I am a college counselor at a private school in the suburbs of Memphis. Like many private schools, we desire to become more diverse (socio-economic, racial, religious), but our school has a mission to “create a culture of transformative diversity, building upon shared experiences that deepen our humanity and enhance the intellectual, social, spiritual and moral development of all students. We believe that valuing diversity and inclusion is sacred and living this value transforms our institution, our people, and the greater community.”
Through our state’s voucher program and scholarships, families are able to control the type of education their children have and possibly change their trajectory in life and our school is richly diverse. One of the students that I helped navigate the college search process actually testified in Nashville advocating for school vouchers. His childhood had been tumultuous, climaxing when learning that his father passed away in his senior year of high school. Through the opportunities he was given to be in a small tight-knit community, he grew into a wonderful leader and scholar. He is now entering his senior year of college at TSU.
