December 9, 2020
MPA Upper School students Alex Appleton, Salma Ali, Safa Madar, and Alexx Tolstad represented MPA at the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC). The students attended this transformative gathering virtually.
“Entering the SDLC conference, I knew I wanted to learn and that I wanted to expand my view with new perspectives. Within the first minutes of the intro I felt at home, I felt that this was a safe place, not just for me, but for all those around me,” said tenth grader Alex Appleton. “It was so encouraging to see people around me be vulnerable and I felt honored that they felt that comfort around me and the others.”
NAIS describes the experience as, “a multiracial, multicultural gathering of Upper School student leaders from across the U.S. and abroad. SDLC focuses on self-reflecting, forming allies, and building community. Led by a diverse team of trained adult and peer facilitators, participating students develop cross-cultural communication skills, design effective strategies for social justice practice through dialogue and the arts, and learn the foundations of allyship and networking principles.”
“The Multiracial affinity group was small, but big enough to gain huge perspectives on what it is like being multiracial, but from different ‘I’ perspectives outside of my own,” Alex continued in reflection. “In a community of strangers I was able to form a family in that group, because even though I may have never acquainted with many of those around me, I felt connected to them through the shared unique experiences of being a multiracial person. I left that conference achieving the goal I had begun with, but in a way I wasn’t expecting. I learned so much about myself and about my identity and its importance in our community. I have learned so much about our community, and communities further beyond the grounds of Mounds Park Academy and the land we all are on and its importance to preserve and care for it. I learned that our voices are very valid. Ultimately, I learned that no matter our differences, there is so much that unites us.”
MPA is so proud of these students, their passion for leadership, and their dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We continue to look forward to hearing about these students’ experiences and instituting the practices that they learn into our community.
