The Beginning of the Story

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 got together, and from that one meeting we created a club that would set out to implement communication and acceptance throughout the high school: The Ambassadors Club.

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.