Different coasts. Different school communities. But the conversations? More connected than you might imagine.
Over the past several weeks, RIISE has had the privilege of joining families, school leaders, and educators together around something we believe deeply: Educational opportunity is about more than access. It's also about belonging, agency, and partnership.
In Harlem: Investing in the Future
Our 17th RIISE Fall Boutique Recruitment Salon brought families and representatives from 13 independent schools together for an afternoon of connection, conversation, and discovery.
We asked families to come prepared to do more than collect brochures. We wanted them to ask meaningful questions, engage directly with school representatives, and hear from parents who have walked this path before them.
Our keynote parent conversation was especially meaningful. With independent school alumni who are current parents sharing their experiences, we explored what has changed, what hasn't, and what it means to choose an independent school education with both discernment and enthusiasm.
The room reminded me why RIISE keeps creating these opportunities.
Access opens the door. Relationships help us navigate what happens next.
[RIISE Fall Boutique Recruitment Salon recap Reel]
In Palos Verdes: Belonging & Beyond
Across the country, good friend and Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Delonte Egwatur invited me to join the Chadwick School community for Belonging & Beyond, a gathering hosted at Head of School Jessica Donovan's home.
The afternoon brought parents, caregivers, faculty, and school leaders together to share our stories, told and untold, discovering how they are intertwined and can build communities where families feel connected, valued, and heard.
I was honored to lead the conversation with Delonte and Nikki Keahi Kealalio, CEO of TeachAAPI, whose work reinforces the importance of authentic cultural representation in education.
What stayed with me was the power of creating space for honest dialogue.
A head of school opening her home to families is more than a gesture of hospitality. It's an invitation to build trust, strengthen relationships, and model the kind of community we say we want for our children.
The Thread That Connects Us
Whether we're in Harlem or Palos Verdes, the work is remarkably similar.
We want our children to be challenged academically without compromising who they are culturally. We want parents to have a voice. And we want schools to recognize that families bring valuable knowledge, experiences, and cultural capital into their communities.
At RIISE, we often talk about belonging through three interconnected ideas:
Advocacy. Agency. Association.
When families have the confidence to advocate, the agency to participate, and meaningful relationships within their school communities, something powerful happens.
We move beyond simply being enrolled.
We affirm our place in community.
And that's the work we'll continue doing, one conversation and one community at a time.