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Palmer Trinity School junior Tess Anderson is a member of the Student Diversity Council.
The students on the Diversity Council are trained to facilitate monthly diversity subjects such as income inequality, racism, and anti-Semitism.
She teaches the topics to sophomores.
“Every grade level has the discussion. I always facilitate for the same group of kids,” she says.
She was taught about the issues when she was in the lower grades and so she wanted to turn around and teach others. She applied to be on the council at her first opportunity. She started on the Diversity Council as a sophomore.
Before the pandemic, she would go into the homeroom she was assigned and talk to the kids.
“We have been having the Mosaic discussions on Zoom,” she says.
This year, the discussions have covered COVID and inequalities. October’s topic was ethnicity and religion.
In the past, they’ve talked about Black Lives Matter and racism, homophobia, and discrimination. The discussion can become somewhat heated.
“It’s sometimes hard to moderate things,” she says. “Which is why we have these sessions, so they are aware of them.”
Since Palmer Trinity is a private school many of the students haven’t faced these hot button issues themselves.
“That’s what this is for, so everybody is more educated and more aware and everyone can be more sensitive to each other and be more aware of everybody’s feelings,” she says.
Anderson is a member of Students Demand Action, a student-led organization that fights for common-sense gun legislation. Before the November election, Anderson participated in phone banking in an effort to urge people to register to vote.
She’s also a member of the Palmetto Bay Youth Community Involvement Board. She’s been on the board since 2019.
The pandemic caused last year’s board to suspend their sessions. They’ve worked on getting together again via Zoom.
“Last year we worked on environmental things,” she says. “We have been working with the Xavier Cortada project.”
The project involves mangrove seedlings and draws attention to climate change and how it will affect South Florida when the sea level rises.
“Those trees will be able to survive, but the oak trees won’t be able to survive,” she says.
“He’s a local artist and he’s done several things like that.”
The board also did a project where they handed out mangrove seedlings and encouraged people to plant them in their yards.
Anderson worked with former board member Nicole Gazo on successfully getting the Palmetto Bay Village Council to declare a Climate Emergency.
“I think we have found our niche with our environmental projects,” she says. “I think it’s good to focus on the environment.”
Anderson is on the Palmer Trinity Model United Nations team.
“I’ve attended four conferences, two at my school, one in Punta Gorda and one in Shanghai, China,” she says. “Every year my school attends an international conference.”
Students learn how to advocate for the counties they have been assigned.
“Even if it means you have to go up there and say exporting oil is good for the environment, you have to say it,” she says.
She’s a member of the French Honor Society, the MENSA Honor Society, the National Society of High School Scholars, and International Thespians.
Recently, she joined former Congresswoman Donna Shalala’s Youth Advisory Council.
Members of the council have the opportunity to meet to discuss important issues and even write legislative recommendations.
She’s already thinking ahead to college. She’s considering majoring in Political Science.
“I want to change the world,” she says.
Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld
