Guiding Light

Tyler ‘22 recently completed a summer course at The St. Albans School of Public Service, which is a unique program that brings approximately 45 rising high school seniors from all over the United States and the world to the heart of Washington, D.C. Through classroom experiences, field trips, and our speakers program, students undertake an in-depth exploration of government, politics, and public service.

Here, he reflects on the hallmarks of his experience at St. Albans, what lessons he plans to bring back to Friends, and how he is partnering with the Center for Peace, Equity, and Justice to help “bring about a world that ought to be.”

The most rewarding experience from my summer course was being able to speak to different influential people in the field of public service. They all taught us the power of networking and finding a world issue that makes us “pound the table”. It was very inspiring to hear from people like Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigeig, tell their life story of how they became involved in serving their communities. 

It was a culture shock, engaging in discussions with people that were more conservative. It took some time to learn how to truly listen to differing opinions before I responded. 

I am most passionate about racial equity. I believe that everybody deserves quality education, access to healthcare, etc. — no matter what their race is. Being a young Black man, I am cognizant of the inequities that have been systemically put in place against minorities to maintain white supremacy. This has inspired me to found and co-lead the Black Culture Club at Friends, where we not only dive into conversations (open to every student regardless of race) about issues that impact the Black community, but also create ways to educate the Friends community about what it means to be Black — the good and the downsides. We have hosted award-winning Black actress, Erika Alexander, a panel of influential Black alums, and powerful Black women in law enforcement. 

I have definitely learned to embrace differences in opinion way more after attending SPS this summer. While I surely did not agree with everything that people said, it felt great to have a productive and respectful conversation about controversial topics. I would love to implement this lesson into my work with CPEJ by conducting thoughtful and respectful conversations that we usually tend to shy away from. This is a valuable lesson that I think all students at Friends can benefit from, and this lesson can also be extended into classroom settings.

I see myself bringing “about a world that ought to be” by being outspoken when I see an issue, and creating a way to address and solve that issue. I strive to be an advocate for my community when I see a lack of diversity and representation. 

The person that inspires me the most is Jason Craige Harris, the previous Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. In my three years of knowing and working with him, he taught me how to be an impactful leader in the Friends community. He also taught me how to take a stand and not be afraid to advocate for things when other people aren’t doing so.