A Deeper Dive on My Diversity Work

I started the Indigenous Peoples Club at my school. Our goal is to educate students, faculty and leadership on issues affecting Indigenous communities to dispel misconceptions about Indigenous peoples and cultures, particularly those residing in what is now known as North America.

I was recently invited by leadership to write the land acknowledgment for my school.

I created a campaign for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls to educate community members about the violence against Indigenous women.  Proceeds from the T-shirt sale were donated to the No More Staten Sisters campaign. 

In my first and second years of high school, I successfully advocated to end Indigenous cultural appropriation that was deeply engrained in my school’s traditions surrounding a school-hosted annual “Luau” that was used to commemorate the culmination of lower school. In my junior year, I used Indigenous Peoples Club to create bulletin boards and newsletters on this topic, and presented at a high school-wide town hall during my senior year in preparation for Halloween.

I recently convinced school leadership to fly the asexual, gender fluid, lesbian, and transgender pride flags during their respective visibility weeks, as well as the rainbow flag during Day of Silence and Pride Month.

After significant debate, I was successful in advocating for gender-neutral bathrooms to be funded and installed in the main upper and middle school building.  This initiative will be complete in Summer 2023.  

For Lily Aspen, a rising senior from Manasquan, N.J., and an Alaska Native who belongs to the Ninilchik Village Tribe, the program has provided new knowledge, tools and strategies that they can use to champion efforts to expand diversity and inclusion. “We have a number of diversity initiatives that we’re trying to implement at my school, and now I can go back with new knowledge and help make more informed decisions.”