Photo by Nick Visuthikosol/The Choate News
Mr. Kojo Clarke’s fruitful journey at Choate began four years ago. He moved to Wallingford from Chicago and immediately found inspiration in a pair of uniquely Choate moments.
Not long after he’d arrived on campus, he sat in the PMAC theater and listened to a Choate talk about a 19-year-old who worked in the dining hall to support his family. And before the talk, the School held a moment of silence for the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who was shot and killed by police in Baltimore in 2015. Through these moments, Mr. Clarke began to understand some of Choate’s core values — respect for others and a courage to speak one’s mind.
Mr. Clarke will leave the School at the end of the year to become the Director of Diversity at New Canaan Country School, in New Canaan, Connecticut.
At Choate, Mr. Clarke has been a member of the SEED teacher organization, the Driving Equality at Choate committee, the Choate Diversity Student Association, the People of Color International Affinity Group, and Reflective Educators. Mr. Clarke has helped to organize Diversity Day, and he has attended international student conferences and discussions on race equality, hoping to turn Choate into a more diverse and inclusive institution.
Last fall, Mr. Clarke was a co-winner of the Michael J. Carr faculty award, recognizing him as one the school’s most talented and dedicated teachers.
Mr. Clarke has worked diligently with co-educators and teachers to create a more equitable environment at Choate. Notably, he played a role in the creation of the position of Director of Diversity and Inclusion.
When Mr. Clarke reflected on Choate as an organization, he praised the School’s diverse student body and its focus on producing globally-aware student leaders. “Academics solely will not change the world,” Mr. Clarke said. “Only people who are aware of the global community can alter the world.”
