NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. (March 29, 2017) — More than 100 students, parents and faculty members attended the Unraveling Gender event at New Rochelle High School Saturday. The educational extravaganza was organized in an effort to provide a safe space to discuss gender identity and expression.
The event was organized by New Rochelle High School senior and Bezos Scholar Ana Acevedo.
“We wanted to make students feel supported,” said Acevedo. “It’s about understanding others and having tolerance. It was a lot of work to organize. But if just one student benefits, that’s the goal.”
17 year old Santiago Castillo is a senior at NRHS who’s in gender transition. He was also a presenter on the event’s student panel.
“I spoke about coming out transgender and how I felt,” said Castillo. “I encouraged people to be supportive even if they don’t understand. It has made a huge difference for me to have the support of my friends at school.”
Unraveling Gender featured keynote speaker Sam Killermann, an author, speaker and social justice comedian. Workshops addressed topics including gender and school policy, gender and human rights, dating for everyone, and more.
Pictured: Event Organizer Ana Acevedo (left) with her advisor and House II Principal Camille Edwards-Thomas (right)
About the City School District of New Rochelle
With nearly 11,000 students in 10 schools, the City School District of New Rochelle, through an active partnership amongst community, parents, staff and students, provides a high-quality and challenging education for every child, in a safe, nurturing environment that embraces rich diversity and drives success.
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