Straight to Success

What is true community and how can it be achieved at Highland?
For Deirdre Straight, true community at Highland will be achieved when students feel valued, welcome, and confident in their sense of belonging. Student engagement plays a key role in creating this.
“I think that making sure that everybody feels confident in who they are and that they feel confident that they belong anywhere they go and that they have a contribution to make and something to teach others as they learn from others,” Straight said. “I mean, that’s what community is built on.”
Through the process of supporting students on their high school journeys, Straight works with many students. She is the freshman success coordinator and is an advisor for several clubs, including the Highland Black Student Union (BSU), the Drawing Club, and the Carhartt Club. She also helped start and co-advised the Highland Step Club before it transitioned into a class rather than a club.
“I always say to freshmen and to prospective freshmen, we really want to create a place here at Highland where Highland belongs to you, the student, and you belong to Highland,” Straight said. “We want students to feel like they have a place here, that they have friends here, and that they have something to contribute. We know they have a contribution to make, but we want them to feel like they can.”
Straight values inclusivity and wants to spread the message that everyone is welcome to attend club meetings. However, while getting involved at Highland can be very beneficial, it’s not always easy for students.
Due to various family and economic challenges, some students need extra support academically and when trying to join extracurricular activities. One of the biggest barriers students face is time poverty.
In terms of activities, many students cannot participate in some sports teams at Highland because they need to take the 4:30 p.m. bus home, or they need to go home right after school to take care of their siblings or to work. Even if students can stay after school, they may not have had enough training to make the teams for sports they are passionate about. Additionally, while fee waivers can cover some costs, it can still be expensive to purchase the gear needed to play, and that gear is not always provided by the school. For example, someone may love soccer but can’t attend practice or afford cleats, which prevents them from participating.
“What we like to try to do is encourage participation in sports that have more of an open roster,” Straight said. “So, these include cross country, track, wrestling, and swimming. But yeah, if you really love soccer, that’s not necessarily going to work for you.”
Academically, students face challenges with time constraints and other factors. The transition from middle school to high school can be a significant adjustment. Classes are longer, and some students struggle with this. They don’t perform as well and may lose sight of their academic goals. Additionally, students have more freedom on campus, which can be distracting. Some leave for lunch and return late or skip the rest of the day.
“We’re glad that we have a phone policy and hope that all teachers really implement it and use it because we’ve heard good stories about decreased distraction in classes,” Straight said. “We’re hearing those reports from students, so we hope that’s something that helps with academic performance.”
These challenges make it even more important for students to be involved and have access to school support. Some students are shy and face a barrier when trying to ask for help; they need extra encouragement. By agreeing to advise so many clubs, Straight is creating new ways to nurture connections and gently push students out of their comfort zones.
“For example, with the Drawing Club, it started as a small group of four students about four or five years ago. Now, we have close to 30 students, many of whom were shy or quieter. They come regularly every Tuesday,” Straight said. “They may not be involved in a lot of other activities, or maybe they’re shy at lunch, but they have a place here, and they have something to contribute.”
While these clubs have seen success in growing engagement, there’s still more the school can do to build community. Part of that is honoring identities and backgrounds and embracing different cultures.
Embracing different cultures and celebrating similar traditions across cultures can be unifying. People of color at Highland don’t always feel welcome. Being a minority in any space can be difficult, and high school, a time of vulnerability and development, is a crucial period when it is essential for everyone to feel accepted, regardless of their race.
“I know that over the years, we’ve had issues with students using racial slurs or inappropriate racial ‘jokes,’” Straight said. “There’s still use of the N-word at school, and these things make people feel like this isn’t a true community for them.”
Identity and background are significant parts of who people are. By embracing and celebrating these aspects, Highland can create true community. After all, true community is about coming together, being kind, and working together to create a welcoming space.
“We want to make sure that all students—Black students, students of color, and students with different interests, strengths, or talents—feel like there’s a place for them here and that they are comfortable and welcome,” Straight said.