Empowering

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Upper School: Grades 9–12

Welcome to Rowland Hall's independent private high school, where we encourage students to choose their challenges and become their best selves.

I am honored to be a member of Rowland Hall’s administrative team, as well as a parent of an alum and a current student. You will discover here, as I have, a supportive community that balances academic excellence with whole-child development and a commitment to inclusion, sustainability, and civic engagement.

Rowland Hall’s outstanding faculty engages students in myriad authentic learning experiences every day. There are many opportunities for individual growth, in-depth study, and learning beyond the classroom through our rigorous college-preparatory curriculum, dynamic electives, and extensive cocurricular offerings. I look forward to working with you and your student to chart an engaging course and a challenging process of personal development, enrichment, and achievement. I invite you to join us today.

Sincerely, 

Ingrid Gustavson signature

Ingrid Gustavson 
Upper School Principal

Upper School Stories in Fine Print Magazine

Rowland Hall debaters traveled to Taiwan for an international tournament at the Taipei American School, Oct. 2024.

For decades, the Rowland Hall debate team has been a force on the local and national scenes. Now, they’ve gone global. 

This October, the top teams from the squad headed to Asia for their first international tournament at the Taipei American School (TAS). There, they faced off against teams from China, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Vietnam, as well as some of their peers from other top debate schools in the United States. Rowland Hall’s selection to participate was partly due to the Advanced Research Debate class’s involvement last year in the International Public Policy Forum global essay contest

“Our goal with that contest was to get our scholarship out to a larger audience, and share the research with other teams,” said debate coach Mike Shackelford. “We did not imagine that it would end up taking us halfway around the world for such an amazing opportunity.” 


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The opportunity comes at a time when Policy debate, before now a uniquely American speech and debate event, is taking its place on the global stage. Each year, the World Schools Debating Championships holds a tournament involving teams from 70 countries that’s gaining prominence, and, as a result, more international tournaments are being planned. Mike wants Rowland Hall to be among the first American schools to embrace the trend. 

We value the national debate community because it is a larger network of gifted students and strong debate teams. And now that the community is global we want to be a part of that too.—Mike Shackelford, debate coach

“We value the national debate community because it is a larger network of gifted students and strong debate teams,” he said. “And now that the community is global we want to be a part of that too.” 

The eight AR Debate students chosen to compete in Taipei all jumped at what they saw as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The style of the tournament and the topic being debated (intellectual property rights) were familiar to all of them, but the surroundings and the culture were a whole new experience. Being good hosts, TAS arranged for a number of uniquely local experiences for the teams, and parent chaperones June Chen and Renee Utgaard arranged additional day trips outside the city. The students experienced the natural beauty of the Shifen Waterfall, participated in an authentic tea ceremony in the town of Jiufen, ate countless dumplings and miles of noodles at night markets, and took in the view from the top of Taipei 101, one of the tallest buildings in the world at 1,667 feet.

For 12th grader Aiden Gandhi, the experience of exploring the city and immersing himself in the culture greatly enriched his learning. “Being there with my team was an amazing experience and one that will definitely stick with me,” he said.

While the team took time to play, they were nothing but business when it came to the competition. They were able to close out part of the bracket, sending Isabella Utgaard and Chloe Vezina into the semi-finals, and the team of Eli Hatton and Aiden Gandhi into the finals. They finished with the second-place trophy, and Eli and Aiden appreciated the lessons learned from debating in Taiwan, and the widening of their debate circles. 

“The sense of community is amazing,” said Eli. “We dedicate so much time to this activity, and it’s amazing to meet others who do as well. We have a connection to them that we don’t have with other people.” 

I’m really hoping this becomes a regular thing. It’s not just the opportunity to travel and see new places, but also to see the expansion of debate and the new perspectives that it brings.—Chloe Vezina, class of 2027

Every member of the team agrees that the trip would not have happened, or been as memorable, without Mike’s leadership and support. Rowland Hall’s debate coach for 17 years, Mike has worked tirelessly to promote scholarship and research practices in the event and foster not just champions but learners for life. 

He’s also a lot of fun. 

“He was really into getting out of his comfort zone and encouraging us to do the same,” said 10th grader Emery Lieberman. “It didn’t matter what we did, seeing the ocean or having an eating competition at the beef noodle festival, Mike wanted to make sure it was special.” 

The team sees this is just the start of Rowland Hall’s time on the international stage, and is excited to see what comes next.

“I’m really hoping this becomes a regular thing,” said sophomore Chloe Vezina. “It’s not just the opportunity to travel and see new places, but also to see the expansion of debate and the new perspectives that it brings.”

Debate

A group of Rowland Hall high schoolers who planned a first-ever student conference for fall 2024.

When Kavitha Kasturi walked into her first Student Diversity Leadership Conference in 2022, it was the first time she had been in a space in which most people belonged to historically underrepresented groups.

“The first moment you step into a room with thousands of kids from diverse backgrounds, it’s a different feeling—a great feeling, an immediate feeling of belonging,” said Kavitha.

The first moment you step into a room with thousands of kids from diverse backgrounds, it’s a different feeling—a great feeling, an immediate feeling of belonging.—Kavitha Kasturi, class of 2025

Held every year during the week after Thanksgiving, the Student Diversity Leadership Conference brings together student and adult representatives from independent schools across the US and abroad. Organized by the National Association of Independent Schools, SDLC takes place alongside the organization’s People of Color Conference. Both gatherings provide opportunities to self-reflect, connect with others, and learn how to build inclusive, equitable, and just classrooms and communities.

Because Rowland Hall believes in the importance of these conferences and the benefits they bring to the school community, every year the school pays to send a group of faculty and staff, as well as six Upper School students, to them. Each year, these representatives leave SDLC and PoCC inspired and excited to share what they learned with their community at Rowland Hall.

As in years past, when the 2023 SDLC wrapped, the student representatives—then juniors Kavitha Kasturi, Tenzin Sivukpa, Mattie Sullivan, Sylvia Rae Twahirwa, and Evan Weinstein, and then 10th grader Gavin Schmidt—were looking forward to sharing their experience back at school. But the group, some of whom were repeat conference attendees, also felt a pull to think bigger.

That’s because the students knew, as of 2023, Rowland Hall was the only Utah independent school that attended SDLC—meaning very few students in the state benefit from the four-day experience. While they’d be sharing what they learned with their Upper School peers, they worried it was too small an impact. They wondered if there was a way to expand their reach. As the Rowland Hall representatives gathered for a debriefing on the last day of the conference, an exciting idea was floated: Could the students create their own SDLC-inspired conference for other Utah high schoolers?

It’s the kind of idea that could easily be shared then forgotten, but in the weeks following their return to campus, the SDLC group—along with then junior Hasan Rahim, who had attended SDLC in 2022, and then ninth grader Aoife Canning—kept the conversation going. Guided by advisors Dr. Kate Taylor, Dr. Chandani Patel, and Harper Lundquist ’16, the students began discussing all that actually goes into planning a conference, as well as what elements of SDLC they wanted to keep and what they thought was missing from the experience. Dr. Taylor wasn’t surprised by what she witnessed.

“This group happens to be very action-oriented, which is something I love about them,” she said. “They’re big visionary thinkers.”

And before they knew it, these visionaries’ questions had transformed into a solid plan. By January, they were working on what would soon be known as Wings of Inclusion: Cultivating Joy in Education, a first-of-its-kind student-led conference scheduled for Friday, September 6, and Saturday, September 7, at the Lincoln Street Campus.

In the months that followed, the students immersed themselves in the complicated world of event planning. Between classes and extracurriculars, and then during summer break, the group tackled a long to-do list: design a logo and marketing plan, craft a schedule, communicate with speakers and performers, extend invitations, identify facilitators, arrange catering, decide on activities, gather discussion questions. In line with priority 2 of Rowland Hall’s strategic vision, advisors were on hand for guidance as needed, but focused on empowering the students to make decisions and take the lead as much as possible.

As summer drew to a close and a new school year ramped up, the group put the finishing touches on their conference and prepared to welcome students from Wasatch Academy, the Waterford School, Copper Hills High School, and Olympus High School to campus.

The Wings of Inclusion conference aimed to provide attendees with a space of belonging and safety, where everyone is celebrated for who they are and can connect, and even be vulnerable, with others.

Guided by the theme of Cultivating Joy in Education (which builds on Rowland Hall’s 2024–2025 school-wide theme, Joy, and was inspired in part by a presentation the students heard from Dr. Gholdy Muhammad, author of Unearthing Joy), the Wings of Inclusion conference aimed to provide attendees with the kind of space Kavitha remembered walking into for her first SDLC—one of belonging and safety, where everyone is celebrated for who they are and can connect, and even be vulnerable, with others. The schedule, thoughtfully crafted by the student organizers, included space for both affinity groups (groups that share identities) and family groups (groups of randomly mixed participants), as well as unstructured social time, meals, and performances by Punjabi Arts Academy, Salt Lake Capoeira, and Best of Africa.

Salt Lake City's Best of Africa dancers performance at the 2024 Wings of Inclusion conference.

Best of Africa performing at Wings of Inclusion. Conference attendees even had the chance to join the group onstage. “Pure joy!” said Dr. Patel about the opportunity.


The students also scheduled three guest speakers: Stacy Bernal, a candidate for Utah State Senate; Michelle Mooney, impact manager for the Salt Lake City Mayor’s Office; and Dr. Mary Ann Villarreal, vice president for diversity, equity, and student success at American Association of Colleges and Universities, and a Rowland Hall trustee. “Our main goal was to show there are people of color or other diverse identities in positions of power,” said organizer Sylvia Rae. They hoped student attendees would see themselves in these community leaders, and that the speakers’ stories about their personal and professional journeys would help attendees understand that leadership and changemaking were within their reach.

And while the conference’s attendees certainly had an impressive group of adults at the event to look up to (in addition to the speakers, Ryan Hoglund, Robin Hori, Dr. Lydia Jackson, Dr. Nate Kogan, and Stacia McFadden served as conference facilitators, while advisors Dr. Patel and Kaleb Nielsen coordinated the program), the strongest role models of the weekend were the student organizers themselves. In addition to managing the flow of the event, these students all took on the facilitation roles that make breakout spaces safe and provide valuable, joyful experiences for attendees, some of whom may feel unwelcome in other communities.

“There’s definitely a nurturing role, a caretaking role,” said Sylvia Rae about being a facilitator. “You’re bigger than yourself at that moment: ‘I’m facilitating this conversation and it's not about me now; it’s about others.’”

And though the Wings of Inclusion turnout was smaller than the students originally hoped for (30 people attended the inaugural conference), the size turned out to be beneficial. It allowed facilitators to lead deeper conversations and for all attendees to more fully participate. “It was the perfect amount of people,” reflected Sylvia Rae.

Wings of Inclusion attendees gather for a family group breakout session.

Rowland Hall students, faculty, and staff acted as facilitators for family group and affinity group discussions.


Speaker Michelle Mooney, who stayed for a breakout session after addressing the group on Saturday morning, said watching the student facilitators lead their groups was heartwarming, and even reinvigorated her feelings about her own role in the community—particularly when it comes to empowering rising leaders. Though still in her 20s, Michelle said she’s already thinking about the legacy she’ll leave for the next generation to carry on, and she hopes more professionals will recognize the capabilities of students and young adults and help cultivate them as leaders.

“We don’t need to doubt that the youth know what to do, and we really need to empower our youth to feel like they have a place,” said Michelle.

And as Wings of Inclusion showed, when students are empowered, they can do incredible things. As the conference wound down on Saturday evening, a feeling of joy could be felt on campus—an attestation of the small-but-mighty power of this student-created gathering that, only nine months earlier, had been but a question, a dream of a space in which students from across the state could gather to pour strength, love, and inspiration into one another.

To close the event, the organizers gathered the group for an open mic session. Though they knew speaking in front of others is scary, and they were a bit worried the minutes may be filled with silence, they wanted to provide a moment of reflection for attendees. They didn’t wait long before one student stood up. Another followed. Then another. As each student came to the mic, they shared their gratitude for this welcoming conference, for this safe space in which they could share their experiences and be themselves. Some said they had never had this kind of opportunity before. Some called out the guest speakers who made them feel that they, too, can make a difference. They were grateful. They were inspirational. “It was the best moment of the conference for me and my peers,” said Kavitha.

They felt so good for having created a space for people in the broader community, to see their efforts can have a positive impact, that their voices, their actions, have power.—Dr. Kate Taylor, Upper School English teacher

For Dr. Taylor, who supported the students’ dream from its earliest days, the positive feedback the students have received is incredibly well-deserved. And, perhaps more importantly, it’s an ongoing reminder to these young leaders that they are never too young to make real change.

“They felt so good for having created a space for people in the broader community, to see their efforts can have a positive impact, that their voices, their actions, have power,” said Dr. Taylor.

And the organizers can know that the inaugural (and soon to be annual) Wings of Inclusion conference will play an important role in helping more young adults from across the state believe in themselves and their ability to make a difference.

“Little things like this really matter. It made an impact,” said Kavitha. “It’s inspiring, and it made me want to keep going.”


Banner: Rowland Hall seniors Tenzin Sivukpa, Mattie Sullivan, Evan Weinstein, Kavitha Kasturi, Hasan Rahim, and Sylvia Rae Twahirwa smile for a photo at the 2024 Wings of Inclusion Conference.

Equity & Inclusion

Rowland Hall graduate Adam Saidykhan, class of 2024, shares research experience with Fox 13 Utah.

They just graduated in June, but three members of Rowland Hall’s class of 2024 are already published researchers.

As seniors, Sophie Baker, Isabelle Bown, and Adam Saidykhan—the first students enrolled in Advanced Research Biology, now in its second year—took on an impressive yearlong research project.

This week, their work was published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Cancers.

We’re not the only ones excited about Sophie, Isabelle, and Adam’s accomplishment—this week, local news stations FOX 13 and ABC4 came to campus to film segments highlighting this impactful work and what it could mean for breast cancer research.

Over the 2023–2024 school year, the students focused on identifying novel, actionable treatment targets for androgen receptor-low triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a lethal cancer subtype, by focusing on the role centrosome biology may play in its deadly impact. (Learn more about their research in Fine Print.) Their hope was to enrich the research community's understanding of some of the crucial molecular drivers of this aggressive breast cancer subtype—and hopefully advance the way it’s treated.

This work is important. TNBCs are especially lethal because they test negative for three common actionable cancer biomarkers, leaving patients without approved precision treatments. TNBCs disproportionately affect Black women, are more common in women with dense breasts, have a high tendency to spread rapidly around the body, and have a high chance of recurrence or relapse within five years of diagnosis.

And though the three students were hopeful they could further this work, they also knew their research may not pan out.

“Dr. Rida informed us early on there was a chance this could lead to nothing; we could have nothing published,” said Adam. Still, the students were determined to try, and were excited that, during their early research, they discovered a novel approach they could pursue over the year. “We’re fairly lucky that we managed to find something of note,” Adam continued.

I am thrilled that their findings are now part of the body of scientific knowledge out there, and will form the foundations of many more important studies and explorations in our search for better breast cancer treatments.—Dr. Padmashree Rida, Upper School biology teacher

The group first presented their findings as a poster at the American Association of Cancer Research’s annual meeting in San Diego in April during a special session for high school students titled “The Conquest of Cancer and the Next Generation of Cancer Researchers.” They then began collaborating with AR Biology teacher Dr. Padmashree Rida and City of Hope researcher Dr. Nikita Jinna on a manuscript about the topic, which was submitted in August to the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute.

On September 11, the young researchers received one of the most exciting emails of their budding careers: they were notified that their work would be published in Cancers as a feature paper in the “Cancer Biomarkers” section.

Dr. Rida, who has dedicated her career to mentoring new generations of researchers, is delighted for her first group of AR Biology students. They fully embraced the topic and worked tirelessly to reach this achievement—one that may make a real difference in the care of patients facing this aggressive cancer subtype.

“I am thrilled that their findings are now part of the body of scientific knowledge out there, and will form the foundations of many more important studies and explorations in our search for better breast cancer treatments,” she said.


Banner: Adam Saidykhan ’24, one of the AP Biology researchers, chats with FOX 13 reporter Scott McKane on the Lincoln Street Campus on September 19.

Advanced Research

Rowland Hall's three student Convocation speakers, August 2024.

Each August, Rowland Hall holds Convocation, a traditional gathering that brings our community together to connect, learn, and celebrate the start of a new school year.

This year’s event, held the morning of Friday, August 23, centered around Rowland Hall’s 2024–2025 theme, Joy. In the words of professor and author Dr. Gholdy Muhammad, joy is “the embodiment of, learning of, and practice of love of self and humanity, and care for and help for humanity and the earth. Joy encompasses happiness/smiles, truth, beauty, aesthetics, art, wonder, personal fulfillment, and solutions to the social problems of the world.”

Joy encompasses happiness/smiles, truth, beauty, aesthetics, art, wonder, personal fulfillment, and solutions to the social problems of the world.—Dr. Gholdy Muhammad, professor and author

Convocation has long included speeches by the student body president and a member of the alumni community, but for the first time this year, the annual event also included speakers from the fifth and eighth grades.

“It was important to us to include fifth and eighth graders so that all of the students in attendance, from the Lower School to the Upper School, saw themselves represented in the program,” said Dr. Chandani Patel, director of equity and inclusion. “As our theme is Joy, we thought it made sense for peers to welcome everyone back to school and talk about how they relate to this theme.”

This year’s Convocation speakers included fifth grader Kyeran G., eighth grader Shea G., 12th grader Gemma Ciriello, and alumna Elizabeth Izampuye ’17. Each reflected on what joy means to them and the many forms joy can take, and asked those gathered to look for joy in their own lives and work to create joy for others. Their beautiful words inspired Convocation attendees and illustrated why Rowland Hall prioritizes amplifying student voices.

“Our strategic priorities guide us to be more student-centered in all that we do here at school, and sometimes grown-ups need to step out of the way to let the kids do their thing and shine,” said Dr. Patel.

We invite you to enjoy this year’s Convocation speeches by watching the video below, or click to read the speeches.

Student Voices

You Belong at Rowland Hall