Kyle Zhang ’27
The DEI department has recently introduced new community offerings, providing more opportunities, events, and clubs for Episcopal Academy students to celebrate diverse individual backgrounds.
Under the leadership of Erica Snowden, Executive Director of the Office of DEI, and Ayinde Tate, Director of Diversity and Inclusion, students receive resources that not only guide self-engagement but also provide dynamic spaces for awareness and education. For instance, the establishment of affinity groups is one of the department’s key strategies in fostering a sense of belonging among students. Affinity groups encompass a range of identities (Hispanic, African-American, Asian-American communities, and more) and serve as safe spaces for students to explore their heritage. The DEI department also consists of groups like the QSA (Queer Straight Alliance), Disorder Awareness Club, and political youth clubs such as the Young Republicans, Young Democrats, and Young Independents, thereby recognizing and validating a multitude of identities.
Snowden highlights the organic, ground-up approach in the formation and operation of these clubs, demonstrating how DEI allows for the genuine representation of students’ voices. She emphasizes, “Nothing is forced. It’s about students learning about themselves, understanding others, and affirming identities.” Snowden underscores the importance of students freely exploring and affirming their identities while respecting and comprehending the diversity of others. Additionally, per EA News, Snowden has helped launch the National SEED project, which is a “a peer-led professional development program that creates conversational communities to drive personal, organizational, and societal change toward greater equity and diversity.” Likewise, Snowden has newly started EA’s Asian Identfying Families Group and EA’s Black Identifying Families Group, “which provides a space where families can explore the intersections and unique challenges you and your student(s) may face, along with any other considerations from the group”.
Photo Courtesy of Rohith Tsundupalli ’24
The DEI department’s reach also extends outside of EA through conferences and speaker events. Students are able to attend SCHout, a diversity conference hosted by Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, and MARD, the Mid-Atlantic Region Diversity Conference. These conferences, in addition to serving as learning experiences for students, are platforms where students can share their perspectives on critical issues surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Some students take advantage of the DEI offerings and add to the existing initiatives. Adam Rossin ’26 founded the Jewish Student Union (JSU). In describing his engagement with SEI at EA, he highlights, “The JSU is more than a club. It’s a movement. It’s a movement within our school to enlighten, unite, and address anti-Semitism head-on.” Similarly, Michael Zhao ’27, the DEI representative for the freshman class, believes DEI’s role is important, saying, “The more ideas from different places and cultures, the better we are as a community.” He highlights how embracing a variety of perspectives through the new initiatives contributes to the overall strength of a community at EA, fostering a more comprehensive understanding and growth.
Looking ahead, Snowden plans to expand DEI at EA even further. The ambition, she reveals, is to “Normalize cross-cultural dialogues. The DEI department hopes that diverse groups can not only coexist on campus but truly understand and embrace each other’s differences and similarities.