D EF I NI NG D I V E RS I T Y A N D I N C LU S I O N
ogy, and so many other factors. In the stu-
dent perspective, inclusion is about making
sure students don’t feel excluded for any
part of their identity. I think that adults see
inclusion as more so a celebration of each
person’s differences, and embracing diver-
sity rather than blending in.
perspectives were not shared. Our students
are asking us to do something that we have
not yet tried—a conversation, a dialogue.
In what ways have we been protecting our
students from potential conflict and mis-
understanding by keeping these voices on
separate stages? How might we bring stu-
dents into helping us live our ideals of “di-
versity” and “inclusion”? We plan to continue
this conversation at our schools, exploring
more with students and adults. Next steps
include bringing students with different
perspectives together, and bringing stu-
dents and adults together. Seeking a shared
understanding of these and other key terms
in our discussions about who we are and
who we want to be as a community will only
strengthen the work we can do together. l
In their responses, students focused on
what it feels like to be a part of a commu-
nity and whether everyone is encouraged to
be their true authentic selves in that com-
munity or not. They also seem to be hun-
gry for honest, complex conversations that
include many voices at once. In the lifetime
of many of our faculty and staff, we have
seen a move from once, dominant voices,
to the voices of those whose stories and
Rev. Katie O. Kilpatrick, Woodward Academy Chaplain,
The Pauline and R.L. Brand Jr. ‘35 Chair of Religious Studies
Rev. Katie Kilpatrick (known to her students as Chaplain K) is passionate about promoting
peace, understanding, and compassion. She has spent most of the last seven years working
with individuals experiencing disabilities, abuse, homelessness, and illness in various non-
profit and clinical settings. Katie graduated from Candler School of Theology with her Master
of Divinity in May 2015 with a Certificate of Religion and Health. She believes that through
education, students can be inspired to change the world as they grow to understand and
appreciate those around them.
Felicia Wilks, Lakeside School Assistant Head of School and Upper School Director
Felicia Wilks is the Assistant Head of School and Upper School Director at Lakeside School
in Seattle, Washington. Before joining Lakeside in 2017, Ms. Wilks served as the head of an
independent school in Maryland, the Garrison Forest School. From 2010 to 2015, she was the
Director of Diversity and a member of the leadership team at Friends School of Baltimore.
Contact her at [email protected].
CSEE Connections
Summer 2020 Page 27