New England through PREP 9. Her brother Milton ’14 — who was head of the Academy’s Muslim Student Association while a student at Exeter and is now studying at Harvard — is her role model. She gained a lot from witnessing his perseverance, commitment to his studies and involvement in extracurricular activities. “I saw that he was smart but also wellrounded,” she says. “Looking at his successes forced me to work harder and showed me what I could do.” Syed’s involvement in PREP 9 helped her cultivate an intense appreciation for the multitude of voices, personalities and opinions she encounters at Exeter. She says she was drawn to the school’s size and diversity, and feels the PREP 9 orientation prepared students well to appreciate and navigate cultural differences. “It really prepared us to break the habit of fitting into stereotypes. It’s not only an academic process, but it makes us into better people,” she adds. Syed lights up when she talks about being “woke,” a term used to describe a person’s awareness about issues of racial and social justice. She is thrilled to have found “so many amazing friends full of character and ambition at Exeter [who] all speak out against prejudice.” She and her friends pride themselves on being part of a community united not by background but by intellectual curiosity and a desire to make a difference, but it is not always possible to block out the rest of the world. In a sleepy New England town where the crime rate is low and the racial makeup is overwhelmingly white, students of color can feel ill at ease walking into town alone for fear of being verbally assaulted by passing motorists or profiled by store owners. The Academy community itself is not immune from prejudice either, as Syed found out. When she encountered hurtful opinions on a campus-wide social media page, it was distressing to her. Initially, she “felt like screaming,” but says she has learned to welcome debates since then: “I get more experiences and I grow from them.” In her upbeat way, Syed is learning not to let negative comments or emotions get the best of
“... IMAGINING WHAT CAN HAPPEN, MAKES ME SEE I DO HAVE SOMETHING TO WORK FOR.”
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her. “I like to ask myself what could happen if I went about it in another way. Maybe I could teach them,” she says. —Malobika Syed ’19 Putting a positive spin on things makes Syed feel empowered. “Just seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and imagining what can happen, makes me see I do have something to work for,” she says. But whether in the form of inappropriate attempts at humor, the sharp sting of unrecognized privilege or wounding racial slurs, instances of stereotyping and intolerance are painful. Not everyone can turn them into teaching moments as Syed tries to do — and they shouldn’t have to. The Academy community is working to raise awareness both internally and externally through partnerships with local church and community leaders and on-campus initiatives led by faculty, staff and quite often, students. Recent collaborations include a walk for racial unity and a “One Town One Book” reading series that kicked off with Ta-Nehesi Coates’ Between the World and Me. Last May, the Office of Multicultural Affairs created the Council for Social Justice and Equity. In December, concerned faculty members organized a special assembly to address —continued on page 95
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