An Interview with Two Alums: Salwa Daouk '21 and Henry Byrd '18

Ensworth Alumna Cultivates Cultural Awareness

Salwa Daouk ’21 believes strongly in creating communities where all members feel a sense of belonging and purpose. At Ensworth, she was actively engaged in Project TALK and Tearing Down the Walls, facilitating important conversations and activities to help foster respectful dialogue and develop an inclusive culture. Salwa was recently featured in The Tennessean for the work she is doing at Vanderbilt University to build community among Latine students on campus and cultivate cultural awareness. We recently caught up with Salwa to learn more about her passion for being an agent for positive change.

What are the clubs and activities you have been involved with during your time at Vanderbilt, including any leadership roles you have held?

On campus, I immediately became super involved with the Latine community. I served as first-year representative on the board for the Association of Latin American Students. Through this experience, I got to help plan our biggest showcase of the year and help build community within first-year Latine students. Right now, I’m in my second year on the board and hold the position of service and advocacy chair. I think my position truly intertwines my passion for serving my community and social justice activism. This year, I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with other student groups and collectively tackle important issues such as colorism and racism.

Furthermore, a few of my friends and I started a group called “Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de Vanderbilt,” which is a Mexican folk dance team. On the surface level, being vice president of a dance may not seem like it pertains to my passions of social change. However, through our vibrant showcase of culture, dance, and music, we have been able to shatter stereotypes and fight for the authentic representation and visibility that we deserve.

I have also been involved in various social justice initiatives, including the NAACP Empowerment Summit, which took place last year. Through this conference, we were able to bring together various local universities to discuss important topics pertaining to social change and activism on campus.

Outside of campus, I have served as the Education Trust of Tennessee’s student representative on the CRT Collective Action Council to dismantle harmful legislation around Critical Race Theory.

How did your experience at Ensworth influence the way you have engaged in these activities at Vanderbilt?

My experience at Ensworth prepared me for these activities by allowing me to engage in social justice activities on campus. Being involved in clubs like Tearing Down the Walls and gaining that valuable leadership experience prepared me tremendously for college. Learning how to work with other students to organize events was such a valuable life skill that led me to create effective change through organizations in college.

In what other ways do you feel Ensworth helped prepare you for the college experience?

I know Ensworth always stressed academics, but now that I am actually in college, I really do appreciate the way Ensworth prepared me for the academically rigorous course load. I also think the Harkness method not only grew my confidence in group discussions but also played an important role in developing my public speaking abilities.

Were there specific Ensworth faculty/staff members who were an influence or mentor to you?

Coach Whit was a huge mentor and a help to me at Ensworth. Through my time with Tearing Down the Walls, he was a person I could look up to as a role model and someone who kept even the most serious situations fun and lighthearted. He always pushed me to pursue more of my passions and supported me in all my endeavors. He is such a treasured mentor, advisor, and teacher of mine that I continue to stay in touch with.

What are your plans/ hopes for the future?

Right now, I’m double majoring in Political Science and Law, History, & Society. After undergrad, I’m planning on going to law school. With that, I hope to pursue either immigration, international, or civil rights law. My vision is to combine my aspirations of giving back to my Latine community, fighting for social justice issues, and practicing law.

What are your hopes for Ensworth as we continue to strive to be a diverse and inclusive community?

I would say that I believe it’s incredibly important to have the visibility and representation that student groups and cultural organizations bring to a campus. But beyond that, I think students have the power to spread cultural awareness as a form of activism. This type of representation is key to having a harmonious campus environment and can bridge the gaps of social divisions among students. I hope that Ensworth continues to support student initiatives and grows the opportunities available to students to showcase their cultures and passions.

Tiffany Townsend Director of Marketing & Communications

Henry Byrd ’18

At Princeton, Henry Byrd ’18 quickly made a name for himself with his fancy footwork on the football field. His technique and prowess earned him playing time his freshman year, and he was the recipient of the Donold B. Lourie Award as the top offensive freshman. He was a starter on the team that led Princeton to its first perfect season in 54 years, playing in all ten games. Henry finished his college career as a team captain, described by coaches as a “rock” for the program and noted by Princeton Head Coach Bob Surace as one of the best linemen he had seen in his time at Princeton.

However, Byrd is also known for his footwork in another arena: the dance studio. At Ensworth, he got involved with the Dance for Athletes classes and fell in love with the program. In the process of taking every Dance for Athletes class he could, he discovered that he really enjoyed tap dancing. “My senior year, Mrs. White created a new course, Dance by Design, that was extended to a lot of the students in Dance Company, and it was a bit more structured and experimental,” Henry shares. “I approached Mrs. White about doing a special tap routine for the big performance in the spring, and we came up with ‘Singing in the Rain.’ All of the senior dancers would come in early mornings and late nights to design it and block it out.”

In a recent article, Henry credited the dance classes for helping him develop his speed and agility on the field, saying, “it helped with my balance; it helped with my mobility. It’s just coordination, feeling your body, and constantly working the same thing repetitively. Teaching your feet how to move correctly is huge. So much of playing offensive line is foot speed, the angle of your set, how you position your feet under your body.” Henry laughs as he shares, “Tap dance is actually one of the few personal things listed on my football bio.”

Byrd initially chose Princeton because of its similarity to Ensworth, noting that it felt like a continuation of the Ensworth experience, with comparable approaches in both academics and football. He was drawn to the familial team environment, where there was a focus not only on performance on the field but on getting to know each other as individuals and having an understanding of a common goal. “It was very important to me that it was about more than just playing football. It was about academics, arts, sports, being the best at everything you can be, and having the space to figure out who you are and who you want to be.” He also credits the Harkness method at Ensworth for preparing him to succeed at Princeton, where there was a premium on being creative, thinking critically, and engaging in discussionbased classes.

Henry chose to major in History at Princeton, and he references his Ensworth teachers as the primary influence and inspiration for his path. “I actually wrote about Dr. Mason in my history departmental review as the reason I chose to study history. It was Dr. Mason and Mr. Hopkins who fostered my love for the subject and for studying how the world interacts with everything around it. And at the High School, I would choose classes just so I could be in Ms. Hubert’s class.” Byrd also mentions Jason Maxwell as a significant influence: “He’s been with me every step of my academic career. He taught me how to read in first grade, and then he was my sixth grade advisor. At the High School, I got to see him almost every day, and he was someone I could always go talk to.”

Currently, Henry is in training for NFL tryouts, taking his shot to pursue his football career further. He also sees a future for himself in sports media and broadcasting, and Ensworth fans may have recognized his voice calling some of the recent home football and basketball games.

Henry shares his advice for current Ensworth students, “Make the most of your time at Ensworth. There really isn’t any other place like this that lets you try so many different things and actively encourages it and supports it. Getting out into the world and meeting a lot more people, you realize how unique and special it is in that aspect.”