I grew up in an urban neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which means I was introduced to diversity at an early age. From elementary school all the way through high school, I was surrounded by people of different races, cultures, and other backgrounds, especially in high school. I went to John A. Brashear High School, which is a Pittsburgh Public School. Many people think less of me because of the school I come from. Believe it or not, many suburban kids don’t take well to city kids. Brashear is considered one of the worst schools in the district, but we have an advantage many other schools don’t, especially suburban ones: our diversity. We have students from 43 different countries. Brashear is one of the top schools in Western PA because of its diversity. This is thanks to both the great English as a Second Language (ESL) program, and our Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) program (The first GSA in the district). Our enrollment by ethnicity as of late 2015 are 39% Caucasian, 38% African American, 12% Asian, 6% Multi Racial, and 5% Hispanic. This is fairly diverse compared to some schools in suburban Pittsburgh.

Also, our school is one of the first in Pittsburgh, and the first in our district, to have transgender-friendly bathrooms. This means that, whatever gender you identify with, whether you're born it or not, you have permission to use the bathroom you feel most comfortable with. This is a milestone for our school’s GSA. Not only did our school start the Transgender Bathroom policy in our district, our GSA helped to get the Transgender Bathroom policy implemented district-wide, which is a huge deal. Even the district's recently retired Superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools Dr. Linda Lane awarded the Brashear GSA a $1000 grant to help further their work on LGBT QIA issues. The GSA chose to use it to join in Pittsburgh’s pride parade and march alongside other LGBTQ people and their supporters.

In the real world, you work with people of varying ethnicities and backgrounds. To get the chance to grow up working with different people is one of the best things for a child in my opinion. Many parents think they’re doing the right thing by sending their kids to private schools that are less diverse. But when their kids grow up, they may have a hard time adjusting to the way the world really is. That’s why I’m so thankful my parents didn’t send me off to a suburban or private school. Not only is my school different because of it’s many nationalities, but everyone gets along remarkably well. I haven’t noticed a problem with bullying, people from all areas of the school are friends. Some of my best friends range from band kids and drama kids to cheerleaders and football players. Our school isn’t clique based, which is nice, so no matter what you like, you can find tons of people to be friends with.

I think it’s great that we also have the opportunity to learn about each other's cultures. Multiple times a year, we have events held at the school that celebrate different cultures and countries. We get to taste food, hear music, and see dances from different countries. Some of these countries include Nepal, Mexico, and Nigeria, but there are many more. Learning about these different cultures has truly benefited me. I have a better understanding and respect for those who leave their own countries to come here, whether they’re refugees or they just moved here to follow “The American Dream.” I also applaud my school’s ability to incorporate all kinds of music from all over the world at our events. At prom, they played Nepali, Indian, and Hispanic music, which was different than the R&B music that played a majority of the time. My school is unique and I’m so proud to of come from such a tolerant, caring, and understanding community.

Once a Bull, always a Bull.