"We are all different, which is great because we are all unique. Without diversity, life would be very boring." — Catherine Pulsifer

The quote above is one of many that talks about diversity, but it only brushes the surface of why diversity is such an amazing and vital aspect that should be a part of everyone's life. Interacting with various individuals from diverse backgrounds helps us understand other cultures in ways we can learn from any book or movie. As a student who is lucky enough to attend a diverse school in Georgia, I am able to witness what life is life from the perspective of many others and even have the opportunity to step into their shoes for brief periods of time. Every school in America should welcome and encourage the exploration of diversity.

In my school alone, there are so many students and staff who came from different places, and they bring their cultures with them, exhibiting a distinct aspect of life. This is how it's possible for us to have multiple discussions in the class and learn how to respect everyone's viewpoints. I've experienced a little of each culture at my school from individuals from Africa to Honduras to India. It's so amazing to see these cultures all come together, and my high school makes this possible every year by dedicating a whole week to diversity, called International Week, magically transforming the bare halls into a majestic palace with a different religion, language and spirit at every corner.

Teachers should recognize and celebrate diversity everyday by acknowledging it and allowing students to discuss. Because my history class has is multicultural, we were able to have a Socratic seminar exploring how the perspectives of soldiers during the Vietnam War would be different depending on which country they represented. Our discussion started with the typical American soldier perspective and explored how the solider versus the family may have felt during wartime. However, one student brought up the perspective of the North and South Vietnamese soldiers and their families. We compared the Vietnamese soldiers struggles with the ones of the American soldiers, helping us to understand that it is important to balance both perspectives to obtain a truer reflection of war and why it went down into history the way it did.

Had we not been exposed to Vietnamese teens like us, we may have had a harder time emphasizing with them or may not even have considered their point of view. It's easy to focus on one's own identity and box your comfort zone into that small space of understanding when everyone in near vicinity looks like you, talks like you and thinks like you. Having to expand our comfort zones to accommodate all sorts of thoughts has me a better person overall. I believe the same would hold true for all American students, if we force ourselves to spend more time in diverse company.

Diversity itself is such a great aspect of life. It is even better when people realize that and embrace it, because once we embrace that there are so many different viewpoints, as a nation, we will double the number of ways we can solve problems, like war, the economy and healthcare. I mean, think about it, if there was no mix of people between us all, and if we were all the same, then how would we learn about other cultures? How would people prosper and have true unity among humans? Diversity brings us together as one big family that learns from each other. So next time you see someone that is not like you, talk to them and learn something from them. After all, we learn something new every day!