With the recent dedication to student acceptance, De Smet Jesuit hired Mr. Armando Gilkes as the new diversity director. He will begin on August 1.

“My hope is that we will be able to build upon strengths already present at De Smet. By working with student clubs, faculty members, administrators and community groups, I believe that De Smet can be a model for school communities that value diversity and foster mutual understanding,” Mr. Gilkes said.

Hailing from Kansas City, Mr. Gilkes has an extensive background in education and has studied and taught all across the country. He has master’s degrees in Counselor Education, Educational Leadership and secondary math education. He currently teaches in the Riverview Gardens School District. Mr. Gilkes hopes to use past experiences to improve De Smet’s future.

“De Smet’s motto ‘Men for Others’ reflects an attitude toward service that I was taught by my mother and grandparents. Having attended Catholic schools from K-12 in a diverse school environment, I learned that not only is diversity to be valued and appreciated, but our exposure to it can greatly enhance our growth,” Mr. Gilkes said.

As the diversity director, Mr. Gilkes will moderate the Multicultural Awareness Club, currently run by Mr. Joseph Wotawa, SJ. As part of his duties, Mr. Gilkes will organize events, bring in guest speakers and plan small group discussions, all while working to expand the Ignatian mission of De Smet Jesuit.

“He has a very good sense of what the role of diversity is at the school, which is much more than simply working through issues and things like that. It’s really about inclusion for everyone who is in the community. So his role is certainly working with issues of race, but also working with a much broader understanding of diversity as well, and we feel he has the skill set to do that,” Principal Mr. Trevor Bonat said.

Unlike previous diversity directors, Mr. Gilkes also will be working full-time as a math teacher.

“He’s a very skilled educator, and he’s got the background to really help De Smet strengthen its already diverse student body,” Mr. Bonat said.

Mr. Gilkes hopes to help increase understanding in the student body as current racial issues arise across the country.

“Sometimes the only thing that really needs to be changed is our perspective,” Mr. Gilkes said. “Often times we have everything we need, it just needs to be appreciated and utilized in the right way.”