Rosetta Lee shares insights with St. Stephen’s staff on self-awareness, intercultural intelligence and effective strategies for supporting a diverse community

In mid-August, as students prepared to go back to school, St. Stephen’s administrators, teachers and staff filled Helm auditorium to learn from one of the country’s leading voices on crosscultural communication in schools.

Rosetta Lee, a founding faculty member and outreach specialist for the Seattle Girls’ School, spoke about cultural competency to an audience of educators and campus leaders dedicated to serving St. Stephen’s diverse group of day and boarding students, where Austinites, Texans and international boarders live and learn together.

Marsha Elliott, Director of Equity and Inclusion, arranged the program as part of St. Stephen’s schoolwide professional development. Elliott is familiar with Lee through the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), where Lee has long been a popular keynote speaker and facilitator on the intersection of communication, identity and diversity.

“She makes dense or difficult or ‘is that really a thing?’ topics accessible,” said Elliott of the engaging and frequently funny Lee. “Her presentations are based on clear research, but also very personal.”

St. Stephen’s employees spent the morning with Lee, learning more about how cultural competency and intercultural intelligence can serve the school’s mission to respect and celebrate the unique individuality and dignity of every human being.

“Developing cultural competency means increasing our cultural sense of self-awareness,” Lee told the St. Stephen’s audience. “Why do I approach things the way I do? What are my core values? How do I engage in conflict? How is that informed by things like identity, culture and experience?” That awareness can help us to communicate more effectively, especially in a school environment where “diversity is the norm, not the exception.”

Lee guided the audience through eight communication spectrums — like formal vs. informal and direct vs. indirect — exploring how internal and external factors shape our approach. Lee then had audience members ask each other: “If there were zero consequences for how you communicate, what would be your most authentic and preferred style?” The exercise revealed that some people preferred one style, but felt pressured toward the opposite, depending on their environment, upbringing or societal expectations. 

“All of us are moving through the world with internal, external and institutional identities,” said Lee, “and all of us have identities that experience privilege and marginalization.” To those people who may think they have never experienced marginalization, Lee joked, “just wait, because there’s aging.” 

To illustrate privilege, Lee pointed out how everyday items like microwaves, scissors and ATMs are designed for the right-handed. “That’s not because there’s a conspiracy of right-handers trying to make life miserable,” Lee said. “We just continue to create systems that support the norm without always asking who’s not in the norm and do we have things in place to help them feel normal.”

To improve relationships, Lee encouraged developing cultural intelligence — recognizing and learning about other communities, how their experiences shape their communication styles and how our assumptions impact interactions. 

A growth mindset, Lee said, can help us gain insight into others’ lived experiences and empathize with those we may have unintentionally harmed. Even as an acknowledged expert in creating and supporting diverse organizations, “despite my best intentions, sometimes I just misstep and I cause harm,” said Lee. “And in those moments, we have to learn how to address the impact and repair instead of getting caught up in our good intentions.” 

Following the presentation, Lee facilitated a “Courageous Conversations” question-and-answer session with members of the Parents’ Association, Diversity Leadership Team members and faculty/staff sponsors of student affinity groups, alliance groups and culture clubs. 

“To me this is not ‘a guest came, we’re done, we never have to think about it again’ situation,” said Elliott. “I hope Lee’s work continues to resonate in so many different ways throughout our community, that we will all apply it and live it.”

Committed to Creating a Community of Belonging

In alignment with our Episcopal identity and our mission and core values, St. Stephen’s Episcopal School is committed to upholding and advancing our founders’ bold, progressive vision for a diverse, inclusive and equitable school community that respects and celebrates the unique individuality and dignity of every human being.

Learn more about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at St. Stephen's.