The Buzz

Five alumni returned to campus for this year's MLK Day celebration, sharing how small moments at Proctor shaped the work they do now, and what sustains them.

In July, fourteen members of the Proctor community traveled to the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota to learn from and give back to members of the Lakota community on the Rosebud Reservation, navigating the complexities of group dynamics and leadership, cultural respect, and meaningful service.

Proctor's MLK Day celebration featured poet Mia Willis exploring art's role in activism, examining how creative expression can both empower communities and challenge existing narratives and culminating in students courageously sharing their own poetry and music.

Assistant Head of School Annie MacKenzie reflects on the 2024 People of Color Conference, where over 8,000 educators and students gathered to explore how schools can create more inclusive learning environments. Through workshops and meaningful conversations, participants examined their roles in building communities where students feel empowered to express themselves authentically and grow with confidence.

For over half a century, Proctor has woven Native American perspectives into its educational mission, and this tradition continued with a visit from CheeNulKa Pocknett, who shared the Wampanoag community's story of resilience, environmental stewardship, and cultural adaptation.

Proctor students and faculty recently embarked on a summer service trip to the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, home to part of the Lakota Nation. This trip, part of a decades-long relationship between Proctor and the Lakota community, emphasizes learning from each other and community-focused service.

Because we hail from so many different places at Proctor, both our adults and our students, the fact that we all coexist at all is more than an act of courage. We are intentional in our efforts to make sure that students and adults who live in and tend to this place we love feel as if they belong and that they matter.

Our role as educators is to kindle the unborn flicker of hope that lives in each of our students, a hope that too often can be extinguished because of injustice, unbelief, or stereotypes.

I walk away from my time in South Dakota simply in awe of the White Hat family and how they continually give of themselves for the betterment of their community. It is hard not to stand in awe while listening to, and watching, each matriarchal figure share their work in the community.