Lindsay Acker '12 Commencement Address

Elmwood Franklin School proudly welcomed alumna Lindsay Acker '12 as the graduation speaker at the Class of 2021 commencement ceremony on June 9.
Lindsay Acker '12 (she/her) is a talker and listener, and she comes from long lines of the same. She recognizes herself as a composition of the people, relationships, and communities that pour into her, and she tries to bring that melody with her every day and everywhere she goes. Her relationships, experiences, and studies have led to a passion for transformative and restorative justice, working to reimagine the systems that uphold domination and punishment into ones that thrive on equitable collaboration and accountability.
These passions, in turn, brought her to the Erie County Restorative Justice Coalition. At ECRJC, Lindsay's role as the program and case coordinator encourages and supports accountability and healing in communities in Buffalo, NY, through community circles and restorative conferencing. Lindsay also volunteers at the Third Space Initiative at United States Heartland China Association. Here she uses her facilitation and circle keeping-skills rooted in Indigenous practices to create an equitable and empathetic space, undermining conventional power dynamics and advancing the practice of intercultural engagement. Her enthusiasm for the transformative power of stories includes a passion for theater, and in non-Covid times you can find her attending, teaching, acting, or working on and off stage.
Lindsay is a proud 2012 EFS grad and graduated valedictorian from Williamsville South High School in 2016. Following high school, she attended Eastern Mennonite University, earning her Bachelor's degree in Peacebuilding and Development in 2020. Lindsay completed her Master of Arts in Conflict Transformation in 2021 from the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding at Eastern Mennonite University.