This Franklin High School senior found purpose in pushing diversity initiatives

FRANKLIN — Lily Eattimo found her voice within Franklin High School's diversity initiatives.

She's president of the school's Diversity Awareness Club, joining it when she was a sophomore, when it primarily spoke about the Black Lives Matter movement.

"The whole club was to speak more about identities and appreciating people of multi-identities within Franklin High School," she said.

The Diversity Awareness Club hosts "Geo Nights," a fundraiser where students bring foods from their native cultures and share them with the school community.

"Just being able to find my voice and be a leader and to speak to people who I've felt similarly with, that helps a lot with confidence and getting to know people all through Diversity Club," Eattimo said.

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Diversity awareness is something personal to Eattimo, who is biracial. Her father is Indian, and her mother is of European descent.

"Growing up, I've always felt in the middle of those two identities, and finding people in that club that were from both of Indian and white descent and of other descents, it was really nice just to see that and to know that I am appreciated and supported and could talk about my identity and different facets of it," Eattimo said.

Diversity discussions during faculty meetings

Eattimo and other Diversity Awareness Club members began sending students to talk about their experiences at faculty meetings. For example, in recognition of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May, Asian students spoke at the faculty meeting.

"That helps in a number of ways, just starting conversation and communication about how do we make the school more equitable and more accessible for everyone," Eattimo said.

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The faculty meeting talks were inspired by student discussions about racial injustice and microaggressions at the school. Eattimo explained that when she first joined the club, members would get their feelings out.

"We definitely wanted to channel that energy, so being able to speak at faculty meetings and speak about things that were important to us definitely did have an impact," she said. Talks led to changes in the classroom, which Eattimo described as a "culture shift."

"To see people that I know who used to struggle to communicate their thoughts and be able to put it in a productive way is so important," she said.

Eattimo was also a peer leader of A World of Difference, a club that aims to recognize bias and the harm it inflicts on individuals and other anti-racism work.

This fall, Eattimo plans to attend Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, to study cognitive science. Her senior project, which included an internship with Town Councilor Cobi Frongillo, helped her think about minoring in public health.

"We both planned a Walk, Bike and Roll to School Day for the elementary or middle schools in Franklin," she said, "It helped me understand that I do want public and the med field in my career."

After college, Eattimo said she isn't sure what the future may hold.

"I've definitely been thinking about law school and becoming a lawyer, (but) I don't exactly know yet," she said.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Franklin High senior finds shared experiences in diversity club