Hammond School hosts humanitarian aid worker and author

Hammond, an independent school offering students pre-kindergarten through grade 12 a thoughtfully developed academic experience, welcomed to campus Carl Wilkens, author of I’m Not Leaving and an American who chose to stay in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide. At an assembly on March 26, Hammond upper school students listened to Wilkens as he shared stories of escalating violence in Rwanda and how his decision to stay positively impacted others.

Wilkens also discussed genocide, how a mentality of division develops and how to reverse thinking that leads to atrocities such as those that occurred in Rwanda and countless Nazi concentration camps during the Holocaust. Wilkens told of his experience in embracing reconciliation and rebuilding in Rwanda.

“Teaching respect, empathy and inclusion through the lens of horrific human atrocities like the genocide in Rwanda and the Holocaust leaves a powerful marking on the minds of us all,” said Chris Angel, headmaster of Hammond School. “We were honored to have Wilkens on campus with us to do just that. His mantra of ‘finding the good’ is challenging, given the context, but inspirational for us all. His words and unique, positive presentation style gave our students a great deal to contemplate and relate to everyday life.”

Wilkens’ visit marks a continuation of an important conversation on human rights and genocide as many Hammond students also recently had the opportunity to visit concentration camps in Germany as part of the Select Ensemble’s tour. The students of this talented chorus shared their experiences with the rest of the upper school during an assembly that recognized Holocaust Remembrance Day.

“It’s important for everyone to learn about events such as the Holocaust and the Rwandan Genocide because it shows the ramifications of prejudice and racism and particularly the dangers of staying silent while others are being oppressed,” said Federica Hall, an 11th grader at Hammond.

To learn more about Hammond, visit HammondSchool.org, or find @HammondSchool on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Hammond is located at 854 Galway Lane in Columbia.

About Hammond School

Hammond School embraces a future-focused philosophy. The school is committed to instilling in students academic excellence, harnessing the power of curiosity, and helping develop empathetic and global leaders through a well-rounded curriculum.