So, you may be wondering how I got interested in accepting diversity in the
first place. It all started my freshman year in high school. I had
been home schooled most of my life, and had never been in a public school
setting, so I didn't know what to expect. What I found was intellectually
disturbing: there was fighting, ignorance, feuds over nothing, and absolutely
no respect for the individual. Everyone was sectioned off into their own
little "clicks": the goths, the punks, the preps, the jocks, the
losers, the nerds, the Christians, and the street kids, just to name a
few. Occasionally you'd see a group that had variety, but mostly they all
tried to stick together. Safety in numbers, they must have thought.
That year I tried my best to fit into the categories. I tried to just
go with the flow, because I didn't think there was anything I could do.
However, I was one of the kids that never could quite fit. I got along
with everyone, so I wandered around from group to group, and somehow ended up
bringing together a lot of people that probably would have never talked.
At the end of that year I knew that there was a solution, and it just took one
person to start a movement if they had strong enough people skills.
My sophomore year passed quickly; I had transferred to another school for
that year so that I could take Advanced Placement classes. The categories
weren't as sharp in that school; the kids blended together, so I took note of
how they interacted. I took note of the weaknesses in the system. I
decided I would go back to the other high school my junior year and try to get
something worked out.
Then, last summer, one of my teachers from my old high school contacted me
to see if I was coming back. She had an idea, which had stemmed from our
talks about acceptance my freshman year and also the model of other schools in
the U.S.
We now have 16 active members, and 25 members total. We act as
mediators for students that have disagreements, have a student welcoming program
to show new students around and introduce them to others, and a long standing
Community Service program. With the program we go out and help with
Walton Cares, which is a food distribution service. We help unload the
semi-trucks of food, pack boxes, and carry food out for people that are unable
to. This happens once a month and we have been working with it for six
months.
So now you know. Remember, one idea can spark change. Whatever
your idea might be, if you are dedicated enough to it, it can be implemented,
it can flourish, and you can do great things.
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