Senior Welcomes Diversity Into Student Body

Early on a Saturday morning in September, I joined new families of color as they were welcomed to Germantown Academy.  As I walked into the Pavilion, I was met with the smell of delicious breakfast food and great conversation; everyone was eager to learn more about each other and welcome the new families.  As I introduced myself to new students, I couldn’t help but remember what it was like when I first came to GA.  Though I was only six years old, I took notice of what made me different from my peers.  The support that I gained from the community allowed me to thrive at GA, and the network of Black families always made me feel like I was at home.

One of Nichelle's (middle) many roles on campus so far in her senior year has been to help welcome new African American families to GA.

As Trustee and alumni parent Reverend Keith Williams led the program, he asked all of the students in attendance to introduce themselves and share their favorite part about Germantown Academy.   Students from a variety of ages shared stories that spoke about their successes, their challenges, and their excitement for the new school year.  As I sat on a panel of students and faculty, I was amazed to see how many new students of color were entering GA.  Now in my final year at GA, seeing the growth of a diverse community creates such a wonderful feeling.  As the student representative on the Diversity Task Force and President of the Black Student Alliance, diversity is important to me.  It matters that young students of color thrive at great schools like GA because GA provides opportunities.  With more chances to thrive, we create more success stories, creating individuals who are independent in thought, confident in expression, compassionate in spirit, collaborative in action, and honorable in deed.

~ Nichelle H. ‘15