Catherine Zhang ’26
The Pathways Prefects and the Community & Equity office shoulder a vital responsibility to make our community a more inclusive, diverse, and welcoming place. Though there have been challenges, promises, and changes, the C&E office and the Pathways Prefects have made progress. At this pivotal moment, where we will welcome the new head of school, I interviewed Mr. DaSilva and Lori Cui to reflect on their progress this past year and things they will continue to work on for next year.
Mr. DaSilva is the Community and Equity Affairs director at St Mark's. He is just getting to the end of his second academic school year. While his time at St. Mark's has been short so far, he has been in independent schools for 25 years as a history teacher, an Associate Dean, and a Director of International Student Programs.
Lori Cui is a rising VI former. She is Chinese American and is active in many affinity groups. She has been a Pathways Prefect for the past year and will continue in her role next year.
Looking back this year, what is one thing that Pathways Prefects and the C&E office did and you are proud of?
Mr. DaSilva could not be more proud of their work this year. Each prefect had projects for which they were intently focused and committed, and their attention provided a fair amount of accomplishment this year. At the beginning of the year, Mr. Patterson, the Associate Director of Community and Equity Affairs, spent time with the Pathways Prefects, discussing goals for the culture we wanted to create in this office. One of the most critical aspects of the conversation was deciding unanimously that partnership and alignment would be two of our core expectations. They then moved on to building strong relationships and facilitating changes vital to the St. Mark’s community.
Mr. DaSilva and Lori are proud of the initiatives launched by the Pathways Prefects and the C&E office. Close to 40 initiatives and events were supported by the C&E office, and Pathways prefects led the most. They are most proud of introducing classroom norms, supporting the free use of washing machines and dryers throughout campus, free and accessible feminine products in the Stem 1 bathroom, pronunciation database, another outstanding Umoja celebration, and improving student and faculty interactions with C&E.
What kind of challenges have you faced this year? How did you overcome them?
Mr. DaSilva recounts facing many challenges. The work of community and equity is more aligned with the work of attitude, culture, and soul. While he can work with other adults and students to create clear expectations regarding civil discourse, acceptance, and empathy, it all becomes hard to measure. Unlike an academic course where attendance and achievement can be measured, most of this work is hidden. Results only show if and when the entire community commits to doing the work. To make C&E work more visible, the C&E office has worked hard with outreach and partnerships.
Additionally, Lori thinks that since all four Pathways Prefects were new this year, it took a lot of work to implement plans initially. They had to learn how to execute the plan's specifics and get things going. They then experienced interruptions due to conferences and breaks. In general, Lori felt they were unsure how to handle issues initially, but they overcame this challenge through effective communication. They are also preventing this issue for next year by continuing to become a Pathways Prefect so they can lead by example and pass down the legacy.
What kind of improvements or changes were initiated this year? What was the result?
Mr. DaSilva believes changes and improvements have occurred throughout our community this year, but for most, in ways that were not easily recognized. Often, the work of the C&E office is more behind the scenes, especially regarding Pathways work and student leadership. However, one of the most essential improvements this year was investing in student development and leadership. Students were more involved in decision-making, providing more opportunities for development. Students attended the NAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC), where they worked with affinity space guru Rosetta Lee and partnered with trainers from risetowin.org. Each opportunity exposed them to the ongoing work to which we are committed. Each of those students increases our chances of embracing and meeting our strategic goals. Improved C&E skills among St. Markers empower us to create a more just and equitable environment.
Lori agrees with Mr. DaSilva. At the same time, she thinks most of the changes focus on inclusion within the student body. The Pathways Prefects noticed the disparity between laundry fees in different buildings and brought that into discussion. Eventually, they ensured that all laundry machines were free. Lori is also proud to finally put feminine products in the bathrooms. Even though it is currently just a test run, this initiative will be fully implemented next year. These results are more tangible changes compared to the hidden work they did to shift the community's mindset.
What improvement do you still need to make in the following year?
A thriving St. Mark's community depends on a strong community focused on equity and empowerment. While resources and budgets are necessary, true success hinges on a more profound commitment.
Mr. DaSilva firmly states that C&E will continue setting its sights beyond performative statements and actions. Instead, it will work to ensure that every community member receives proper attention and guidance and will continue empowering all students to reach their full potential. Investing in C&E competency fosters a just and inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and supported. This is the essence of St. Mark's, and through this commitment, we'll continue to build a stronger community for everyone who attends or works at our school.
Lori points out that the major issue with C&E work is that some people believe it does not affect them. To convince more people that these works are important to them or even make the work mandatory, they have to balance this. However, this is relatively hard to do. On the other hand, Lori shared that through conversation with Dr. Hills, the new Head of the School, they promised to change some activities to better benefit students while infiltrating C&E work. Lori also shared that they are trying different formats of C&E day and figuring out what will work best for the community.
How does the current progress align with the Community and Equity Strategic Plan?
Mr. DaSilva and Lori believe that all the initiatives and commitments align with the C&E Strategic Plan, which was created to establish short—and long-term obligations and areas of focus. It's important to understand that while the Strategic Plan sets these goals, it was not designed to solve all of our challenges regarding community and equity. Setting these goals allowed us to evaluate better and understand the strength of our community, especially the foundation of relationships.
Our strategic objectives remain our targets, particularly in specific growth areas. However, much of our attention this year and next year will focus on supporting how we build relationships and work together. With mutual trust and a commitment to helping each other, much of this work, regardless of where it originates, can be accomplished.
Currently, a working group is reviewing the strategic goals to develop a means of measuring them. Once they complete this task, we will establish a group to audit our goals against our work every year.
Lori also admits that enhancing support for students of all identities is hard. However, she points out that affinity group participation has grown this year. They also try to give more support to smaller groups. In general, the Pathways Prefects try to make themselves more approachable to the student body through their diverse backgrounds. However, changes are all tied in with the collective effort of the administrators, faculty, staff, and students. The school is also on an upward trend to include more subjects and aspects of history.
Looking forward to next year, what C&E tradition will be continued, and what changes will be needed?
The C&E office is still determining what traditions exist here at St. Marks. Supporting events such as Umoja, C&E Day, the Culture Fair, and the Lunar New Year Festival will continue, and the office will continue to be responsible for identifying incidents of inequality.
Mr. DaSilva genuinely believes that this year's work has begun a new era for the Community and Equity Office at St. Mark’s. As they engage with more community members in authentic efforts, we will be better able to create, support, and celebrate existing and newly created traditions. One challenge he has discussed with Dr. Hills is building strong relationships to make online incident reports less necessary. Instead, we aim to create and foster a culture of direct, open, and honest conversations. Ultimately, he wants to make sure that the community aims to work hard to build empathy, curiosity, and interest. If we can achieve this, St. Mark’s will be a wonderful and accepting place for all of us.
Lori also agrees with those traditions listed by Mr. DaSilva; they will continue unwavering support for the affinity groups and students who want to celebrate their identities and cultures differently. She hopes to make more students engage in C&E work and genuinely believes it is important. This stems from mindset changes through tangible changes that will make the community better or intangible changes through discussions. They will also continue to try new activities, such as adjusting the culture fair to emphasize unique cultures better or introducing more festivals and celebrations through different forms.
Overall, C&E work is still a work in progress. It is always hard to initiate changes when the environment has been long-established and set in stone. However, the prefects and the office are trying to navigate challenges and changes that will improve our community.