My experiences regarding diversity did not involve race or culture; my experiences involved a change in high schools from a small fundamentalist school, Santa Rosa Christian School, to a still small but much more diverse Catholic school, Cardinal Newman.

The students at Cardinal Newman were very different than I had experienced before. I was used to the types of teachers and students who only repeated the doctrine of their church when they were asked a question. Now I was with many groups of students who thought for themselves. Integrated in these groups were Atheists, Catholics, Lutherans, Agnostics, and many other religiously affiliated students. Having such a diversified group of students was a great experience. I was really able to expand my own ideas and develop a greater understanding for today’s society in these groups.

At Cardinal Newman there was a very nice balance of opinions. Some of my teachers were conservative, some liberal, and others tried to find a balance between both. I enjoyed this new diversity in opinions. It helped to open up many discussions, especially in my junior year AP English class. Using rhetorical analysis as the basis of the class, the teacher made it a point for students to start forming their own thoughts about the issues of our day. We had group discussions on same sex marriage, the legal drinking age, and war. It was a great experience to have such engaging conversations with people who had such a wide range of opinions. Although my opinion was only altered on a few occasions, the health care crisis for example, I always walked away from these discussions with an understanding and appreciation for the opposing argument.

Coming from a “by the book” Christian school, I came to appreciate and respect the wide range of ideas at Cardinal Newman. This appreciation and respect has opened my eyes to the fact that I want to go to a liberal arts college that values opinions and is always trying to expand thoughts about life. I look forward to talking and debating with students and professors about the day’s issues and expanding my opinion through every conversation.