Our society is overwhelmed with chaos and catastrophes. While the news is being filled with hate and disagreement, it feels as if everyone is at each other’s throats. This friction between people causes us to become isolated and uncomfortable, only furthering our solitude.

While it may seem that in this confusion it’s difficult to find peace, it is important to realize uniting as individuals may allow us to overcome the chaos.

Strangely enough, I learned this in a preschool. For the past three summers, I have worked alongside an incredible team at The Rise School of Houston as a communication intern. Rise is the city's first and only school dedicated to early education of infants, toddlers and preschool children born with Down syndrome and other developmental disabilities in an integrated environment. Through the enrollment of about 70 percent of students with Down syndrome and developmental differences and 30 percent traditional-learners, the school fosters integration and acceptance. No matter what, each student leaves the school with a deep understanding and compassion for others.

Never had I seen such a caring and compassionate place; the first time I stepped foot in the building, I was overwhelmed. After being in the office for only a couple of hours, a 3 year old from one of the classrooms toddled into the room and onto my lap. He looked up at me and smiled, and suddenly I realized, he didn’t care that I was new, an outsider, lost, confused or even stressed. To him I was a new friend, someone who he could welcome with open arms.

Walking into Rise each day, I feel almost as if I’m stepping out of reality. The halls are decorated with pictures and drawings, and you can hear the laughter of both the children and the teachers ringing through the halls children come through the door with beaming smiles, swinging by the offices to hug the staff and wish them a good day. The kindness seen in these children is contagious.

While each child does have struggles and difficulties to overcome, I have never seen a more supportive group. In my time at Rise. I have watched incredible events take place. I’ve seen students cheer on one of their classmates as she rolled her wheelchair down the hall for the first time. I watched their uniquely wonderful talent show, where kids of all different ages and stages stood proudly on the stage and sang for their friends. After each performance (whether Grammy deserving or not) the audience burst into applause that was almost thundering. And each day, I continue to see the unconditional love of this family.

I never leave the school feeling worried about what had happened that day, because the school is such a loving environment. Despite their differences, each child at the school has been taught from a young age the importance of acceptance and caring for others.

But once I get back into my car, I am jolted into reality. The angry debates, the judgmental comments and the inability to be open-minded bring me close to tears. These children have the ability to love one another, yet why can’t we?

While we may never be as innocent and understanding as those children, we must learn to put aside differences and work together. As we grow older, we lose our innocence and our ability to ignore differences. But maybe, if just for a second, we were able to step back and see people as just human beings, maybe we could find a way to make the world a little kinder.