Prompt: The first week in your English class you are put into a group with five different people of different ethnic or cultural backgrounds than yourself. Please explain how your past life experiences will help you effectively collaborate with your group members in order to achieve success on this project.
Growing up in a small community with less diversity than a bag of marshmallows, I was utterly dumbfounded when I began attending the Kalamazoo Area Math and Science Center. Unlike the monochromatic sea of sameness I had lived in my whole life, it seemed like everyone at KAMSC spoke different, looked different, or thought different than I did. At first no one strayed far from the familiar faces of their cultural group or home high school. Walking down the hall you could hear the students from rural communities complaining about the long trek to Kalamazoo, the students from India arguing over last night's Cricket game, and the Chinese students explaining the previous night's biology homework to each other in Chinese. Eventually as we grew closer, the boundaries between the groups dissolved and we became one giant KAMSC family. I soon came to realize that even though we all appeared different, our intense passion for math, science and learning meant that in one way we were all the same. Over these last three years I have come to observe that each person's unique background brings new perspectives and ideas to projects, discussions, and everyday life. From getting a crash course in the proper use of chopsticks, to preparing goulash for my Taiwanese friend, I can honestly say that the exchange of cultures has been one of my favorite parts of high school. Although each person should be appreciated for who they are, and not where they were born or what they look like, background plays a key role in an individual's outlook, or way of thinking, and should be utilized to the fullest extent. By transcending cultural boundaries, a more in-depth understanding and collaboration between people can be achieved. Of all the things I have learned at KAMSC, I firmly believe that the skills I have gained in communication and cooperation are some of the most important, as they will aid me in every aspect of my future.
Growing up in a small community with less diversity than a bag of marshmallows, I was utterly dumbfounded when I began attending the Kalamazoo Area Math and Science Center. Unlike the monochromatic sea of sameness I had lived in my whole life, it seemed like everyone at KAMSC spoke different, looked different, or thought different than I did. At first no one strayed far from the familiar faces of their cultural group or home high school. Walking down the hall you could hear the students from rural communities complaining about the long trek to Kalamazoo, the students from India arguing over last night's Cricket game, and the Chinese students explaining the previous night's biology homework to each other in Chinese. Eventually as we grew closer, the boundaries between the groups dissolved and we became one giant KAMSC family. I soon came to realize that even though we all appeared different, our intense passion for math, science and learning meant that in one way we were all the same. Over these last three years I have come to observe that each person's unique background brings new perspectives and ideas to projects, discussions, and everyday life. From getting a crash course in the proper use of chopsticks, to preparing goulash for my Taiwanese friend, I can honestly say that the exchange of cultures has been one of my favorite parts of high school. Although each person should be appreciated for who they are, and not where they were born or what they look like, background plays a key role in an individual's outlook, or way of thinking, and should be utilized to the fullest extent. By transcending cultural boundaries, a more in-depth understanding and collaboration between people can be achieved. Of all the things I have learned at KAMSC, I firmly believe that the skills I have gained in communication and cooperation are some of the most important, as they will aid me in every aspect of my future.