SAUGUS — Three years ago, Saugus High School guidance counselor Bethany Norton posed a simple question to the small group of students in the peer mediation group she mentored after class every Tuesday.
What are some of the school’s biggest issues you’d like to change?
Their answers weren’t necessarily what she was expecting.
“A lot of them felt there was a significant lack of cultural education, and that a lot of times students tend to be ignorant towards people who might look or act different than them,” Norton said.
“They talked about how detrimental that is to a student’s experience in school.”
Norton and the kids brainstormed ways to combat racial issues in the school environment. They eventually came up with the idea to hold a discussion with eighth graders at Belmonte Middle School where the students would have a chance to talk about race, stereotypes, and privilege.
After a successful trial run at Belmonte, the club — which has since joined partnership with international organization Multiplying Good — decided to take their efforts one step further.
“(They decided) this plan needs to start earlier in a child’s education,” Norton said, adding that the students noted a consistent lack of diversity in the children’s books they read throughout their education in the district.
Club president Nyley Moise, and vice presidents Shammah Moise (no relation) and Lizbeth Minaya, said growing up as students of color in the Saugus school system was often difficult, partially because they rarely saw themselves represented in curriculum material.
“I didn’t really see myself in books growing up,” Shammah Moise said. “Books that came through my house weren’t about young black kids.”
That’s when the girls came up with the idea to purchase books featuring a diverse array of characters and stories and read them to elementary school children in the district.
“Growing up, I wish that I had something like this, or knew something like this was going on at the high school,” Shammah Moise said.
“I have younger siblings, I have younger nieces and nephews, and (it feels good) to know there’s a club that focuses on people like them and helps better the community and make it a safer place for everybody.”
According to the official census, less than 11 percent of Saugus’s population identifies as non-white. In a town where many kids who fall within that small percentage often feel overlooked, ignored, or misunderstood by their teachers and peers, the three seniors say they want to not only promote tolerance throughout the district, but also become the mentors and role models they wish they’d had growing up for other young children of color in Saugus.
“I just really want them to be represented and feel like they belong,” Lizbeth Minaya said.
“When I was younger, I didn’t see a lot of people that looked like me. It’s just a good feeling to see yourself represented in any way … to see people who look like you, and have a relationship with them.”
Nyley Moise added: “I think it’s going to be nice for (the kids) to know that there are other strong individuals who feel comfortable in their skin. If they see that, they might feel like they can do that too, because that’s them.”
The group’s hard work has paid off. In December, they received a $5,000 Teaching Tolerance grant to buy books that will allow them to build the diverse mobile library they envisioned. Current titles the club is considering include American Born Chinese, Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote, A Piece of Home, and The Crossover.
Although they now see themselves as mentors for others, the club’s three leaders say the journey has also helped them grow into who they are.
“I just really, really love this club,” Nyley Moise said.
“I see the personal growth in myself from the first day, where I was like ‘yes, we should do this,’ to now, where we have a $5,000 grant. Just to see the difference that I contributed to, it really helps me sleep at night.”
They also credited Norton, who they say inspired a lot of the work they’ve done.
“If it wasn’t for her my junior and senior year, I’d probably still be that person walking around angry at the world and at the school system,” Shammah Moise said.
“The minute I’m not at school, by 9 o’clock, she’s emailing me asking me where I am, making sure I’m OK. Growing up in Saugus, I never felt like I got that when I needed it.”
Nyley Moise added: “I definitely see myself trying to shape myself into someone who holds themselves up and cares about people the way she does. To truly care about somebody else, to truly empathize with people, is such a beautiful thing.”
Elyse Carmosino can be reached at [email protected].