DIVERSITY | Teen Ink

DIVERSITY

October 21, 2007
By Anonymous

Hola. Bon Jour. Grazie. Hello. At Northwood Junior High School, hearing foreign languages from students of various cultural backgrounds is the norm. Northwood, which contains substantial Caucasian, Hispanic, and African-American populations, is one the most diverse schools in the entire nation. Luckily, I was blessed with the opportunity to attend this diverse environment and it provided me an educational and real world experience I would wish upon anybody. In middle school, I can proudly say I was friends with people of all different religious backgrounds, including Jews, Muslims, and Catholics. The ethnic curiosity and knowledge that I developed and nurtured at NJHS will give great comfort as I branch out to make friends with people of all different races and religions at Michigan.
Until I entered 6th Grade, I had grown up with many kids very similar to me. We were mostly Jewish, middle class, and white; I was comfortable with this group and we were close for as long as I could remember. However, through volleyball, basketball, and classes, I met people who were radically different than myself. For example, there was a non-Jewish friend of mine who was asked why we had a day off of school for Yom Kippur, the most religious Jewish holiday. He replied, “I don’t know, but I sure as hell don’t care.” Likewise, at NJHS we would acknowledge holidays including Good Friday, Ramadan, and even Cinco de Mayo. Northwood brought me closer to people like this and I was able to befriend classmates who didn’t know the first thing about my background.
The extensive diversity was every evident from my visit to Ann Arbor and I am excited to meet new and different types of people. My early education experience will be a valuable tool available for my future. This is what makes Northwood, and in turn, me, so unique. Diversity became an integral part of my school life at a young age and this unique background will be beneficial as I move on to college and eventually the real world. I welcome the opportunity to contribute to Michigan’s reputation of diversity. Adios y gracias.


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