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Sharing Expertise Beyond the Hill: Associate Director of College Counseling Warren Quirett Organizes Equity and Inclusion Summit

In addition to his formidable job here on the Hill, Associate Director of College Counseling Warren Quirett also serves as the co-chair of the diversity, equity, and inclusion committee for the Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools (ACCIS). An international organization with nearly 600 member schools and 1900 active members, ACCIS provides support, shared knowledge, and professional development programming for independent school college counselors around the globe. 

Earlier this year, ACCIS hosted a three-day Equity and Innovation Summit at Queens University in Charlotte, N.C. Episcopal’s own Quirett, in tandem with co-chair, Michele Davis, (the director of college counseling at The Walker School in Atlanta, Ga.) planned and organized this professional development summit, aimed at providing independent school college counselors, regardless of racial background, an intentional space to discuss pertinent issues surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion work within their respective school communities. Granting space to share experiences, engage in meaningful dialogue, and examine ways to cultivate an inclusive learning environment was a focus of the summit.

"Three years ago, there were insurmountable cries from independent school students about the twin pandemics of Covid-19 and the reckoning with violence against BIPOC people that shined a spotlight on perpetual systemic racism in our country," Quirett explained. "We must be intentional in our actions as leaders in our Association, in our schools, and in the college admissions profession. The work of creating antiracist schools and communities is not a box to be checked, but an ongoing effort marked by choices we make every day.”

Over 60 college counselors from various independent schools traveled across the country to hear from a wide range of professionals. Omari Scott Simmons, professor of law for Wake Forest University, delivered a moving keynote on the current Supreme Court case surrounding the use of affirmative action titled "Race in Admissions: Implications for Secondary Schools if it is Eliminated." Wokie Daboh, director of diversity and inclusion at ESPN, also attended and presented on the importance of inclusivity in all professional settings.

Of the thoughtful planning leading up to the summit, Quirett said, "We wanted to intentionally engage all attendees differently, so we had round table discussions and affinity space meetings that allowed each person to dive into the topics and listen to others' experiences while providing a level of comfort. We wanted them to leave with tangible solutions they could take back to their community."

After the conference, several colleagues reached out to Quirett and Davis to express their gratitude. One attendee from an arts and sciences school in Santa Monica, California, described the conference as a courageous opportunity to learn from her colleagues of color: "I learned so much from everyone and relished those tough conversations surrounding DEI with colleagues from such different backgrounds."

Celebrating the summit's success, Quirett hopes the remainder of his three-year term will generate more opportunities for college counselors to strengthen DEI initiatives at their institutions. “Our association’s commitment to antiracist action has provided us with concrete guideposts to advance antiracist practices for college counseling programs in our schools, and the Equity and Innovation Summit is one of the many intentional programs that help us hold ourselves accountable to the ongoing work that is required of all of us.” 
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