McInnis1

HannahMcInnis
ProfessorMaurer
WritingForCollege120L140
15November2013
MyselfasanExampleofCulturalDiversity
WhenIwasaskedtowriteaboutmyselfasanexampleofculturaldiversity,I
thoughtImighthavesometroublebecauseIhaveneverviewedmyselfasdiverse.I
grewupinasuburboutsideofBoston,wherethepopulationwasamajorityofupper
middleclassIrishethnicity.ThroughoutmyyearsinNorwellPublicSchools,therewere
fewtracesofethnicdiversity,butmyeducationalwaystriedtocourageappreciationof
differentcultures.Inhighschool,IwasabletotraveltoFranceandCostaRicathrough
thelanguageprogram.Bothofthesetripsallowedmetoexperienceacultureinan
entirelynewperspective,asIwascompletelyimmersedintheculture.Inthefuture,I
planonsharingmyexperiencesandperspectiveasateacher.Mylifehasnotbeen
extremelydiverseanddifferent,butIbelieveIhavehadexperiencesthatmakemea
uniqueindividual.
Asachild,growingupinNorwellMassachusettsdidnotexposemetoagreat
amountofdiversity.Myparentsdidtheirbesttoencouragemetobefriendeveryone,not
tojudgebyappearancebuttoacceptallpeople.MymothersharedthatIbelievewe
triedtonotidentifypeoplebytheirnationality,religionorcolor(P.McInnis).I
rememberhavingdiscussionsatthedinnertableaboutdifferentcultures.Myparents
alwaystriedtheirbesttogivememultipleperspectivesonanissue.Mydadsaysthey

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encouragedtheGoldenRule,treatothersthewayyouwanttobetreated(G.McInnis).
Tothisday,mydadsfavoritewordisperspective.Healwayswantsmetolookat
everythinggoingonmylifewithperspective,tothinkaboutwhatishappeningthrough
morethanonelens.
Mylifehasalsobeenfilledwithindividualswhoarenotafraidtogobeyond
traditionalgenderroles,whichIthinkhasbeenveryinfluentialinmylife.Myfatherhas
adegreeinnursingandhasworkedinhospitalsthroughhiscareer.Whenapplyingto
college,mydadwantedmetothinkaboutMassachusettsMaritimeAcademy.He
believedIwasabsolutelycapableofsixsecondshowersandmilitarytrainingbutIwas
notsosure.Mydadalsospentagreatdealoftimedoingsmallrepairsonthehouse,andI
wasalwayshisapprentice.Healwaystoldmethathewasteachingmeallofthesethings
soIwouldbeabletoliveonmyownandnotdependonmentofixthingsforme.My
motheralsowantedtoaddthatshemowsthelawnandtakesoutthetrash,andinthis
way,sheisbreakingtraditionalgenderrolesinsociety.Mymotheralsoremindedmeof
myAuntDanielle,whohasalwaysbeenarolemodelinmylife.Thiswomanchanged
thetiresonhercarandinstalledthefloorsinherhome.Iamgratefultohavebeen
exposedtosomanypeopleinmylifewhohaveshownmethatitisokaytobedifferent.
Infact,Ibelievethatbeingdifferentisbetter.
WhenIaskedmybestfriendfromhomewhataboutmewasdiverse,she
remindedmeofallthetravelingIhavedone.FionaElliothasdonesignificanttraveling
herself.WithfamilyinIrelandandAustralia,shesharesmylovefortravelandother
cultures,oneofthereasonswearefriends.ShetoldmeHan,youaresodiverse!Think

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ofalltheplacesyouvebeen!(Elliot).Iamextremelyluckytohavebeenabletotravel
todifferentplacesintheworld,whichhaschangedmyperspectiveofmysurroundings.
MyjunioryearofhighschoolIparticipatedinanexchangeprograminwhichaFrench
girlcametotheUnitedStatesandlivedwithmyfamilyinOctoberandtheninFebruary,
ItraveledtoFranceandIlivedwithherfamily.WhileIlivedwithinthefamily,Iwas
abletoexperienceanewcultureandlanguage,asIwasfullyimmersedinboth.Iwentto
school,wentshopping,andhitalltheregulartouriststopsthatareamustseeinFrance.
Thetripcontributedgreatlytomydesireforknowledgeabouttheworld.Thiswasalso
thefirsttimeIhadbeenawayfromhomeforalongperiodoftimeandIwasabletogain
anewsenseofconfidenceandindependence.Letmesaythatnothinggivesyou
confidencelikeconqueringthestreetsofParisandhavingaremotesenseofdirectionina
citythatfeelsmorelikeamaze.
CostaRicawasanentirelydifferentexperience.ThiswasthefirsttimeIhadseen
adevelopingnation,anditgavemeanentirelynewappreciationofthebasiccomfortswe
haveathome.Wewereabletovisitaschoolwherethechildrenweresoexcitedtoseeus
withtoysandschoolsuppliesinhand.Iwasabletoseehowtheylivedinsmall,basic
homeswithlimitedcomfort.Travelingbetweenthefarmlandandthemajorcitygaveusa
widerangeoflifestylestoobserve.Drivingthroughtheextremelywindydirtroadsona
massivetourbusforhoursatatimewasatestofwillpowerbutIwouldnothavetraded
anyofthesemomentsforanything.Theseexperiencesinforeigncountrieshelpedme
becomemoreindependent,appreciative,anddetermined.Mymotheralwayscreditsmy
experienceandsaysYouwereneverthesamewhenyoureturnedfromtheseplaces!

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(P.McInnis).IamgratefulthatIwasabletoseepartsoftheworldthataresodifferent
frommyusualsurroundings.Inthefuture,Iplanonsharingmyexperiencesbybecoming
ateacher.Iwanttoshapethemindsoffuturegenerationstobeacceptingand
appreciativeofculturaldiversity.
Asaneducationmajor,Iamanticipatingexperiencinggreatamountsofdiversity
inmysuperiors,colleagues,andstudents.Throughtheinternshipprogramatmyhigh
school,IwasabletoseeafifthgradeboywithDownsyndrome,andthechallengeshe
facedinschool.Hisdeterminationandworkethicwastrulyinspiringtosee.This
experienceintheclassroomsolidifiedmyaspirationtobeateacher.Iwasabletoshare
someofmytravelingexperienceswiththechildrenintheclass,andtheywereabsolutely
fascinated.AsaprospectiveteacherIamabsolutelyenthralledbychildrensdesireto
learn.Iwanttoshowchildrenpartsoftheworldthattheywouldnotbeabletoexperience
throughmyownlife.Forthisreason,Ibelievemyinteractionswiththeworldaroundme
willmakemeaworthyteacher.Mysisterdescribedmeasoneofthemostpatient
peopleintheworld(A.McInnis).Iamnotsureifthisisentirelytrue,butIconsidermy
senseofpatienceastrongqualitycontributingtomyfutureteachingcareer.Mydadsaid,
Youaresensitivetoothersneedsandyoutrytoanticipatewhatwouldmakeaperson
feelcomfortableandacceptedinagroup(G.McInnis).Itrulycareaboutchildrenand
theireducationandIcannotwaittobeginteachingtosharemyexperienceandhopefully
inspiresomechildrentoseetheworldandacceptdifferentcultures.
IfounditmucheasierthanIoriginallythoughttodescribemyselfasanexample
ofculturaldiversity.Ineverthoughtofthequalitiesandexperiencesthatmakemea

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uniqueindividual,butaftertalkingwithmymom,dad,sister,andbestfriend,Irealized
thatIreallyamunique.Myupbringingandexperiencesaroundtheworldhaveshapedme
tobeanindividualwhoappreciatesdifferentcultures.Iwishtoteachthisappreciationin
mycareerasateacherinthefuture.

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WorksCited
Elliot,Fiona.PersonalInterview.6Nov.2013.
McInnis,Alison.PersonalInterview.6Nov.2013.
McInnis,Glenn.PersonalInterview.6Nov.2013.
McInnis,Peggy.PersonalInterview.6Nov.2013.