Although people often shudder when they hear that I attended a public school in the inner-city school, I consider growing up in surrounded by diversity as one of the most formative experiences in my life. The lessons that I learned from my high school career has shaped me into the person that I am today and I will always be grateful for having the privilege of calling myself an inner-city school student.

1. Poverty is real.

Poverty doesn’t always look the way you would expect. It’s not always the kid that’s dressed in wrinkled clothes without a backpack. On the contrary, sometimes it's the kid with the newest iPhone wearing a pair of $400 shoes. From the outside, these students may appear to be well-off but, in reality, they are simply living outside their means in order to try to maintain a certain social image. So before you match the paycheck to the face, remember poverty doesn't discriminate.

2. We are more than a statistic or headline.

Society loves to make, "inner-city schools" their pet project. Organizations and the media swarm like flies to cover breaking news stories about the riveting tales of gang violence, racial tension and cheating scandals. The news flippantly publishes statistics about failing inner-city public school students to demonstrate their relative inferiority to the coveted suburban schools. What the reporters quickly forget is that the numbers they publish are representative of real students. So where is the same media coverage when the public school students achieve?

3. There is strength in unity.

With science classes lacking beakers, and English classes without an ample supply of textbooks, city kids quickly realize they have no choice but to band together. In short, inner-city schools know they receive significantly less funding and the odds are stacked up against their favor. Rather than allowing these circumstances to deter them from success, it creates a bond amongst the student body that transcends any differences they may have.

4. Life isn’t fair.

In a racially and socioeconomically diverse academic environment, it becomes very clear that bad things happen to good people. On a math exam, a student is considered incompetent, but what the teachers don't know is that said student is actually working three jobs, taking care of siblings after work and simply doesn't have enough time to study. Some of the most promising students become victims of circumstances out of their control, and the education system often fails to value them according to their true potential.

5. There is hope.

No matter what anyone says about inner city schools, there is a great deal of hope for those students. We might not have a flashy football stadium or state of the art classroom, but we do not lack character or grit. We may not have the highest test scores or classic academic training, but the many lessons we have learned outside of the classroom have truly prepared us for success in the real world.