Running head: Educational Autobiography and My Cultural Position

Educational Autobiography and My Cultural Position

Aly Padgett
Colorado State University

Educational Autobiography and My Cultural Position

In a predominately white, middle to upper class, Christian school, it is

difficult to imagine there could be enough diversity to spur any sort of ism. However, I soon as I entered a large, diversely populated high school, I
quickly witnessed racism, classism, and sexismeven if it was from a
distancelike an outsider looking in. I will always pride my high school in
their lack of ableism and support of students and peers with disabilities. It
wasnt until college that I had my first personal encounters with racism and
classism in shocking ways. Because of the way my high school embraced
and celebrated disabilities, I learned to love people that others may fear. My
encounters with my college roommate allowed me to be the victim in a way
that I had never considered a possibility. My educational background has
shaped who I am today and who I will become as a future educator and
human being.
Childhood Experiences:
Although my elementary and early childhood educations were founded
in public schools, most of my memories begin in the second grade where I
began to attend a small Christian school in the middle of wealthy suburbia.
My school had a strict uniform policy that left little room for self-expression. I
remember that the majority of my friends were white throughout elementary
school. Not because of personal preference, necessarily, but because that
was the population I had to choose from. I do remember that I was good
friends with the only African American girl in my class throughout elementary
school, until she eventually transferred out. Although I noticed that she wore

Educational Autobiography and My Cultural Position

her hair differently than I did, we both dressed and acted the same. We had
the same interests and we both went to the spelling bee. However, I
distinctly recall my grandfather referring to my friend, Aneesha, as my little
black friend. This did not affect my view of her nor did it dissuade me from
being friends with her. I realize now, though, that this would only be the
beginning of the degrading comments and embarrassing way of thought that
stemmed from my grandpa. Unfortunately, I love my grandpa very much and
I know that he has a tender heart. But the day and age that he grew up in
reflected a much less accepting mindset of opposite cultures.
Adolescence:
While I remained at the same school throughout middle school as well,
I began to understand and witness the classism that comes with attending
an expensive private school. The tuition to attend this private school was not
cheap by any means. Then, there was the burning desire of middle schoolers
to fit in and assimilate. This meant hundreds of dollars spent in
Abercrombie for the cute polo shirts and khakis, a different sweater to match
every color of the rainbow, and shoes that were not only trendy, but costly as
well. If outfits were repeated, then the popular girls would shame the outfit
offenders. Unfortunately, I admit that I was a popular girl. My dads job
allowed my family many luxuries that I did not acknowledge as uncommon
until much later. My best friend was another one of the popular girls, and her
family was of an even higher class than my own. We spent our weekends in
the dressing rooms of Abercrombie and Hollister with our moms standing by

Educational Autobiography and My Cultural Position

to pay the bill. I dont think that we made fun of other girls who did not wear
the same name brands as us. But we did our fair share of gossiping and even
pitying them for not being as stylish as we were. Although we werent old
enough to understand classism or exposed to enough diversity to be aware
of socioeconomic struggle, we recognized that we were different. Somehow
we were higher than the rest. It shames me to admit to this part of my
past as I recognize now how far I have grown out of this stage and mindset.
When my dad was laid off, I joined a different class and got a taste of what
life is like to live without. This challenging time in my life allowed me to be
appreciative of what I have and realize that I am no better than the class
above or below me.
Adulthood:
As I entered high school, my first real public school experience, I was
terrified and invigorated. Walking through thousands of students paled in
comparison to the handful of students I had encountered throughout my
previous schooling. Now, I was allowed the freedom to wear what I wanted
and stripped from the chains of the Abercrombie Standard. I saw people from
all types of ethnic backgrounds, with all different religious beliefs, and sexual
orientations. It is comical now to look back and realize that, even then, my
school was predominately Caucasian and still trapped in the middle of
suburbia. I made my first Asian friends in high school. Eventually, I made
friends of Middle Eastern and Indian backgrounds. I take pride in the fact that
my high school embraced many different types of religions, races, and sexual

Educational Autobiography and My Cultural Position

orientations. We had a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender club; we had a

Black Student Alliance Club; a Muslim Student Alliance Club; La Raza;
Christian clubs; the list goes on and on. However, what my high school did
best was abolishing ableism and opening the eyes and hearts of many
students, including myself, so that people with disabilities and abilities alike
could come together as one population. My high school was the first school
in Colorado to start a Unified Sports program. These programs allowed
people with disabilities to participate and compete in sports just like their
peers. There was a cheer team, basketball team, and track and field team.
When I became a part of the basketball team and the track and field team,
my view of people with disabilities changed forever. The word retard
became extremely offensive to me as I sympathized with a group of people
that the word referred to. I made it my mission to include my peers with
disabilities and to ensure that they were treated as equals and no less.
Again, my grandfather was shocked at my acceptance of this group of
people; even my dad was a little hesitant at first. My family was notorious for
making fun of certain disabilities and making the r word a regular part of
our vocabulary. After everyone saw how talented and incredible my
classmates were, their opinions began to change. My grandpa stopped
referring to them as the special kids or the retards. His heart softened
when he saw my love for the friends I had made through this movement of
inclusion.
Critical Analysis Involving Diversity:

Educational Autobiography and My Cultural Position

I remember the day I found out the name of my roommate at Clemson

University. I immediately began to look for her on social media to see what
she was like, what her interests were, what kind of friends she had, etc.
Before that day, I had never considered that my roommate would be African
American. However, I was attending a major Southern university in the
middle of rural South Carolina. I knew that Carissa, my roommate, and I
would have many cultural differences but I did not fully understand the scope
of those differences until I moved in with her. Carissa was a southern raised
African American woman who took pride in the color of skin and everything
that seemed to represent for her. I distinctly remember one day, while I was
sitting in our dorm room, when Carissa came storming in on the phone. She
was loudly retelling a story to her mom about how our RA had asked her to
be quiet. I couldnt help but be offended as she slandered white people,
almost as if I wasnt even there. Although Carissa was usually willing to tell
me about the way she was raised and tell me about the foods she ate and
the things she liked to do, I never forgot that day. That was the first time that
I had ever felt like the victim of racism. Yes, there have been many situations
far worse than mine. But from then on, I was more aware of the deep-seeded
hatred that some Southerners still held for Caucasians. I was able to put
myself in the shoes of others who have been the victims of racism for far too
long.
Impact of Past Teachers:

Educational Autobiography and My Cultural Position

Although my encounters with Carissa changed the way I viewed myself

in a personal sense, there was one teacher I had in high school who would
change my view of education and learning permanently. Coach Chandler was
a special education teacher and the coach of the Unified sports teams I
participated in. Because of his passion and love for students with disabilities,
I was able to discover a similar passion harbored within myself. Coach
Chandler taught me that even though my peers with disabilities may look
differently, act differently, or go about completing tasks differently than
someone who is able bodied, they were still extremely talented, intelligent,
and beautiful. His lack of ableism and his way of treating these students as
equals is what opened my eyes to my future calling. As a future educator,
my goal is to spread this love, acceptance, and inclusion to school districts
where students with disabilities are still treated as outcasts.
Although I grew up naive and blind to racism, the lack of diversity in
my past allowed me to acknowledge other issues like classism and
eventually ableism as well. My encounters with a roommate who was of a
different ethnic and racial background than me leant a further understanding
to the feelings of some southern African Americans. Most importantly, my
experiences with diversity have allowed me to create goals for myself as a
current learner and a future educator to spread love, unity, and equality to a
group of people that is all too often forgotten.