For the 25th anniversary of the Student Diversity Leadership Conference, 6 students traveled to Nashville, Tennessee from Nov 29. – Dec 1. to talk about their experiences and issues relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The conference is two and a half days with students from independent schools all around the country. Conference sessions and activities are led by a diverse group of trained adults who teach students communication skills such as social justice practice through dialogue and arts, partnership skills, and allyship.

The conference only accommodates 1,600 students, and only allows 6 students per school to attend. Last May, U-High students filled out an application which was reviewed by 7 faculty and administration members.

Students who were chosen to attend the conference this year were Aman Arain, Ioannis Nikas, Destiney Williamson, Iris Xie, Mayher Kaur and Lea Runesha.

Ioannis said the conference was eye opening.

“I’d say SDLC is really special because you get to learn so much about other people’s lives in such a short time. Making new friends but getting really close to them that quickly is something I never have experienced before,” Ioannis said. “It was also a really eye-opening experience that helped me understand new things about myself but also about others. Overall, it inspired me to pay close attention to my community and try to better it as much as I can.”