Four days after returning from SDLC (Student Diversity Leadership Conference) in Seattle, Washington, participants shared their experience with Webb students and faculty in McCarthy Lab. On Wednesday, December 11th 2019 the participants showed a vlog made by Abbie Oh Arroyo (‘21) to start off the presentation. Following the video, participants shared their feelings during and after the conference, and the meeting wrapped up with several proposals to the school in order to make Webb a safer place for everyone.
At SDLC, there were a wide variety of affinity groups for students to join in and students all felt empowered and inspired by meeting people from different schools and cultures who share similar experiences and feelings.
Abbie Oh Arroyo (‘21), a bi-racial participant, said, “Before I participated SDLC I didn’t feel like I belong to a certain race, and I was nervous when I joined the group. But I feel like SDLC really is a safe space, and you feel safe and relieved when other people speak out something you are scared to say.”
Isabella Llorens (‘22) said: “With SDLC, I think I took the extra step and found my true self. After coming back I realized that I’m living my full truth and I feel like this is a self-exploration process.”
Also similar to a self-exploration process, Hunter Lange (‘22) found his own value through another way.
Hunter Lange, said “I was adopted, so I was questioning my identity before I attended SDLC. It is the safe space to face to who you really are. Instead of being labeled by people because of race or belief, I feel like I found who I really am.”
Other than self-exploration, participants also felt the tremendous support from other participants at the conference and it encouraged them to be more brave and comfortable while speaking up for their beliefs.
Aliza Tyndale (‘21) said, “People there really supported me, and their unconditional support made me realize that your skin color and what you believe in doesn’t determine who you are.”
Nicholas Lee (‘21) echoed what Aliza brought up.
He said, “SDLC was really a safe space for everyone. As an Asian American, I got to be with other Asian people and I really feel like it was a privilege and I’m proud of who I am. It was especially powerful when I saw every black person holding their hands up for the Black National Anthem. It’s a life-changing experience and it inspires me to make Webb a safer place.”
Nicholas was not alone; Lily Chiu (‘21) also felt the acceptance and empowerment at the conference so she joined in and shared her thoughts.
She said, “I really feel like SDLC was a community. They were extremely welcoming, and they were willing to listen to your stories. As an Asian American I feel like there is some sort of disconnect at Webb because we have such a large international community. I know it is not easy [to make everyone feel safe] at a high school, but it is something that needs to happen.”
After their return, SDLC participants highly encouraged more Webb students and faculty to speak up and take action in order to create a safer space for everyone in this community.
The SDLC participants proposed their ideas on issues such as gender-neutral restrooms and dorms at Webb, conversation regarding sexuality and other identities, as well as creating a safe space for all students and faculty. They also proposed the idea that Webb should have an Affinity Week with possible collaboration with different ethnic clubs and the LGBTQ+ club in order to share different identities, represent diverse cultures, and encourage people to respect them.
Looking at this year’s participants and their presentation, Amanda Wang (‘20), one of last year’s participants, joined in the presentation to wrap up the ideas and shared how she feels about this special group of people.
She said, “I’m really proud of this year’s participants. I remember that last year it was only me and Chris Haliburton [(‘20)], and it was really tough to face the reality [of Webb] after the conference and we’re just talking to the counselors and we were literally talking their ears out. But this year we not only have more people, but also we have more voices and opportunities to advocate our ideas.”
After the presentation, faculty members asked questions regarding the conference, their experiences, as well as how Webb can work with SDLC participants to make Webb a safer space for everyone.
One of the four faculty members that traveled to Seattle with the SDLC group, Lisa Blomberg, Science Faculty, said, “I am so inspired by our SDLC groups courage to put themselves out there and share the intense growth experience they had at the conference and their desire to create a truly inclusive community at Webb. These students, as well as Chris and Amanda last year, will remember SDLC 2019 for the rest of their lives!”
Similar to SDLC, “Students Stay Woke” conference, which is similar to the SDLC conference, will take place on January 25th, 2019 according to Amanda Wang (‘20) and Chris Haliburton (‘20).
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