Personal Essay: Recovering Diversity

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I was born and raised in America, and though I grew up like most middle-class children, I spent my summers visiting Europe. There, I learned my family’s languages and cultures, Spanish and Portuguese, which have become sacrosanct to my identity. The myriad of experiences I’ve had because of my heritage are an important part of myself and a key reason why I would thrive at Rutgers.
It’s because I identify so strongly with my culture that I have devoted several hours a week to attending Spanish School since sixth grade. This commitment is one I have chosen in addition to an already rigorous course of study in the Culinary Arts Academy of the Morris County School of Technology. I credit the ALCE program, (Agrupación de Lengua y Cultura Española, …show more content…

We understand each other, and all know what it’s like to straddle two cultures: to go to Spain every summer and explore ancient streets, trying to learn more about the country’s history, as well as getting home from school in America and have to switch gears from English to Spanish. /// My multicultural upbringing is why I feel I belong at Rutgers, where, according to University Communications, “diversity is an everyday ingredient of university life and one of our greatest strengths.” Having spent entire summers in Europe, I’ve developed close friendships that have given me a link to worldwide …show more content…

Spending time with them has given me a much less Americentric view of the world. It also gave me a unique viewpoint in the United States, where I have found myself applying it to countless social situations. For instance, last year, a friend of mine said that he could not attend the junior prom because he didn’t have the money for the ticket, suit, and ride. A girl in the room said that she thought it was, “The dumbest reason to not go to prom.” I told her it was actually the most legitimate reason a person wouldn't be able to attend. Her comment taught me that not everyone understands that others must live in circumstances different from their

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