In the summer of 2024, Rutgers Prep named Leichena Young, Middle and Upper School Student Counselor, as the Coordinator of Community and Belonging.

Part of our community since 2014, Leichena has long been involved in DEIB initiatives at our school and has been an integral member of Advocates for Inclusion in Diversity (AID), a faculty group which seeks to harness the strengths of our community’s diversity to inspire teachers and students to become advocates of social justice.

The role of Coordinator of Community and Belonging was created to provide central organization and coordination of DEIB-related events on campus. In this capacity, Leichena develops and maintains a comprehensive calendar of cultural and religious dates and events and coordinates with faculty and staff who currently facilitate cultural events to ensure representation and acknowledgment of these events campus wide.

Additional key responsibilities of the Coordinator of Community and Belonging are developing relationships with outside resources for presentations, learning opportunities, and professional development, as well as providing classroom support through curriculum review and development, incorporation of DEIB topics, and facilitating classroom discussions as needed and where appropriate.