Theme: Embracing Diversity

In society, "diversity" refers to the unique backgrounds, perspectives, and characteristics that each individual brings to society, which can enrich society by promoting innovation, understanding and a sense of belonging among people of different backgrounds.
In academia, "diversity" is an academic innovation. From theoretical proofs to practical algorithms, each offers unique insights and approaches to solving problems.

Greensboro Day School
5401 Lawndale Drive
Greensboro, North Carolina, 27455
United States

Aaron Colston

Postdoctoral Associate at Duke University

Dr. Aaron Colston is a historian whose work focuses on the intersections of race, language, and education. As a postdoctoral associate at Duke University, his teaching and research explore how race and language shape societal and educational landscapes in the U.S. Dr. Colston has taught numerous courses, including "Race and Language" across multiple disciplines, and his expertise extends to the history of American Christianity and the philosophical foundations of education.

Ayesha Swinton

Assistant Professor of Elementary Education at North Carolina A&T State University

Ayesha cannot seem to squelch her passion for learning. She earned a BA in Romance Languages at UNC Chapel Hill. At UNC Greensboro she earned both her Master’s Degree in Education and Spanish Teacher Leadership and her PhD in Educational Studies -Teacher Education. She loves using tech tools to help her students engage in learning. She has been teaching for 20 years, in DEI work for 5 years and has recently worked at Guilford College as the Interim Director of Transformation & Inclusion. She is now an Assistant Professor of Elementary Education at North Carolina A&T State University. Ayesha has a passion for language learning, cultural engagement, instructional technology and diversity. She loves to travel, use tech in the classroom, and she is blessed to be able to continuously learn about the infinite perspectives and experiences of others. She loves to sing with the choir at her church and lives with her supportive husband, her adventurous 5 year old son and 4 year old daughter.

Catherine Gunther

GDS Sophomore

Catherine (Katie) Gunther is a sophomore at Greensboro Day School who is interested in pursuing law. She is the treasurer of the women-empowerment club "Girls for Girls" and has been a member of the student council for four years. Katie has an interest in religious studies and social politics.

Grace Whittaker

GDS Junior

Grace Whittaker is an African American female who is currently learning Spanish and Korean but maintains a constant interest in other languages and cultures. Her birth language is English but she strives for fluency in all languages she commits to learning. She has strived to create a sense of belonging for everyone who doesn’t possess it. An example being that she has served as an ambassador on a welcoming committee at her school for the past three years, welcoming and embracing girls who are new to the school and its environment. When engaging with others she strives to create an atmosphere of acceptance and belonging regardless of their age, preferences, language, race, or ethnicity.

Hailey Nixon

GDS Junior

Hailey Nixon is a junior at Greensboro day school. She has an interest in pursuing psychiatry and specifically child psychiatry. She is vice president of the “for the love club” and is a member of the varsity golf team. She also rides horses competitively and aims to ride in college. She has a passion for researching and informing people on aspects of child psychology she deems underrepresented and aims to become a psychiatrist in order to give as many children as possible the help they need and deserve.

Katelyn Williams

Middle School Counselor and Interim Director of Inclusion and Belonging for GDS

Katelyn Williams is the Middle School Counselor and Interim Director of Inclusion and Belonging for Greensboro Day School. Throughout her professional career, she has had a passion for supporting others as they navigate and discuss challenging issues. She has spent the past few years helping schools and corporations explore the nuances of race conscious parenting through workshops, webinars, and small group conversations. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Gardner-Webb University and a Master of Science in Counseling from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Her days are spent loving her 18 month old and her fur babies and planning adventures with her husband.

Udita Jain

High School Student

Udita (Anna) Jain is a sophomore at Northwest Guilford high school. She was born with a rare eye condition called LCA which makes her legally blind. One of her greatest passions is giving speeches about topics that she thinks deserve more attention. She is also an artist, reader, singer, and poet and believes that you can decide how far you go in life. Her goal is to build confidence in people, no matter their life circumstances or limiting beliefs. She has given many speeches educating people about various topics and that’s what she hopes to continue to do for as long as she can.

Yusuf Al-Kadi

Student at Morehouse College

Yusuf Al-Kadi is an undergraduate student at Morehouse College pursuing his bachelor’s degree in physics. He has a deep interest in economics, on the Macroeconomic scale. In addition to his interest, he served as an intern for Sony, in which he learned how to process mass amounts of data. His internship experience has sharpened his skills in consumption analysis and validating algorithms used in finding artists. Yusuf aims to publish all of his research papers that discuss Monetary and Fiscal Policy, as well as public choice in his pursuit to become an expert Macroeconomist.