Wicklow student shares struggles with identity - ‘For so long, I existed in the in-between'
The speech came at a ceremony that crowned St Mary's College the first Wicklow school to be awarded 'Champion School of Sanctuary' status, which rewards institutions displaying the highest level of inclusion
'For so long, I existed in the in-between,' she said.
'Too South African for Nigeria, too Nigerian for South Africa, too Irish for either. The world wanted a single answer, a neat little box, and I had none to give.
'But then I found something different – here, in my school. A place where culture wasn't a barrier but a bridge. A place where my differences weren't questioned but celebrated. A place where I didn't have to prove my belonging – it was simply given.
'Here, I am not just Irish. Not just South African. Not just Nigerian. I am all of them, fully and proudly.'
Intent on creating an environment that is safe, welcoming, and inclusive, especially for students seeking sanctuary, a committee of St Mary's students and teachers signed up for the Schools of Sanctuary initiative – which supports schools in making inclusion a central part of their identity – in March last year.
After enlisting the commitment of the whole school community, students and faculty set about threading the sanctuary message through the fabric of the school, embedding it in the curriculum and recognising all faiths, religious festivals and languages, with the sanctuary committee displaying a flag for each of the school's nationalities in a prominent place.
Over the past year, the school has hosted a myriad of insightful and colourful cultural events and excursions, including a 'Wear Red Day' fundraiser in aid of the Immigrant Council of Ireland, and a hugely popular Culture Day, which saw 60 students share 39 different cultures through posters, flags, artefacts, videos, and traditional food and dress.
As part of their remit to share the sanctuary message, students from a neighbouring school were invited, with St Mary's TY students recording interviews on the day before posting them on social media.
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In November, following devastating flooding in Spain, the school hosted a bake sale that raised €143 for impacted communities, with two of the school's Spanish students receiving a letter of acknowledgement from the Irish Red Cross.
Marking a special day on its sanctuary journey, St Mary's recently welcomed visitors for their School of Sanctuary monitoring visit, which culminated in the award of Champion School of Sanctuary status.
Hosting representatives from Schools of Sanctuary Ireland, teachers and students from a Champion School of Sanctuary, SETU and Carlow College staff, Sanctuary ambassadors, and Schools of Sanctuary co-ordinator Tiffy Allen, the event saw the student committee lead a tour, sharing the many ways the school celebrates inclusion, and diversity.
Among the highlights of the day was the cultural showcase, which featured a vibrant flag parade, personal stories, poetry recited in various languages, dance, and a sharing of cultural traditions.
Reflecting on the school's journey and its champion status, teacher Karen Fanning praised the school's commitment to the initiative, including the St Mary's Sanctuary team, which comprises 40 students and four teachers – herself, Goretta Rochford, Deirdre Dalton and Eimear Kavanagh.
'It was a proud moment for everyone at the school when we welcomed our guests for the Sanctuary monitoring day, where we were delighted to receive our Champion Schools of Sanctuary status,' she said.
'We're the first school in Wicklow to get champion status, and it's a big achievement for the school to get that.
'Once you become a School of Sanctuary, the next stage is getting awarded a Champion School of Sanctuary, which involves a monitoring day where a team from Schools of Sanctuary comes in, walks around and checks out if the atmosphere is one of inclusion. They look for things like if there are flags for all nationalities, and if there is an acknowledgement of all cultures and signs in different languages.
'The students put on a showcase for the visitors, which included students from other schools, parents, local politicians, and representatives from Ceist and the board of management.
'We have 38 nationalities in the school, so we had a flag parade. Some students spoke, including four girls from Syria who had to leave because of the war, with other girls giving little facts about their culture and a lot of them reading in their own language.
'The staff are immensely proud of their brave and talented students who took to the stage with confidence and pride in their identity. It was student-led and student-run, and they deserve so much credit.
'When we started this initiative, we didn't know what way it was going to go, but as the months have gone on, we've realised how much it means to the students involved just to tell their story and to have a space to be heard,' Karen said.
'Now, the ethos of the School of Sanctuary is embedded in all aspects of school life. It is reflected in our commitment to inclusion, welcome, and respect — evident in every classroom, during break and lunchtime, and throughout the wider school community.
'We have hosted so many fantastic events during this journey, and while big events are important and give students a chance to share their unique culture, our aim is inclusion every day, not just the big days.
'We want all in our school community to understand that all are welcome here regardless of their immigration status. This is not a short-term project, this is a culture we will achieve and maintain over time.
'We couldn't have achieved all this, or our champion status without the support of the entire school community. A big thanks to the sanctuary team and our principal Aidan Ward, who was fully behind the initiative from the outset and supported it in every way possible.'
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