A team of Oliver Ames High School students took their “Beyond the Stereotype” presentation series to the 2025 Connections Conference. The team was founded by Sonia Warrick, who worked with co-presenters Nyla Etienne, Braelyn Graham, Hanna Lee, Thu Nguyen, Vy Huynh, Grace Okocha and Olga Zouroulidou. (Photo Courtesy Easton Public Schools)
EASTON — Superintendent Dr. Lisha Cabral, Oliver Ames High School Principal Kelly Cavanaugh and Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Accessibility Carols I. Perez are proud to announce that Easton Public Schools took its “Beyond the Stereotype” presentation series to the 2025 Connections Conference.
“’Beyond the Stereotype’ is a student-led diversity presentation series I created and led during my Junior and Senior year,” said Oliver Ames (OA) senior Sonia Warrick. “I recognized that there was a lack of understanding and appreciation for diverse cultures and experiences in my school, thought it may have come from a lack of awareness and decided to create the event series with the goal of using dynamic presentations to foster understanding and break down stereotypes.”
Sonia, the team’s founder, revealed the presentation’s origin story.
“At the end of my sophomore year, I proposed the creation of the student-led diversity presentation to help foster multicultural awareness and understanding at OA,” Sonia explained. “When I suggested my idea, members of the OA administration said, ‘That’s a great idea! You should do that!’ And then, as I often say when explaining the series’ origin, ‘I did that.’”
On Friday, March 7, Sonia and her amazing team of senior presenters and facilitators delivered their presentation as a workshop at the 2025 Connections Conference in Worcester. The Worcester debut was the team’s last major presentation of the school year and also their first time presenting outside of Easton.
A total of 15 OA students attended the Worcester conference — seven attendees and eight workshop presenters (members of the “Beyond the Stereotype” group: Nyla Etienne, Braelyn Graham, Hanna Lee, Thu Nguyen, Vy Huynh, Grace Okocha and Olga Zouroulidou). They had delivered the presentation eight times previously, gaining lots of experience along the way.
“I am extremely grateful to my team of facilitators and presenters who have supported me and the presentation series not just this school year, but last year as well,” Sonia said. “Together we were able to ignite change, start conversations and make a difference, both within Easton and beyond.”
The final presentation marked the beginning of the end of the students’ two years of work on the “Beyond the Stereotype” Presentation Series.
“I am extremely grateful to have been able to create this series and help drive change and acceptance in my communities,” Sonia said. “I am extremely excited to see what the future holds, not just as I look toward college, but also for the future of OA and student-led initiatives.”
The students were accompanied by English teacher Mala Sankaran (Leo Club advisor) and World Language Department Head Maria Palma, who chaperoned the OA group. Principal Cavanaugh also attended and helped to organize the conference.
The conference brought student and faculty groups from across Massachusetts together to discuss and learn about a wide variety of social justice topics, on a day packed with student and adult-led workshops. The presentation was developed in response to a recognized need to educate the broader student body about the rich diversity within the school community.
“We commend Sonia for her leadership, vision and the considerable work that has gone into bringing this initiative to life,” said Director Perez. “As she prepares to begin her next chapter at Harvard University in the fall of 2025, it is our hope that ‘Beyond the Stereotype’ will continue to grow and inspire others in the years to come.”
The initiative aligned directly with the District’s strategic plan and equity statement, which both emphasize the importance of creating spaces where student voices are valued and uplifted.
“These students made the Easton Public Schools community very proud,” said Superintendent Dr. Cabral. “Their presentation was enlightening and informative. Everyone who has had the pleasure of witnessing ‘Beyond the Stereotype’ found themselves both educated and engaged. Congratulations to everyone who played a part in this truly impressive team effort.”
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