Most Upper School (US) students would not describe US assemblies as the highlight of their Mondays. This year, the arrival of “Outside the Box,” a series centered on student identities and storytelling, has stood out as a refreshing change.
Rockie Yewendwossen ’25 created Outside the Box during her Senior Spring Project internship with the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Global Education (DEIG) office. Through interviewing US administrators, department heads, faculty and students, Rockie found the school had a “real call for real talk.”
US DEIG Practitioner Maria Graciela Alcid said the presentations can help students connect with and learn from their peers.
“Outside the Box is about bringing in student perspectives, hearing student stories that are real, vulnerable and uplifting,” she said. “There’s real power in storytelling. Students inspire others through their lived experiences. There’s so much knowledge, wisdom and courage in our community.”
Outside the Box was created with a series of five assemblies in mind, as well as conversations that will be held in the Student DEIG Steering Committee (SDSC). One aspect of Outside the Box engages the SDSC to speak about ways that can continue honest conversations at the school. Ms. Alcid said she hopes more students feel comfortable sharing who they are through their work.
Caroline Dudzinski ’26 presented about her family’s history serving in the military, and Alex Hughes ’26 shared a film he created about his experience growing up with ADHD.
Justin Hildebrandt ’27 read a poem about trying new food while in Taiwan.
“Eating that food was scary to me, and looking back, I regret not trying it,” he said. “I hoped students would be inspired to go outside their comfort zones even if it feels uncomfortable.”
The poem’s message was to not prevent yourself from connecting with your culture, Justin said.
Lorenzo Blackston ’26 shared a poem about his family’s experience as Cape Verdean immigrants through food.
“Outside the Box shows different art forms, and that is something you don’t see often at BB&N,” Lorenzo said. “A hidden gem at BB&N is the arts, so people sharing theirs can connect us all in different ways. It shows how people express themselves in ways you may not know.”
Noura Farahat ’28 connected with the “food is community” idea that Justin and Lorenzo shared.
“Food is a huge part of my culture, so I really related to that because one of the ways people can see similarities across different backgrounds is through each other’s food,” she said.
The presentations provide perspective into students’ different backgrounds.
“It’s really valuable to see everyone’s different perspectives and learn a little bit more about the students in our community,” Noura said. “It’s a gateway to have important conversations we don’t always have, and this is a great way to hear other people’s perspectives.”
The US can expect to hear new voices and stories in two more Outside the Box assemblies scheduled for January and February.
