My name is Lanie Thompson, and I am a current senior at Everett High School. I’ve served on student government for the better part of my four years here, and I am devoted to my community and my peers.
As graduation approaches, my peers have reached out to myself, as well as my student leadership teammates Melissa Rosales-Alfaro, Avery Thompson and Saron Mulugeta regarding our collective desire to have the ability to represent ourselves through regalia at commencement ceremonies. We believe that it’s important to celebrate not only our successes, but also our diversity, cultures, family and heritage.
After expressing these needs, administration (that included the principals of Everett Public School District high schools, as well as various regional administrators) turned down our proposition, with what was frankly illogical and unfair reasoning.
We will be persisting with our efforts to advocate for student expression, if not for our class, for future classes. Our campaign will hopefully include public awareness about our wishes. I’ll be delivering personal testimony to district administrators, which synthesizes our reasoning and the background behind our campaign.
We seek to spread awareness about this desire for change within our community. I believe it’s vital to our cause, and an important story about student self-advocacy.
Lanie Thompson
Everett High School Class of 2024
Everett
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