Students attend summit to help Rockland build inclusivity

By Megan Joyce, Staff Writer

May 10, 2023

WEYMOUTH- The second-ever Diversity Summit took place at Weymouth High School on May 9, where a dozen schools with 120 students attended.

The Diversity Summit is a student-led conference combined with the Human Rights Coalition.  Where students are exposed to current issues involving the topics of diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

The Summit includes two keynote speakers, an expressive art exhibit, discussion panels, and workshops. Some examples of the workshops include the History of Hip-Hop, the Stigma of Mental Illness in Asian Americans, and Congenital heart defects. 

Rockland was originally introduced to Summit as it was invited by Weymouth, like many other schools in the area. This year Ms. Kayla Burgos, a Spanish teacher, attended with nine students.

Ms. Burgos explained, “Hopefully it allows us to bring some ideas back to Rockland so that we can better include all the different students we have here. Specifically using ideas that help us celebrate all the students.” 

The groups of students that attended the Summit included members of the GSA, Daring Discussions, Student Council, and Women’s Empowerment Club. 

Meghan Hailer, a junior and co-president of the Gender Sexuality Alliance, says that they were most excited about the gender inclusivity workshop. 

Hailer says, “I learned so much about queer culture, [and] I thought I knew a lot but other people knew so much more.”

Sophomore Anthony Defilippo, who attended the ‘Inclusivity for All’ workshop, says he was exposed to “Discrimination against disabled people and how we can better include them.”

Ms. Burgos said, “I didn’t know what to expect and with so many interesting workshops it was difficult to choose one. I was surprised at how much they had to offer.”

Mrs. Burgos continued, “I would have liked to bring more students who represent more groups/clubs,” she said. She further explained that the group was so small due to it only being the 2nd-ever Summit. 

Defilippo said, “Overall, we could celebrate our diverse student population more and it would boost our inclusivity.”

Hailer said their favorite part was, “The keynote speaker was amazing and it would be great if they could visit RHS.”

The Keynote speaker was Coach Bri Nichols, a resilience coach and consultant who taught the students about accountability and rising up against challenges. 

Defilippo said his most memorable moment was actually Ms. Burgos driving the group to Summit. Also, he mentioned that he, “met a lot of people and got to learn about their backgrounds.”

The Diversity Summit is an important event that helps educate the attendees on current issues and how, as students, they can help.