Building a Diverse Community at SJA
On Yom Hashoah, students in the “Bearing Witness: Holocaust Literature of Extraordinary Lives” class write poems inspired by people, places, and lessons of the Holocaust, as well as the children of the Terezin Ghetto Camp.
November 26, 2021
St. Joe’s 2021-2022 school year has many new and exciting things happening. Going to school in-person is not the only thing students and faculty are looking forward to. The whole St. Joe community is thrilled about all of the new staff and faculty members, including Dr. Julia Wilkins Kohrmann.
As the Director of Diversity, Culture, and Climate, Dr. Wilkins Kohrmann wants “to make our diversity programming fun, engaging, and educational.”
“I believe in experiential learning for both students and adults, so that will be a large part of what we do this year,” she said
Dr. Wilkins Kohrmann experienced influential events in her life that led her to St. Joe.
“When I was offered the job at SJA, I actually had another offer. I really felt like it came down to choosing a place that would simply be a job, versus choosing a place that felt like home. So, I chose home,” she said.
With that being said, Dr. Wilkins Kohrmann chose her home at St. Joe.
“Windows and mirrors! There are many ways in which we can learn about different experiences by looking through each other’s windows. There are also many ways in which we can find similarities with each other by looking into each other’s mirrors,”Dr. Wilkins Kohrmann said.
Senior Julia Castellano, president of Diversity Club, believes diversity benefits the whole community.
“I enjoy Diversity Club because I am constantly learning and using my voice to educate others. I believe it benefits SJA by challenging our community to think deeply about ourselves and our role in society, as well as how to make positive change in the world,” Julia said.
It can be said that the recognition of diversity is growing here at St. Joseph’s Academy. With the help of the Diversity Club and our new staff member, Dr. Julia Wilkins Kohrmann, St. Joe can really represent the “Not I, but we” mindset.
