Students At STS Remember, Learn, and Celebrate

by Abigaile McCulloch, St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School

The most recent buzz at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School (STS) in Tottenham is the commitment and outstanding inspirational value of one student that started a movement.

Sydney N. founded the Black History Month Committee at STS and organized, planned and participated in an event that created awareness and was cause for celebration.

Sydney is a Grade 9 student at STS who is very involved in the school community. She relates to other students by sharing her own voice and opinions and letting everyone speak freely about what they think and how they feel. When I asked her why she decided to start this amazing committee she told me this, “I actually had this committee started at the previous school I went to, Holy Family. When I realized that it wasn’t at this school, I felt that there was a need for one so that’s how I ended up starting it.” Sydney is an extremely outgoing person who wants to bring students together with one common goal and a voice among the youth of today.

Sydney and her committee organized an interactive assembly. Students at STS were inspired and educated after a few songs, a dance and a keynote speaker. The speaker that came for the celebration was Nikki Clarke, an influential woman in our community, founder of the Nikki Clarke show and immediate past president of the Ontario Black History Society. Nikki was extremely inspiring, educating the student body about Canadian focused Black History. Her presentation was motivational and very enlightening.

When speaking to Nikki after the assembly I asked her why she decided to get so involved in the black history committee. She responded, “There have been many steps but when I go into the community and engage with people and I tell them who I am and what I want to do, I see dark, gloomy expressions and barriers of negativity change to excitement and smiles. What I’ve said has inspired them and to me, that is a gift.” Thank you to Nikki and the Black History Committee at STS for their amazing support and for creating awareness at our school.