Pomfret students attend Student Leadership Diversity Conference Dec. 6-9 in Houston

Students travel to Houston with school administrators attending National Association of Independent School's annual People of Color Conference

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Pomfret group attends conference--Back: Dolph Clinton, An Hoang, Shanique Garcia, Ollie Adekanbi, Nataly Maloney, Steven Davis, Ginny Eaton. Front: Katie McNaughton, Peta-Gay Clayton, Alexa Luborsky

POMFRET, CT (12/17/2012)(readMedia)-- Six students from Pomfret School travelled to Houston earlier this month to attend the NAIS Student Leadership Diversity Conference, and joined nearly 1,400 students from around the country at the four-day event that is the student component of the annual People of Color Conference.

The PoCC, now in its twenty-fifth year, is a four-day program of guest speakers, idea-sharing, networking, and affinity group workshops designed to let participants share and compare experiences. While the activities and goals are drawn from the same page, the Student Diversity Leadership Conference takes place in a different venue, addresses a more comprehensive range of issues, and lets the students explore the diversity of diversity-topics ranging from nationality, ethnic, and gender identity issues, to physical ability. "SDLC," explains the website, "focuses on self-reflecting, forming allies, and building community."

According to Pomfret Director of Diversity and Community Relations Steven Davis, one of four Pomfret administrators--and one of 1,900 nationwide--who attended the PoCC, the experience for all was "simply incredible."

The six Pomfret students attending the Dec. 6 – 9 conference were Ollie Adekanbi from the class of 2013, Peta-Gay Clayton '14, An Hoang '14, Alexa Luborsky '14, Nataly Maloney '13, and Katie McNaughton '14. Participating along with Mr. Davis were Pomfret Dean of Students Dolph Clinton, Director of Admissions Shanique Garcia, and Ginny Eaton from the Alumni and Diversity offices.

Pomfret's attendance at the PoCC/SLDC is funded every year in part by the student initiative led by VOICE, the school student support group, open to any student "who feels that he or she needs some help adjusting to the Pomfret community-or would like to help in making the school a homier place."