Newtown Quakers to Hear "Why Caring About Diversity Isn't Enough"

Newtown PA

10 October, 2021

5:21 PM

Description

Newtown Quakers to Hear "Why Caring About Diversity Isn't Enough" on Zoom Program Rachel Williams, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at George School, will present a zoom program for the adult class of Newtown Quaker Meeting at 9:45 a.m. on Sunday, October 17 on "Why Caring About Diversity Isn't Enough" http://www.newtownfriendsmeeting.org) Zoom Meeting for Worship in the manner of Friends will follow at 11 a.m. George School is a top-rated, co-ed Quaker school in Newtown on 240 acres with a faculty/student ratio of 1:7, and a student body of 540 composed of 46% boarding, 54% day, 41% students of color, and 28% international students from 37 countries and 18 states. Rachel Williams returned to George School as the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, on July 1, 2020. Rachel had worked at George School for a total of 17 years previously as a member of the Admissions team, including serving as Co-Director of Admissions in 2016-2017. She also served as Director of Financial Aid, Head of Westwood Dorm, Head of West Main, head coach of girls' varsity basketball, assistant coach for girls' varsity lacrosse, a service trip leader, an advisor, and a member of the Martin Luther King Day Planning Committee. Rachel returned to George School from the Peddie School, where she was Associate Director of Admission and Director of Multicultural Affairs. At Peddie, in addition to creating and implementing the school's strategy for multicultural student recruitment, enrollment and retention, Rachel served as faculty advisor to the Black Student Union, and the Faculty Gender and Sexuality Group. She was also an elected member of the Faculty/Student Senate, a faculty member in a girls' tenth grade dorm, and a student advisor. In her role, Rachel worked with constituents across Peddie, including the curriculum committee, the senior administration, the Chaplain, families and especially students to ensure that Peddie's decisions, practices, and policies reflected the school's commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion for all community members. Rachel attended Moorestown Friends School from pre-k to 12th grade and was a three-sport varsity athlete on the field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse teams. She went on to Amherst College where she graduated with honors, played on the women's basketball team, and majored in Black Studies. Rachel currently lives in Langhorne, PA and is the mother of two children. Her son Amani Speller is an eleventh grader at George School, and daughter Mariah Speller is a junior at Temple University. Newtown Friends Meeting, co-founded in 1815 by Quaker minister and artist, Edward Hicks, is open to the public, with Sunday School classes via Zoom for children and adults at 9:45 a.m. and worship based on expectant silence "after the manner of Friends" at 11:00 a.m.