By: Laurel Rose Barrett, Gateway Regional High School, Woodbury Heights
WOODBURY HEIGHTS, N.J. — Gloucester County is the 14th most populated county in New Jersey. With such a large population, however, some schools are lacking diversity. The race demographic in Gloucester county is roughly 77% White, 9.9% Black, and 6.8% Hispanic. As a whole, however, New Jersey is one of the most diverse states in America, ranking number four. This is something to be proud of, considering some states are having more of a problem with intolerance. N.J., as an overall accepting state, sets a precedent to others. This is important, as it allows individuals in NJ schools to speak openly and proudly and accept everyone, regardless of their race or identity.
One teacher who is making this happen in a profound way is Leah Waring, one of Gateway Regional High School’s amazing Spanish teachers, who saw a need for an open forum at Gateway for all questions and discussions regarding race, identity, and diversity, so she created Diversity Club!
Prior to working at Gateway, Ms. Waring taught at another school where she led the Black Student Union. The club was so successful, she explained, that it inspired her to start Diversity Club at Gateway. The club is still fairly new but has been extremely successful. Ms. Waring shared that her favorite moments thus far were seeing club members volunteer at the annual Bundle Up Against Cancer 5k and hearing all their ideas and questions in the club meetings.
Ms. Waring describes Diversity Club as, “An all-inclusive club that is committed to educating others about cultural, social, and ethnic diversity.”
Furthermore, “[It] works inclusively to bring about positive racial relations on [Gateway’s] campus by promoting mutual respect for all cultures.”
Ms. Waring also hopes that Diversity Club can inspire students and staff at Gateway to empower their peers, that way, “a difference in the overall equality in and outside of our school community,” can take place.
I visited Ms. Waring’s class and took a picture of Diversity club in action a couple of weeks ago while they were watching a documentary, Flaming Hot, about the inspirational man who created Hot Cheetos. The students were very excited to spend time with each other and discuss the meaning of their movie. This month, she is planning an inclusive multicultural holiday celebration in which students will learn about winter holidays across many cultures, and students will prepare and share foods from them. The students explained how they love going to Diversity Club every Tuesday, due to Ms. Waring’s excitement and because of how safe they feel being themselves there.
The club meets every Tuesday for discussions, documentary days, and a fun, enlightening time! Take a lesson from Diversity Club at Gateway Regional and don’t be afraid to ask questions or to create a club like this at your school! This is an outlet at Gateway where individuals don’t have to worry about bias, pressure, or judgment, so they can come ready to just be themselves!
I was so inspired that I chose to feature Ms. Waring and her effective efforts in my radio segment for KYW for the KYW Newsradio Newstudies internship program affiliated with Temple University’s Klein College of Media and Communication that I participated in on Saturdays this fall. In my radio segment, Ms. Waring shares Diversity club’s mission and how it is educating and inspiring students to be the change they want to see in the world.
While many students in my program were sounding off on controversial issues, I decided to focus my efforts on something that’s working really well at Gateway that not everyone knows about. Ms. Waring and her students are so passionate but way too humble, in my opinion, about what they are creating together, so it is my goal to bring light to a space that this beloved teacher has created that Gateway students have expressed desiring for quite some time.
Ms. Waring is an ally to all. She welcomes any student to stop by to say hello and share ideas that will help to celebrate diversity not only in Gateway but in the greater community. As the Gateway district continues to grow in diversity, Ms. Waring’s space will continue to be an asset and a model to surrounding schools. The hope is that her members will become tolerance ambassadors as they go out into the world.
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