Diversity Becomes Relevant

I was able to be apart of an amazing thing down here in Cedar City. I was able to volunteer my time in the Pauite community to promote the summer lunch program that I was apart of. I met so many amazing people and heard different stories. It's true when people say don't judge a book by its cover because a lot of these native people may look as if they don't have much, but do materialistic things really matter? Not to these people. They are a community in and of itself and its about the spirit and culture of them that make it amazing and so accepting of people and the lives they lead. It's so hard to find a place in this world that accepts you for you are and where you are in life, but these people don't need to find that place in the world, they are automatically accepted by their peers just because of how pure and unselfish their hearts are. I was in shock at how close this group of people really were in the way they held themselves and helped other people. I wish we would all be able to do that one day, that is my goal with this EDGE project and ultimately in my life.

"So many people are eager to believe racism cannot be changed because internalizing that assumption downplays the issue of accountability. No responsibility needs be taken for not changing something if it is perceived as immutable." --Beloved Community, A World Without Racism.
  NEW

Fall of 2011 I started a class at Southern Utah University-a required class. I was pretty frustrated to have to take a required class that sounded so boring. It did start out boring, by the way. I started an upper division version of it in Spring of 2012. I LOVED EVERY SECOND OF IT.

Through the leadership engagement center I had to make a proposal about something that I could do to change some aspect of this world. It started just as a thought about unifying people throughout the community, here is my first submission about my proposal that I wrote.

"I want to help others realize how important diversity is and how everyone is and should be treated equal. I have always been involved in extracurricular activities and clubs that promote diversity and the well-being of others. I make sure to always befriend those people who get judged or are unfamiliar with the area or the things going on around them. I am not aware of any certificates I would need to accomplish my goal of helping others become more equal in the eyes of the world."

That is how simple my idea started, just equality. Easy. Easier said than done. I then proceeded to come up with little ideas to help me accomplish my goal. Different assignments required different ideas and in the end I had it all planned out. It was amazing. Programs and activities with kids of all ages to help them understand different cultures, races and ethnicities. People are people, no matter what color of skin, where in the world they live or come from. My plan ended up being to take part in programs throughout the community that accomplishes all of this. I did it!

During the summer of 2012, I joined the MultiCultural club at SUU and took a service trip with them to Las Vegas, NV. We landscaped a yard for Habitat for Humanities. We volunteered at a local food bank there and accomplished a lot to help out families in need. We ate authentic food and participated in cultural things around town, it was a phenomenal experience and I cannot wait to do it again.

Also during the summer, I shared my time in the Summer Lunch Program. We assembled and served lunches to children everyday whose parents were unable to provide them with one themselves. It was the most humbling experience and it changed my life for the better. I got to choose and prepare meals, work with others who have the same type of dream as me and met amazing children who really all wanted to be accepted and loved by everyone! I like to think that I helped them get to that point. It was crazy to me how many families showed up every single day  in need of food, we made upwards of 450 meals a day and ended up running out more times than not! 

Diversity is one of the most important things in life. Understanding it and accepting it is crucial. All I wanted to do was to make people more aware of the problems at hand, awareness can make all the difference. I like to think that I at least took part in opportunities that did that. I am so humbled by the opportunities and the way my life is going now because of it. I love being different and allowing people to accept me for it. 

Make a difference, be different.