, but also with diversified student body. Prep school applications are daunting : some who would go on to be powerful leaders. Santana flourished in her four years at NMH. She was named But if a family works with us, they complete one “I entered school in the same year that Jeb Bush, the former student leader in her senior year and was awarded the head - application that all of our participating schools will governor of Florida and older brother of the former president – master’s award for excellence. accept, and our full network, whether it is a day or who also went to Phillips Academy – was a senior,” he says. When it came time to choose colleges, she applied to boarding school, can review the application and see if “My next door neighbor in the dorm was an heir in the DuPont Wesleyan, Brown and the University of Pennsylvania and was the referred student’s interests, ambitions and talents family, renown – for its fortune in paints and chemicals. He flew accepted at all three. In the end she chose Wesleyan and went match the kind of student they’d like to recruit. home every weekend on the family helicopter.” on to earn her B.A. One generation later, McChristian’s son followed in his father’s Today Santana is president and CEO of Personal Risk Success measurement: Ninety-seven percent of footsteps to Andover. But he notes that his son’s experiences were Management Solutions, a private insurance firm in New York City. our students graduate and most go directly to col - different. “ABC was instrumental in making me who I am today,” she lege – the top schools, in fact. “The educational experience and sharing of ideas is healthy in says. “Without NMH my station in life would have been very a classroom environment,” he says. “Debating different points different.” Turning ABC alums into mentors: We were so focused of view, even if you come to no agreement on right and wrong, for so long on getting students through the door, we were not is dialogue that should be encouraged.” focused on keeping in touch when they left. Now we have Lisa Weinreb is a lifestyle journalist based in Brookville, N.Y. created the groundwork for a very broad alumni program whose participants are just a delight to work with and are fulfill - ing the vision of helping the next generation succeed. Milford Prewitt is the editor of Diversity Prep

30 31 S

R George Creppy Says Mom o

o and Oliver Scholars Had d His Back in Academic and N

E Career Success P o

By Lisa Weinreb t

a ust as boxers have h trainers, handlers and t J

managers in their corners, Sheena Wright, president and chief executive officer of the S so too did George Creppy Abyssinian Development Corp. N

o have a powerful corner in

I his academic and career Oliver Scholar Sheena t success: his mother and a the Oliver Scholars. He Wright: Talent Alone Won’t z argues that the combina - I Replace Hard Work

N tion of his schoolteacher

a mother’s encouraging love By Milford Prewitt

g George Creppy, director of communications, Barclays Bank and the Oliver Scholars’ R academic and social sup - liver Scholars alum Sheena Wright’s academic o A group of Oliver Scholar students visiting the White House. port were pivotal in his prep school, college and profes - Oexcellence and disciplined study habits ex - sional fulfillment. ceeded her natural prowess on the tennis court and in track-and-field. “My mother was never overbearing, but always stressed the importance of education and learning,” Creppy But she warns the gifted students she mentors: Do explains. your best at all times. “You owe it to yourself to do your best and be your Oliver Scholars Creppy heads the media communications office in New best so that you can have all of the opportunity you York for London-based Barclays Bank. GEAR UP FOR A NEW GENERATION deserve,” Wright says. “The whole impact of what you By the time he was in the 8th grade, the straight-A stu - do today will open or close doors tomorrow, and that dent was encouraged by his guidance counselor to apply alone should be sufficient enough motivation for you to ne thousand alumni and a quarter of a cen - We partner with families before the 8th grade: And during to private high schools through the Oliver Scholars Pro - show up and excel.” tury later—or about 40 students a year the two summers before high school, the students are enrolled in O gram. Creppy liked the small, boutique feeling of the Wright was a talented tennis kid who, at 12 years old in since its founding—the Oliver Scholars Program our summer immersion program. These programs advance and Oliver Scholars Program and made it into Riverdale the 7th grade in the mid-1980s, caught the attention of is fulfilling its mission of getting talented black develop academic skills, social awareness, personal communica - Country School in upper Manhattan, not far from his John Hoffman, a former PepsiCo executive who man - and Latino students to transition from public tions and leadership development, and all the things they will home in the South Bronx. aged a series of tennis programs and tournaments for school to the East Coast’s top prep schools, need to be successful in an independent school. young people in the Bronx and Harlem. What Hoffman and later, college, most often, the Ivy League. Creppy chose Riverdale in part because of its small size. later learned was that Sheena and her sister, Tanya, Student demographic profile: The majority of our kids come “I liked the intimate feeling of Riverdale,” Creppy says. were excellent students. The Oliver Scholars’ chief executive officer, from lower socioeconomic families or communities. Most are the “The small class size pulled everyone together and gave David Addams, a Chicago-area prep school first in their families to go to college. me the opportunity to really get to know the other stu - An alumnus of the prestigious George School in David Addams, Oliver Scholars’ chief alum who became an Ivy-League educated dents and the faculty.” Although only one of a handful of Newton, Pa., Hoffman negotiated with his alma mater executive officer lawyer, discusses the power of “giving back.” We’re proud: Ninety-nine percent of Oliver Scholars not only minorities at Riverdale, Creppy never felt that his race was and other community leaders, and secured full schol - graduate and go to college, but a third of them have gone on to an issue or he was an outsider. arships for Sheena and Tanya to the George School. Even before the program began: Harlem educator Dr. Albert Ivy League schools. But long before that, we let them know that “I made a deal with my mother that I would stay local for Thus, the Oliver Scholars Program was born and the G. Oliver had dedicated his life to helping youth to prioritize just as they are the beneficiaries of society, they too have an high school and then go away for college,” Creppy says. Wright girls were the first students. education in their lives, to succeed in school and to complete obligation to make society a better place. We require 150 hours “She was very supportive of my decision.” college. He inspired John Hoffman [a former PepsiCo executive of community service before they graduate. With undergraduate and law degrees from Columbia University and broad corporate and legal work experi - and prep school alum], who actually founded the program, which Creppy credits both his mother and the Oliver Scholars ence, Wright today oversees a $10 million budget as was incorporated in 1984. (He was 32 years old at the time.) For more information about the Oliver Program for his success today. “Oliver Scholars offered a president and chief executive officer of the Abyssinian Scholars, visit www.oliverscholars.org. real sense of community because you’re part of a small Development Corp. in Harlem. Wright is also on the The 7th and 8th grades are real critical times: Not only are organization,” he says. youth entering those teen years with all of that peer pressure, but board of the Oliver Scholars. also any academic or educational weaknesses or strengths are –Interview conducted by Milford Prewitt Her sister, Tanya, is a Hollywood actress who most –Lisa Weinreb is a lifestyle journalist going to be most evident by now. So it is a chance both for recently played Officer Kenya on the HBO vampire based in Brookville, N.Y. correction and enhancement. drama “True Blood.”

32 33 ThaT Was a Good Book

Eye-opening Books Exposed hard Truths of Poverty and Racism By Olutola Ebunlomo am a 14-year-old girl from New Jersey; I never lived through anything tougher Ithan sharing a household with three brothers and maintaining my grades. So it was difficult for me to fully identify with the struggles of a Mexican boy in Francisco Jimenez’s autobiography “Breaking Through,” a gripping tale of a Mexican boy who crossed the border illegally with his family looking for a better life. Equally tough to take was Walter Dean Myers’ struggle for survival and acceptance during his teen years in black Harlem in “Bad Boy.” “Breaking Through” gives a rare glimpse into how tough and traumatizing crossing the border can be on a family, let alone a child. Jiménez lived a life of secrets, hiding and extreme poverty. Getting accustomed to America is no easy task in the beginning. It is disappointing to realize that the poverty Jiménez and his family tried to escape in Mexico followed them to California. Today he is a professor at Santa Clara University and lives with his three children and wife in Santa Clara, Calif. Walter Dean Myers, a notable African-American poet and author, shares the challenges he faced as a child growing up in the Harlem section of New York, and he paints a picture that shows a troubled path to success. In a big city neighborhood like Harlem, where Myers found little opportu - nity to fully express himself as both a writer and a reader in his childhood, he found ways to overcome the aggression that consumed him. Myers used his passion for literature and poetry to his advantage, by seek - ing an escape from the bubble that Harlem was for him. Yet he overcame his battles, becoming an award- winning author and poet. In the end, both stories give the understanding that one’s background is not meant to hold someone back, but to provide them with experiences that push them forward to achieving success and the American Dream.

Olutola Ebunlomo is a sophomore at the Montclair Kimberley Academy. She hopes to blend a career as a lawyer with being a successful writer.

“One’s background is not meant to hold someone back, but to provide them with experiences that push them forward to achieving success and the American Dream.” – Olutola Ebunlomo

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34 ThaT Was a Good Book

Two Teenage heroines’ heartbreaking “dRoWn” oPEnEd My EyEs – Tales, Two Centuries apart, Inspire We’re From different Cultures, sacred heart student But We’re all The same By Kate Larkin By Emeka Uwakaneme

wo girls, two different centuries Tand two completely different had an odd feeling of relief lives intertwined by heartbreak and Iafter reading “Drown” by social changes make Jennifer Don - Junot Díaz, as if blinds had nelly’s new teen novel, “Revolution,” been opened in my dark adoles - a must-read. Today in Brooklyn, cent living room of unknowing. Andi Alpers is a prep school stu - “Drown” effectively chronicles dent struggling to cope with the the conflict between dreams pain and the guilt of losing her and reality through the eyes of younger brother Truman. She be - a barrio-dwelling Dominican lieves she could have saved his life. family. In a story about adapting GANNON UNIVERSITY Two hundred and twenty years ear - to the obstacles facing a poor diverse ideas in a global enenvironmentvironment lier, in the heat of the French Revolution in Paris, Alexandrine Dominican family looking to Paradis is similarly harassed with an idea that the innocent and emigrate, we see in them what Gannon University students come from all over the country and young Prince Louis XVII is dying in the Paris Temple Prison. is in us all. Both girls have strong connections to these young boys and the world to study at our vibrant downtown campus located Diaz, who teaches creative are being ripped apart by their pain, and both seek a way to writing at MIT, won the Pulitzer along the Lake Erie bayfront in Erie, Pennsylvania. Representing redeem themselves. Prize for Fiction in 2008 for his breakout debut, “The Short 22 countries and 22 states, students beneﬁ t from exposure When Andi finds Alexandrine’s diary and account of her pain Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.” to an array of ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds. during the Revolution, they are brought together even though “Drown” consists of 10 short stories centered on one they lived more than 200 years apart. That diversity extends into the classroom, where nearly 100 family living in the Dominican Republic and their efforts So goes the mysterious but engaging thrust of “Revolution,” to improve their lives by immigrating to the United.States. exceptional academic programs are taught by dynamic faculty, in Jennifer Donnelly’s newest teen novel. It is a remarkable story of Nine of the 10 stories examine closely the family’s two sons, a personal, interactive setting. two brave girls who are trying to survive pain and grief. primarily the younger, Yunior. Although well described as such, I Andi is depressed, hurting herself and filled with raging emo - didn’t see his town as a barrio. I saw it as a world that the family For more information or to schedule a visit, call tions. Alexandrine is enduring the same feelings, but Alexandrine dreamed about escaping from, as I sometimes dream. When has already died for the cause of showing Prince Louis XVII that 800-GANNON-U (800-426-6668) or visit us online at I engrossed myself in this book, I didn’t see a “Hispanic” kid. someone still cares for him. After finding Alexandrine’s crumbling Instead, I saw a mold that I could have easily fit: a person who gannon.edu/diversity today! diary, Andi gains the tools to save herself from a similar fate. has dreams, chases girls and finds creative ways to make money. Besides sharing Andi’s and Alexandrine’s touching stories, In that mold is someone who faces abandonment – his father Donnelly’s imaginative tale teaches the reader much about the abandons the family for five years when he goes to the U.S. He French Revolution, but from a personal, intimate perspective. even gets into drug dealing in New Jersey and falls for a drug- The beginning of the book is slow, but as the story progresses addicted girl. the reader will not be able to put it down. Every chapter holds Through all his problems, he continues to walk down the street a new development in a plot that left me questioning the with his hands in his jeans pockets, and so do I. So next time I events and actions of the main characters long after I finished see a Hispanic guy speaking Spanish, I just might think about the reading “Revolution.” Donnelly’s imaginative technique to have obstacles that face me as I achieve my dream in life, and the ob - two characters from different centuries “interact” is truly inspir - stacles he faces, and then maybe we ing. They demonstrate that people always share emotions and will be speaking the same language. are relatable no matter what. Through her gripping words, Donnelly shows that everyone has an emotional base that is universal. “Revolution” would be a great read for girls or boys Emeka Uwakaneme currently attends the Montclair Kimberley in grades 8 to 11 who enjoy reading modern stories with a Academy in Montclair, N.J., and is entering the 11th grade. historical twist. He looks forward to a career in biology or writing.

Kate Larkin is a freshman at the Convent of the Sacred Heart 800-GANNON-U | GANNON.EDU/DIVERSITY in Greenwich, Conn. 37 f E a t U

Harlem Fine Arts Show Partners With R E Jazzmobile and Hosts “Diversity Prep Day”

H igh school students from across the Tristate area – including many from the most presti - gious prep schools – will descend on the historic 369th Harlem Armory in February to enjoy a special day of culture and entertainment sponsored by Diversity Prep magazine during the 2011 Harlem Fine Arts Show. The second annual HFAS will also include a bolt of history and music when the prestigious Jazzmobile, the 46-year-old jazz appreciation and musical education program founded by Dr. Billy Taylor – pianist and esteemed jazz educator – opens a gala fundraiser the opening night of the show.

The event will take place at the historic Riverside Church, 490 Riverside Drive at 120th Street in in Manhattan, Friday, Feb. 25th through Sunday, Feb. 27th.

Diversity Prep Day is Saturday, Feb. 26th. Robin Bell Stevens, executive director of Jazzmobile, says her organization is excited by the opportunity to be involved in the HFAS and has planned an ambitious agenda to entertain guests.“We are going to have musicians placed at various art booths and galleries throughout the hall,” she says. “This is going to be a beautiful marriage of art and music.”In addition to the Jazzmobile musicians, the HFAS brings together under one roof several dozen of the most notable emerging and established African-American artists to display or sell their work, all in a festive celebration of Black History Month.

Debra Vanderburg Spencer, a Harvard-educated art management curator and historian and this year’s curator of the HFAS, says the event will be as educational as it will be entertaining for teens. “Diversity Prep is about the business of celebrating diversity in the lives of high-aspiring teens and giving them a forum to voice their own thoughts and opinions about how diversity shapes their lives,” she says. “What better way to continue our goal than to encourage students and their teachers to attend the Harlem Fine Arts Show with its rich canvas of artists and artwork representing the African-American experience, all during Black History Month?

“This is an opportunity that can’t be missed,” Spencer says, “be - cause these kids will be exposed and inspired by some of the top artists in the nation, have a chance to talk to them and discuss their work. “So while it is an educational experience, it’s even more a chance for these youth to have fun.”The students will be the beneficiary of guided tours and will have direct access to the artist.

“These kids will have the chance to meet some of the great - est artists of our time,” Spencer says. “It’s really going to be a mind expander for them. They will see things they’ve never seen before.” A special commemorative poster will also be given to the students as a souvenir.

School administrators who would like to involve their students in Diversity Prep Day at the Harlem Fine Arts Show are invited to contact Ericka C. Mosheshe at 917-484-3960 or at EMosheshe@JWD Enterprisesinc.com.

All artwork by Andrew Nichols

38 Andrew Nichols 39

E R U t a E f

While most people with even a minor appreciation of American history know Harriet Tubman as the founder of the Underground Rail - road through which slaves escaped to the North, Waddy-Thi - bodeaux, who has researched her muse so thoroughly that she might as well have a Ph.D. by now, says much of Tubman’s rich life is rarely covered in history books. “This is why, to be a good actress, reading is so important when you are playing a real person,” Waddy-Thibodeaux says. What motivates her to present Tubman as a more fully rounded person was Tubman’s compassion, courage and high intelligence. “Her father was a timberman, and she loved the outdoors,” Waddy-Thibodeaux says. “But she hated slavery and seeing her people in bondage. She used disguises, she met Presi - dent Lincoln, yet she was a grass roots person who never forgot where she came from. “I tell kids before the show that Martin Luther King drove the train on the railroad that Harriet Tubman built. They don’t know what I mean by that, but by the end they do and they are dying to read more about her.” Among the many little-known facts about Tubman’s life that Waddy-Thibodeaux portrays in her plays – some versions lasting 45 minutes and others as long as 90 minutes – are these: • Though born in the Chesapeake Bay area straddling Maryland and Virginia, Tubman was born to parents who were from the Ashanti Tribe of Ghana. In other words, she was pure African. • Famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass was a cousin.• She had mixed feelings about John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry, despite helping to plan it. • Tubman was a spy for the Union during the Civil War. • There was actually more than one underground route to the North, but Tubman preferred a stretch that went from the Chesapeake Bay up to Buffalo, N.Y. Sandy Rubenstein, a fourth-grade teacher at Horace Mann whose students saw the play there, says her pupils were as entertained by the play as they were enthralled as they later re-enacted on campus a slave’s run to the North. “The children welcomed Harriet Tubman with excitement and awe, and the actress’ keen acting talent and warm personality engaged them immediately,” Rubenstein says. “Focus - ing on the themes of courage and choice, Harriet risked her life to save others because she believed in freedom. Students then separated in groups and followed ‘conductors’ to the ‘safe havens’ on the Upper Division campus, to secret spaces, and on the way, pretended to hide in the bushes, crouching, not speaking to anyone, and thinking that ‘bounty hunters’ were following them. Acting out this part was a powerful lesson.” Her students could not agree more. Harriet Tubman Play Brings Tears and Mia, a fourth grader, admired Tubman’s bravery: “It must have taken some real courage to go back and bring your brothers and sisters and anyone in need to the safe havens." Cheers to Students and Teachers at Horace Mann, Another fourth-grader, Sammie, admired how Waddy-Thibodeaux was able to use props and everyday items that the slaves used to signal and communicate to one an - Convent of the Sacred Heart other: "It was interesting to learn that the slaves came up with messages in the quilt pat - terns and the drums." MELISSA WADDY-THIBODEAUX DOESN’T PORTRAY HARRIET TUBMAN AS MUCH Ben, another fourth-grader who obviously knew Tubman in another life, told Waddy- AS SHE SEEMS TO REINCARNATE THE LEGENDARY FREEDOM FIGHTER. An actress Thibodeaux: “You sounded exactly like her.” Meanwhile, Waddy-Thibodeaux is honing up on her next performance, a presentation who for 20 years has crafted a unique specialty playing significant and obscure African-American women about a free black woman in Upstate New York named Livonia Bell, who was abducted, who changed history or were bit players in it, Waddy-Thibodeaux performs in schools, colleges, military kidnapped to Galveston, Texas, and sold into slavery. bases, senior citizen facilities and theatrical presentations in stage dramas she calls “educational enter - tainment.” During mid-October, she performed as Harriet Tubman at Horace Mann in the Bronx and Convent of the Sacred Heart in Greenwich, Conn., where students, teachers and administrators were “The Resurrection of Harriet Tubman” play is available for bookings at prep enraptured by her portrayal, many welling up tearfully as they applauded. schools in the tristate area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, Janu - ary through March. If you want your school to host a performance, please “I think what was especially so poignant about her appearance here is that some of our students are contact Porcia Gardner at [email protected] or 914-450-4269. studying that very period of our history right now, and so, it brought a deeper personal presentation of what they are learning,” says Patricia Zuroski, director of diversity initiatives at Horace Mann. A medley of photos from Horace Mann during the Harriet Tubman play. In the middle photo, left to right, are Markell Parker, diversity admissions, Horace Mann; Patricia Ziroski, Horace Mann communications and diversity coordinator; Dion Clarke, publisher, Diversity Prep; Melissa Waddy- Thibodeaux, actress; and actor Michael Green, who portrays Martin Luther King, Jr. in “The Meeting.”

PHOTOGRAPHY: Jasmine Ortiz 40 41 INtERvIEw

INTERVIEW BY DINA BERTA: Director André Robert Lee Talks About Making “The Prep School Negro”

Director André Robert Lee in New York

ndré Robert Lee’s “golden ticket” changed his life. Growing up poor Ain Philadelphia, the son of a single mother who struggled to make ends meet, Lee received a full scholarship to attend Germantown Friends School, a prestigious private prep school in the city. His elite ed - ucation took him out of the ghetto, on to college and a successful career in marketing and film. Now an independent filmmaker with his own company, Many Things Management, Lee has made good on a promise he made to himself when he first walked through the doors at GFS as a freshman: that he would one day tell the story of his experience there. Director André Robert Lee talking about his “The Prep School Negro” is a documentary that fulfills his promise. documentary “The Prep School Negro” at the People of Color Conference.

The reaction from students: It has been overwhelmingly supportive. Students in these schools see this and they under - stand the story. It’s such an unspoken, normal everyday experi - ence. You witness it everywhere, but no one is talking about it. The response from kids has been thank you for making this a manageable conversation. It’s across color lines. Everyone has the experience of being the “other.”

Why the word “Negro”: I chose the word Negro for the title because I was trying to take a historical perspective and I was trying to make a point by using that word. These students are right in our faces, under our noses, but we don’t have much ex - perience with them or dialogue about their actual experience. I also have a marketing background. I know a title gets people’s attention.

The film’s impact: It’s opening a dialogue that needs to hap - pen. People are thinking in new ways about how to deal with these students. My favorite teacher at GFS, after we screened it for the staff, sent me an email. She wrote that she now realizes there’s a student she needs to deal with differently. That right there is the effect I wanted to hear.

The hardest part of being in private school: The culture shock and the adjustments and changes I had to make in my life with no guidance. I thought, oh, I have to talk this way and act this way and where I come from is wrong and this is the correct way. I did not have support, someone to say, whoa, where you come from is not wrong; it’s just different.

Poster of “The Prep School Negro” documentary

Dina Berta is a freelance writer based in Denver who specializes in corporate diversity and human resources.

f E E R a U t t U a My favorite episode R

E Madonna, The Beatles, Lady Gaga – not only “ E f

have all three of these performers had hits on was ‘Wheels .’ It really got the Billboard Top 100, but they have each had the greatest honor of 2010: having an me thinking about handicapped episode of “Glee” themed after their music. people and how to treat them fairly . Fox’s “Glee” has more than 11.5 million view - ” ers each week and regularly wins its time slot, with loyal followers commonly referred to as “Gleeks.” Glee focuses on the lives of students at the fictional William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio. It follows students from diverse backgrounds as they come together for the school’s show chorus production, “New Directions.” Though a bit controversial, due to the snarky humor and a few racy one-liners, the show draws the attention of Gleeks because of the broad diversity of the characters. Teens say the multicultural cast and the natural talents of the actors are the most entertaining aspects of the show. There’s even a wheelchair-bound actor who regularly upstages his co-actors. “I relate the most to Quinn, because I got pregnant in high school, too,” says Leah Elliott, a senior at Capistrano Valley Christian School in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. Teens Adore Determining a favorite character is hard for many because it seems as though everyone relates to different aspects of each character’s personality. “I have a lot of favorites in the show for Diversity of different reasons,” says Cecelia Timmis, a junior at Academy of the Sacred Heart in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. “I like seeing all of their interactions with each other: Sue, Kirk, Puck, Brittany. They are all Hot TV Show just so entertaining!” Perhaps the favorite aspects for many Gleeks are all of the popular songs that are performed by the students in each episode. ‘Glee’ is so entertaining, pure and simple,” says Jordan Falby, a sophomore at Lasher High school in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. “The glee catchy music, and a cast of good-looking young people singing, “ ” is what keeps it so fresh.” By Jodi Gwaltney Through humor, dance and attractive teens, Glee is also known for opening the minds of many of its viewers. ‘Glee’ is full of a lot of good lessons that people can learn from, such as fairness and discrimination,” says Angel Dedierdo, from Leilehua High School in Wahiawa, Hawaii. “My favorite episode was ‘Wheels.’ It really got me thinking about handicapped people and how to treat them fairly.” However, there are a few concerns with the future of “Glee.” “I feel like the group in the show does not necessarily portray a typical group in suburban Ohio and might fall prey to tokenism,” says Falby. Every character on “Glee” has unique experiences, just as every real high school student has his or her own experiences. If we all Though a bit controversial, due to combine our stories, experiences and voices, just as “New Direc - tions” does, we can all live in harmony. the snarky humor and a few racy one-liners, the show’s promotion Glee is full of a lot of good of diversity is winning fans. l“essons that people can

learn from, such as fairness A freelance writer from Newport Beach, Calif., Jodi Gwaltney is a and discrimination. recent college graduate of Chapman University and aspires to one ” day own her own public relations firm.

44 45 f E a t U R E

2. ea Pr of Ar ep Sch ting to Be oo ee ersity come R l H M Div egu ea r ss la dm e u r 4. . v c S a 1 E s e s t Di r t s ie e o Headmasters, diversity directors and teachers r ir t s s F from some of the most prestigious prep schools in the tristate area had a rare meeting in mid-October to get to know one another, to share best practices on diversity and, most important of all: to make the meetings more frequent and include more of their peers.

On a stormy night in the dining hall of Horace Mann in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, about 30 headmasters, administrators of diversity, teachers and trustees attended the inaugural session of what many in attendance hoped would become a regularly scheduled event. A get-to-know-you cocktail period, followed by dinner and a unique exercise intended to help school administrators and teachers identify key players on their staffs who can help them do their jobs better formed the core of the agenda.

Host Tom Kelly, the headmaster of Horace Mann, told his colleagues that what they had started should not end with one meeting, and challenged his peers to make the meetings a regular part of their calendars next year, rotating the host location to a different, participating prep school in the area. Kelly suggested possibly meeting as often as once a quarter.

Sounding more like a toastmaster, Kelly told his assembled peers: “I hope this meeting sparks a dialogue to do something more frequent and regular beyond this one night.” He said the meeting was a result of contacts he had with Diversity Prep publisher Dion Clarke over the past several months that “took this community different places and got us thinking about diversity in different ways.

“Diversity is not just about color or class, but it’s also a highly personal - ized sense of who we are and how we engage one another.”

PHOTOS: 1. Markel Parker and Patricia Ziroski, Horace Mann Diversity Admissions and Communications 2. Dave Olson, head of the middle school at Convent of the Sacred Heart 3. Tom Nammack, headmaster of Montclair Kimberley Academy; Sam Washington, Admissions Officer, The Lawrenceville School, New Jersey; and Tom Kelly, headmaster of Horace Mann 4. Sabena Rowe, Nursery School of Horace Mann with Usha Saxena, Horace Mann trustee

47 tEEN hEalth

ASK DR. WANDA Seeing Spots Before Your Eyes: By Tiffany Dugué Attacking Acne

Dr. Wanda McCoy, teen health expert Dear Dr. Wanda: What’s WRONG with my skin? I have constant breakouts and I don’t understand it. I’ve given up chocolate. Some people believe chocolate, soda, greasy foods and dirt can cause acne, but this is just not true. Typ- ically, acne is caused when pores (also called follicles) become clogged by dead skin cells and oil (called sebum) that naturally occurs in the pores. Teenagers get hit the hardest, because puberty makes your body produce hormones that cause too much oil or sebum. Sebum is supposed to carry dead skin cells up to the surface of the skin, but when there is too much of it, it clogs the pores and leads to acne. Eight out of 10 teens will get acne sometime during their teen years. Teens who have a family history of acne (their parents had acne when they were teens) are more likely to get it, but keep in mind that most teens who get acne will be free of it by the time they are young adults. African-American teens have the added issue of scarring and hyperpigmentation caused by acne. Old blemishes may remain darker than the surrounding skin for months or even years, so prevention is important.

Do over-the-counter medicines work on acne? Over-the-counter (no prescription is required) acne medicine from the drugstore may work for light to moderate acne. The biggest problem with these products is that teens tend to overuse them. Washing your skin with a strong cleanser four times a day will not get rid of your pimples. It will only irritate your skin and make it more sensitive and red.

What about prescription medicine for acne? Your doctor or dermatologist has a wide variety of products that may help with moderate to severe acne. If you have been taking good care of your skin and you are still getting blemishes, make an appointment to talk with your doctor. Realize, though, that even prescription medicine is not an overnight cure. It can take eight to 12 weeks for acne to get better with any treatment.

n Do's: i • Wash your skin twice a day (morning and before bed) with a mild soap to remove oil. k

S • Wash your face after you exercise, as oil builds up and can clog pores.

r • Wash your face well after you come in contact with oils or grease, such as when working u in a fast food restaurant. o

Y • Wash your hands before touching or rubbing your face and try not to rest your chin, cheek

f or forehead on your hand. Just think of all the things you may have touched during the o

day with your hands! Breaking this habit may help to clear up most of your problem areas. e

r • Wash your hair regularly, especially if it’s oily. Oil from your hair can make your

a face and neck extra oily. C

g Don'ts: n

i • Don't scrub your face; you can't scrub acne away, but you can make your acne worse if

k you are too rough when washing your face. a

T • Don't pick, pop or squeeze pimples or anything on your face no matter how tempting!

r All that poking can cause more inflammation and possibly leave you with a scar. o

f • Do not use moisturizers or sunscreens that have oil in them. Look for a label that

s says "oil free" and make sure you use a "facial" moisturizer, not a "body" moisturizer.

p • Keep hair gels, hairspray and other hair products away from your face, as they i

T can clog your pores. Wash your face after you use these products, to keep oils away.

Dr. Wanda McCoy is a pediatrician based in Mt. Vernon, N.Y. tEEN fINaNcES

Money Matters The Birds and Bees Talk Can Wait; Discuss Money With Children Now!

Donna M. Sotolongo, Psy.D, financial advisor

hen is a good time for parents and their children to talk about the value of money Wand the family’s financial health? NOW! For families already struggling to meet private school tuition, discussing the cost of living is even more important when you consider the pressure to “fit in” that your child faces. The earlier you work on your child’s financial intelligence, the better. Here are a few things to do right now:

• Teach your children how to budget, starting with allowance or gift money; • Share your tips on how the family budgets; • Start a savings account with your child and set savings goals; • Talk about advertising and the way companies market their products and services; • Discuss the value of name-brand items and encourage your children to comparison shop, taking advantage of sales and coupons; and • Discourage impulse buying.

As parents today, it is easy to get caught up in consumerism and “Keeping up with the Joneses.” Our kids want and expect to have all of the things advertised on TV – the newest athletic shoe, the latest video game or the recent upgrade in electronics. While you may have been able to swing the cost a couple of years ago, many of us are dealing with unemployment, rocketing health care costs, mortgage foreclosure and dwindling savings in the wake of the Great Recession. So how do you explain to your child that you just can’t afford that item; that Christmas holi - day gifts will be fewer this year; and that the family vacation may need to be canceled? Often we don’t share this information out of fear of scaring our kids or worry that they will see us as less successful or competent or not as well off as Billy’s parents down the street. Even if you can afford it, at some point your children will have to hear the word “No,” that they can’t get everything they want. My parents prided themselves on owning their own home and being able to offer my siblings and me a better life. Although they tried to hide the fact that they were struggling, I knew we had our financial limitations and that it was up to me to make a better life for my children and myself. So, set an example for your children. How do you handle money? Starting early also has the advantage of preparing the family for the “talk” about college tuition – my column topic in the spring issue of Diversity Prep. What the family can afford and what expectations you have for your child in meeting college costs is a crucial conversation. If you haven’t done it yet, open a 529 college savings account and encourage your child to contribute to it. Make college saving a real family affair!

Donna Sotolongo is the director of StuFund Knowledge Center, financial advisors who specialize in college tuition. Visit her at www.stufund.com.

E R U t a E f 10 Years Later, ded the oun Div e f er l si ab ty r a In Mission M it DAIS’s n ia e t i K v

d f n o

a r

n S

a g o G . By Karen Tarapada r O Ken Marable (sitting on hen a 19-year-old female track sensation from South what happens at most of her organization’s moWnthly meetings floor, purple turtleneck) WAfrica dusted her competitors by yards in the World Track with young people. “But what’s important is not that they didn’t and Joan Marable (to the Tournament in Germany two summers ago and won a gold reach a conclusion; what’s important is that they interacted and sright, slightly stooped) posing with students at medal, the sports world convulsed when it came out later that respected one another’s opinions.” the end of a debate night. she had dual sex organs. She points out that most adults would be surprised at how Whether she should keep her medal was also the topic of savvy young people, especially teens, are to the issue of spirited debate for a group of students at Packer Collegiate In - inclusion. stitute in Brooklyn after school one Friday night. “Young people are not blind and they are not in fairyland and There were about 50 of them, and they were not cramming or they are very much aware that there is a need for a discussion practicing for some debate tournament. on how diversity impacts their experiences, from school, to Instead, the students were there voluntarily – some coming careers, to college, to mainstream media, to their friendships from prep schools out of state – and romances,” says Joan, just to debate, assess and who, along with her husband, and pop culture; and shared their personal views on intercultural and interreligious romances. share common ground with “So what DAIS does is receives no salary for their Key to understanding how DAIS operates and forms the platform from which all discussion flows others who believe that ethnic at least get the discussion involvement. are the organization’s “Big 8 Social Identifiers”: physical and mental ability, age, ethnicity, gender, inclusion, handicap access started. Students may agree “We see diversity matters in race, religion, sexual orientation and economic class and cultural diversity are ideals their heroes, like Caster Se - “Everybody is quick to think that diversity is about black and white,” Joan adds. to be valued and discussed. to disagree, but they are menya,” she continues. “I con - With the nation’s harsh economic slump forcing some parents to make some tough choices After three hours, the stu - learning and it’s shaping sidered the evening a between prep school tuition and day-to-day family expenses, diversity discussions increasingly are dents reached no consensus them as potential leaders.” success.” including a new permutation – class differences – says Ken. on how international track-and- Students who participate in But the smooth and accommodating embrace young people extend to friends from different field authorities should handle DAIS meetings come from racial and ethnic groups is a bit more awkward when it comes to class differences, Ken admits. Caster Semenya’s victory given her intersexual nature. But there some 60 prep, public and parochial schools in the tristate re - A financial consultant and former Goldman Sachs information analyst, he notes that income was consensus on one thing: Participating in the 11th season of gion. The teenagers convene at the beginning of the school differences seem to make students uneasy. the Diversity Awareness Initiative for Students, or DAIS, was time year in the fall, when they intellectually spar over a battery of “Social class and economics are topics that some students have a hard time rationalizing or un - well spent for these future leaders. topics, often subjects adults won’t touch even in polite conver - derstanding,” Ken observes. “I mean, take this debate over health care, for example. For people Talking, listening and sharing personal tales from the front sation. who have money, it’s no big deal. But for people with no money, that’s a very big deal. lines of diversity or from today’s headlines is what DAIS is all While some of the discussion topics may seem harmless, the “So what DAIS does is at least get the discussion started. Students may agree to disagree, but about. A nonprofit, Brooklyn-based organization founded by an students home in on cultural, ethnic and racial no-no’s that they are learning and it’s shaping them as potential leaders.” African American, husband-and-wife team whose own lives, might be buried in the most innocent statements, places and The Marables say the inspiration for DAIS draws from their days as grade school students in the careers, educational experiences – and their children’s lives – product advertising. They’ve discussed the inappropriate colors 1960s, when they were the unwelcome newbies in desegregated public and prep schools. were shaped by diversity, DAIS has largely flown under the of Band Aids and bras; pondered the value of skin color in the “There wasn’t a lot of diversity back in the ’60s,” says Joan, a woman with a quick laugh. “I was radar, despite shaping the outlook of the hearts and minds performing arts; examined their own stereotypes about ethnic one of the few black kids around, and there was just no recognition, be it private or public, that of hundreds of students and school administrators. food; assessed the meaning of President Barack Obama’s vic - there is a segment of the student body that was disenfranchised and who wanted to express how “Everybody agreed to disagree about Caster Semenya,” says tory to the White House; supported the broader integration of we felt about being different and who wanted to learn from others.” Joan Marable, executive director of DAIS, echoing the results of ethnic and racial beauty standards in mainstream marketing For more information about DAIS, visit www.daisorg.org.

52 53 dIgItal dIvERSIty

An Open Letter to to Facebook Fans: By Tiffany Dugué Manage Your Time Better

Serena Dunbar, student contributing writer Dear Avid Facebook Users, his is not a complaint but a wake-up call. Going to an achievement-focused, goal-oriented prep school Tleaves one with little time that is unstructured and unplanned. When it comes to school, there is homework, studying and school reading. At home, there is family time, friend time and chores. Also, after- school clubs, sports and instruments consume our free time after school is out. Most of our lives are struc - !"" tured around things that people (teachers, parents, counselors, etc.) think we should do. When those rare # $"" moments of unplanned and unstructured time arise, we spend them looking at pictures of our fellow peers, rather than focusing on ourselves. According to the experts at Facebook.com, an individual user spends an average of 42 minutes a day on % the website. Forty-two minutes! That’s almost an hour! How long and often do you think you’re on Face - & ' book? Personally, I spend an average of about an hour. && Since learning these statistics, I now try to limit myself to checking Facebook once per day, and I’ve ( )'*'& come to realize that I can entertain myself in other ways. The time could be spent riding a bike, taking a walk, or even reading a book. Anything that you choose. Not your parents. Not your teacher. Hopefully this ' letter is a wake-up call to manage time for yourself! / - ' + ,,-' Serena Dunbar attends Montclair Kimberley Academy in Montclair, N.J. & . & & Today’s Radio Music is as Processed and Unappetizing as Fast Food &&- - + 0*1 By Taylor Michael 2& 03 42035' reed and insincerity are not only Wall Street’s problems. They are Music has always been my passion for one reason: It is a unifying /6 Gruining the music industry and broadcast radio, too. force in a divided world. Barriers between different groups of people ( )'*'& ' Just as consumers have to make the choice between organic and melt away when music is a shared experience. processed in food, now they have to use the same judgments in music. There is life in music, not to mention power and passion, too. 2 Producers are pumping chemicals disguised as computer voice effects But music is complicated and has often been a force for social change 7 - ' into music and songs, which I prefer to call fast food and controversy. Madonna’s late-1980s hit and !" music. The end result is an over-greasy, salty and video “Like a Prayer” used a gospel orchestration fattening “radio-friendly” song that poisons what is to tell a tale of racial injustice that still echoes with #$ %$ 389 - supposed to be food for the soul. power and passion. Artists in many lyrics either mention alcohol like it Then there is Michael Jackson, who used music is water, or partying, and sex like it’s air. Now com - to spark change, as he did with “We Are The puters simulate sound. Real artists are a dying breed World.” For an inspiring moment of time, he in this Digital Age when computer programmers have brought together the legends of pop music to ! become “musicians.” The artist is only used as a pretty inspire the world to fight hunger. """! face to sell the product. Mass production of unhealthy poisonous songs But more hits = more money! may be deathly, but it’s so addictive no one can Radio stations that play this insubstantial music are shortchanging resist. Not the overly hormonal teenager, the greedy music producer, my generation. They play them only because “famous” artists write the artists or even me sometimes. But that does not make it right nor them. I prefer songs with meaning, substance and even lessons and should it stop us from demanding more substance from the artists who wisdom. entertain us.

54 Taylor Michael is an 11th-grader at Convent of the Sacred Heart in Greenwich, Conn. She aspires to become a journalist. tEEN RoMaNcE

Affairs of the Heart

By Tiffany Dugué Be Cool Expressing Affection

Tiffany Taylor Smith, M.S. Ed., teen personal advisor ow do you know when someone likes you? In many cases, you don’t know. You can take Ha chance and have a friend ask one of her friends so that it doesn’t look like you are ask - ing directly. Or you can test the person by walking by, saying “Hi” and seeing his reaction. But that is unpredictable because she might be shy and unable to get the words out of her mouth at that exact moment. There are four universal traits in mate selection among men and women. They are: • Mutual attraction • Dependable character • Emotional stability and maturity • Pleasing disposition

In celebrating Valentine’s Day or in recognizing a crush’s birthday or any other holiday or special occasion when you’d like to spend time with someone special, certain questions come up:

• Does he like me? • How do I let her know I like her? You, unlimited. • Should I give him something for Valentine’s Day or his birthday? If your school offers a chance to send flowers or cards on Valentine’s Day or What if a great education birthdays, you can send your crush something. This will let him know you have an came without a future of interest in him. Her reaction will definitely give you an indication of how she feels. great debt? And even if he gives you a lukewarm response, he still may like you and just be shy. Your best bet is to play it cool. What if it featured access Once you have confirmation that the person likes you, you can move forward with expressing your feelings and spending time getting to know each other. At some point, to superb instructors and you will need to meet her parents, and YES, a formal introduction goes a long way programs designed to in giving parents a positive image of you and your intentions. challenge any horizon? I love how, in Twilight , Edward wanted to introduce himself to Bella’s dad before they went on their first official date. I know many of you may be thinking this isn’t How far could you go in This is our promise to you. necessary anymore. And again, I will stress: YES, IT IS!! life with an education The important things to remember in expressing affection for someone: like that? • Share your interest in that special someone. • Be patient and respectful. The answer is ... • Have fun. as far as you want.

Sketches by: T.R. Smith

Tiffany Taylor Smith, M.S. Ed., is an educator and consultant based in New Jersey. Visit her at TeensTalkultures.com and click on the Culture Lady. Stay Near,Near Go Far! www.wcsu.edu / 181 White Street, Danbury, Connecticut

57 ExPERIENcES

What I Know Now That I Wish I Had Known Then 12

9 3 Tiffany Dugué, student columnist unctuality – being on time – and not having braced myself for the huge Pincrease in homework in college were two challenges I confronted that 6 I wish I had known more about in high school. Four years of college go by really quick; therefore, you have no time to waste! The importance of being on time and time management were 9:01 = LATE! extremely crucial factors in my maturation through college. As far as some of my college professors were concerned, if you were still in your room running late for class, you might as well just stay in your room, because if class started at 9 a.m., the door was closed by 9:01. So after one or two times of rushing to class to a locked door, it finally sank in that being on time was a characteristic that I would have to make part of my everyday life. I came to realize that college is just a stepping-stone preparing you for what lies ahead in the real world: life. If you have an appointment at 10 a.m., getting there at 10 a.m. is not getting there on time. Getting there at 9:45 a.m. is on time, and anytime prior to that is early. Although you may not realize it, the habits you de - velop in college follow you to the grave. One’s punctuality is a reflection on one’s commitment, whether it is in college or in life. This is not to say that you must be in college before you begin developing a habit of being on time. But no matter your career aspirations, it won’t hurt you. The other big difference between high school and college that I came to appreciate is just how much more time you need to apply to your studies. When I was in high school, work came easy for me. Rarely did I ever study for tests. Paying attention in class, taking good notes and completing as - signed homework was enough to get me an A. But, boy was I in for a surprise in college. Not to say that college work is very hard, but it’s just a lot of work. If I had developed the study habits I needed prior to entering college, my ride would have been a lot smoother. Most of my friends don’t study because they say it just makes them sleepy. The key to studying and making it work is doing it on a consistent basis. You want to make sure you give yourself enough opportunity to do well.

Tiffany Dugué graduated with a business management degree from the State University of New York in Cobleskill, N.Y., in May.

58 I N w t E E I R v basketball and college football [27 percent v R black in basketball; 4 percent in football]: I E I think football is going to change rapidly in E t

the coming years. The other thing is, football w N

I is far more difficult to play; you got much IntervIew larger personnel and you can’t play everyone. So it is more political. But I think you are going to see a lot more black head coaches wIth a legend on the college level in the years to come. On being a father figure: I preferred that my players saw me as a friend.

When he got to St. John’s after WWII: My father wanted me to become a doctor. But the Almighty was smarter than my father and he led me to basketball. And 50 years later, I thrived on this great opportunity with some of the most wonderful kids you’ll ever meet. Wasn’t such a bad choice? Right?

From left to right, some of Coach Carnesecca's former Back in the day: I was the recruiter. I devel - players and assistant coaches Ron Ruttledge, Brian LOU CARNESECCA: oped relationships with junior high school Mahoney and Willie Hall, with Coach Carnesecca. Champion College Basketball basketball coaches, so if they had someone Those European teams know what I’m talk - Coach Champions Diversity they thought I should know about, I got in - volved early on in their lives. I met their par - ing about. Today’s game is too much on one QUEENS, N.Y. – By the time Lou Carnesecca retired as head coach ents and worked with the coaches in the area. high-profile athlete, both college and pro. of the St. John’s University Redmen basketball team in 1992 and I’m a big fan of recruiting locally. entered the Hall of Fame, he had become one of the most admired Some things you just can’t teach: Some and victorious coaches in the history of college basketball. Over 24 My current job: I’m the special assistant to kids just have it. Even before they get the ball, they know what they have to do. Mark Jack - seasons, he compiled 526 wins and 200 losses. Although he never won an NCAA A photographic hall of the president [of St. John’s] for community championship, Carnesecca contributed to a winning tradition that began under his fame in St. John's basketball relations. It’s about relationship building, but son was such a kid. If there was ever a kid of arena salutes Carnesecca's mine who should be a coach in the NBA predecessor, Joe Lapchick (334–130), to make St. John’s the fifth most winningest it also gives me a great opportunity to play milestone. catch-up with the movies, books and Broad - today, it’s him. But I’m working on it. men’s college basketball program ever. For his part, Carnesecca directed 18 out of 20 way plays I missed over the last 30 years. I victorious seasons, won five postseason NIT championships and 18 NCAA tournament never took those in because I always devoted There’s no correlation between talent and berths, reaching the Final Four in 1992. But despite the impressive history, Carnesecca my energies to the team or the next season. character: I picked players first by making says that he could not have reached the heights he achieved without an open-minded It never stopped. sure they were the right people, people who attitude toward diversity. It all paid off when Carnesecca consistently recruited local are good influences on other people and who ballplayers of uncommon ability and character and contributed to St. John’s legacy of Regrets: Basketball is about show business understand that life is full of ups and downs. basketball excellence. Many of his players enjoyed successful NBA careers, most these days. Every kid wants to be the next Anybody can showboat and do all that im - prominent among them Mark Jackson and Chris Mullin. Kobe or LeBron. They are not getting the fun - mature stuff. But growth is the kid who wants damentals by the time they get to this stage. to be a person. On the stereotype that black athletes are superior: Listen, God gave us all unique Not everybody is going to be a hero or a su - talents and capabilities, and skin color has got nothing to do with it. It’s in your head, perstar. Somebody’s got to know how to Favorite saying: The past is not neutral. It because one thing is for sure, you can’t keep a good player down. Skin color has got pass, set up a play and listen to the coach. takes revenge. nothing to do with it.

The value of team diversity: You’ve got to work in a multicultural environment in this Interview conducted by Diversity Prep world. You’ve got to get along with others; otherwise, none of this makes any sense. Editor Milford Prewitt But you’ve got to win. You want diversity to succeed? Then win. Prove it. P h o

Sometimes there is no chemistry: Sometimes, you gotta let a player go, no matter t o s

how good or talented they are; sometimes they’ll be better and the team they are leav - Posing with Coach Carnesecca are :

current starters of the St. John’s G

ing will be better, if they go somewhere else. a

Redmen basketball team: D.J. Kennedy v i (left), a senior from Pittsburgh who n

plays guard; and Justin Brownlee P r

I’m most proud: That 85 percent of my kids graduated, usually on time. e

(right), of Tifton, Ga., also a senior, w

On the numerical disparity between black coaches of color in Division One i

who plays forward. t t

60 61 l I S The Village School for Children, Milford S

g NEW YORK CONNECTICUT The Elisabeth Morrow School, Englewood t N The Community School, Inc.-Lower School, Teaneck I I Abraham Joshua Heschel School , Manhattan Bi-Cultural Day School, Stamford

The Community School, Inc.-High School, Teaneck N t Bank Street School, Manhattan Academy of Our Lady of Mercy, Milford

Tri-State Area g S Blair Academy, Bloomfield Bay Ridge Preparatory School, Brooklyn Avon Old Farms School, Avon S I Hilltop Country Day School, Sparta The Bess & Paul Sigel Hebrew Academy, Bloomfield l The Berkeley Carroll School, Brooklyn The Craig School, Lincoln Park Prep Schools Bridgeport Hope School, Bridgeport Birch Wathen Lenox School, Manhattan Villa Walsh Academy, Morristown Brunswick School, Greenwich Brooklyn Friends School, Brooklyn Delbarton School, Morristown Canterbury School, New Milford Browning School, Manhattan Academy of St. Elizabeth, Convent Station Chase Collegiate School, Waterbury The Calhoun School, Manhattan Morristown-Beard School, Morristown Connecticut Friends School, Wilton The Chaminade High School, Mineola The Wilson School, Mountain Lakes Convent of the Sacred Heart, Greenwich The Chapin School, Manhattan Hebrew Academy of Morris County, Randolph The Country School, Madison Churchill School and Center, Manhattan The Peck School, Morristown Chase Collegiate School, Waterbury Collegiate School, Manhattan Chatham Day School, Chatham Cheshire Academy, Cheshire Montclair Kimberley Academy, Montclair Columbia Grammar & Prep, Manhattan Choate Rosemary Hall, Wallingford Lacordaire Academy-Secondary Division, Montclair Convent of the Sacred Heart, Manhattan Devereux Glenholme School, Millwood Mount St. Dominic Academy, Caldwell The School at Columbia University, Manhattan Eagle Hill School, Glenville Link Community School, Newark Cooke Center for Special Needs, Manhattan Eagle Hill-Southport, Southport St. Benedict’s Preparatory School, Newark Cristo Rey New York High School, Manhattan East Catholic High School, Manchester St. Philip’s Academy, Newark The Dalton School, Manhattan Easton Country Day School, Easton The Winston School, Short Hills The Dwight School, Manhattan The Ethel Walker School, Simsbury Far Brook School, Short Hills The Fieldston School, The Bronx Fairfield College Prep, Fairfield Newark Academy, Livingston French-American School of New York, Mamaroneck The Foote School, New Haven Solomon Schechter Day School of Essex and Union, Essex Fordham Prep High School, The Bronx The Forman School, Litchfield Seton Hall Preparatory School, West Orange Friends Academy, Locust Valley The Fraser-Woods School, Newton Montclair Cooperative School, Montclair Garden School, Queens The Gilbert School, Winsted Willow School, Gladstone German School of New York, White Plains Green Farms Academy, Fairfield Gill St. Bernard’s School, Gladstone Greenwich Academy, Greenwich Hackley School, Tarrytown Purnell School, Far Hills Greenwich Country Day School, Greenwich Harvey School, Katonah Far Hills Country Day School, Far Hills The Greenwich Japanese School, Stamford Hewitt School, Manhattan The Pingry School – Martinsville, Martinsville The Gunnery, Washington Horace Mann, Manhattan Rutgers Preparatory School, Somerset Hamden Hall Country Day School, Hamden Iona Prep, New Rochelle Mount St. Mary Academy, Watchung Hopkins School, New Haven Keio Academy of New York, Purchase Waldorf School of Princeton, Princeton The Independent Day School, Middlefield Kew-Forest School, Queens Princeton Montessori School, Princeton Indian Mountain School, Lakeville La Scuola D'Italia Guglielmo Marconi, Manhattan Newgrange School and Educational Outreach Center, Princeton King Low Heywood Thomas, Lakeville Lawrence Woodmere Academy, Woodmere Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart, Princeton The Long Ridge School, Stamford Long Island Lutheran Middle and High School, Bronxville The American Boychoir School, Summit Miss Porter's School, Farmington Villa Victoria Academy, Ewing Loloya School, Manhattan The Mead School, Stamford The Hun School of Princeton, Princeton Lycee Francais de New York, Manhattan New Canaan Country School, New Canaan Chapin School, Princeton Manhattan High School for Girls, Manhattan St. Luke's School, New Canaan Princeton Friends School, Princeton Marymount School, Manhattan Notre Dame High School, West Haven The Pennington School, Pennington Martin Luther High School, Queens The Stanwich School, Greenwich The Lawrenceville School, Lawrenceville New York Military Academy, Cornwall-on-the Hudson Ridgefield Academy, Ridgefield The Peddie School, Highstown Nightingale-Bamford School, Manhattan The Unquowa School, Ridgefield Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart, Princeton Trevor Day, Manhattan Villa Maria Education Center, Stamford Noor Ul-Iman School, Monmouth Jct. The Packer Collegiate Institute, Brooklyn Whitby School, Greenwich Kent Place School, Summit Poly Prep Country Day School, Brooklyn Wooster School, Danbury Oratory Preparatory School, Summit Ramaz School, Manhattan The Wardlaw Hartridge School, Edison Riverdale Country School, The Bronx NEW JERSEY Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child, Summit Ross School, Manhattan Woodland Country Day School, Bridgeton Rye Country Day School, Rye The Hudson School, Hoboken The Ellison School, Vineland Saint Ann's School, Brooklyn Academy of St. Aloysius, Jersey City Monmouth Academy, Morganville St Francis Preparatory School, Queens Saint Dominic Academy, Jersey City The Rumson Country Day School, Rumson The Spence School, Manhattan Stevens Cooperative School, Hoboken Ranney School, Tinton Falls United Nations International School, Manhattan Saddle River Day School, Saddle River Friends School Mullica Hill, Mullica Hill The Ursuline School, New Rochelle Collegiate School , Passaic Haddonfield Friends School, Haddonfield Dwight-Englewood School, Englewood Moorestown Friends School, Moorestown Solomon Schechter Day School of Bergen County, New Milford

62 63 successful Companies speak for themselves... Prominent American Leaders on Diversity

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CAtChIng the tIDeS of ChAnge AnD RIDIng the WAveS of oppoRtunItY: 23 Years of Empowering People of Color in Independent Schools

StuDent DIveRSItY LeADeRShIp ConfeRenCe Coast 2 Coast, Seek to See: Anchoring Ourselves in the Community Harbor

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