In Class/OutClassed

As I was writing my education autobiography I realized how many different types of education I have received. Some parts of my education have been “normal” in the classroom learning and other parts have been less traditional. I discovered that I appreciated both equally because they both helped me become the person I am today. It was also the first time I sat down and thought about the reasons it was harder for me to make friends in Dubai. It made me wonder why I consider parts of my education abnormal. I am curious to know if others perceive parts of my education as normal and if share some of the same experiences.

Writing my educational autobiography was fine...for the first few pages. To muster the third page, I had to dig deep and really remember the little things that did not right away occur to me. That made me think about myself and I'm grateful that I got to do this assignment.

So after writing my educational autobiography some questions had popped into my head about the position I took. I believe the classroom was not the key component in my education instead my community was. I made the claim that because of the way people in different economic background created their own world within their own class that it pushed me to become more aware of myself and taught me how to understand different people's stories. It also pushed me away from being open to the influences of the neigherborhood that I viewed as destructive. So this is where I am at now. I have been known to want to help people out and get them on a better path. But in my paper I had said that class has turned into being what defines a culture. So because I made the claim that people of lower class have their own culture, is it right for people to try to change them? Yes, the lower class are associated with high health risks, high poverty and crime but if that is their culture, who are we to say that the way they live is wrong? After reflecting on that another question arose. Maybe that is my culture? Maybe that it part of the American culture? To come in unannounced, and change what we see unfit. Looking at American history we can see several times when we stepped in and justified with a 'we're creating change' campaign. So maybe it is part of my culture to want to help people I think are on the 'wrong path?' But does that still make it right?

This afternoon, when were discussing the roles of class and gender in education and in life in general, I was surprised to notice that, when discussing class issues, I become extremely tense.  This was shocking to me because I normally have no problem discussing class in the US, and even tend to welcome discussion of it.  I thought about this a lot on the way home today, and over the course of my evening.  

After discussing in class and rereading my educational story, I feel as if I have definitely omitted some parts I could have otherwise added. I didn’t talk about race in my story although it was significant. Being the ‘smart’ girl isolated me from all the black kids in my grade. Being smart meant being ‘white’, and thus most of my friends in the later years of high school were indeed white. I don’t understand the correlation to being white and educated. The only difference that I can think of is that white students are pushed more often and more vigorously than blacks or other minorities. Yet, no one pushed me to do well in school, it was a natural reaction that I had.  I think the main reason I didn’t add race was the fact that when I think of my schooling or education, I don’t want to stop and consider the color of my skin. So my big question is: how does ones race affect their schooling?

Hey I'm Kamila and I'm from Central Jersey. I enjoy swimming, crocheting, and drinking copious amounts of caffeine. I'm uzbek/ new jerseyian. I honestly don't know sometimes, my heritage is from uzbekistan but my childhood occured in new jersey and all my memories come from there. Its just really complicated. I'm still growing and developing as a person but I"m okay with that, I hope I grow for the rest of my life. I want to be a journalist and lawyer. I am currently a freelance copy editor, writer, and journalist. I'll probably think of more after I post this but this is off the top of my head, everything that's noteworthy about myself.

Hello everyone!

My name is Genesis Feliz and I’m not quite sure where I’m from exactly. That may sound weird but I never have an exact answer to the question; “Where are you from?” I feel as though that can be interpreted many ways-- and in my case, it is interpreted 11 different ways. My father is in the Navy and I have moved almost every 2 years (or less, in some cases!) to a different state. 

I was born in the Bronx, New York but I do not claim that to be my “home.” From New York I moved to Atlanta, Georgia to Norfolk, Virginia to Pax River, Maryland to Seattle, Washington to Chesapeake, Virginia to Ceiba, Puerto Rico to Boston, Massachusetts to Jacksonville, Florida to Chapel Hill, North Carolina and finally, Hatboro, Pennsylvania. The place that I actually lived in for more than 2 years was Jacksonville, Florida and then Hatboro, Pennsylvania (for all 4 years of high school.) I like to claim Florida as my “home” because all of my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. live there. My father and brother also live in Tampa, Florida (my dad works at the MacDill Airforce Base in Tampa) so for me, home is in Florida. 

Greetings!

  My name is Jia and I am from China. There are a lot of interesting facts about me. For example, I was a shooting athlete previously and I am still considering continuing. I love animals and I have one puppy and one rabbit with only one ear... I stayed in the same school, which is actually a kindergarten, my primary school and middle school for 10 years. My high school is an odd place where all geek boys and girls surrounds me. I still remembered the silence in our first Art Class because no one could answer a question about Pablo Picasso or Henry Matisse. But my high school experience is indeed unforgettable.

  For the question of what I am looking for, I want to answer it in two aspects. I remembered my mom asked me a question: why do you want to study in US? My answer is diversity. For this specific reason, I chose Bryn Mawr College. I could argue that globalization is a trend and what one should do is to embrace it and make the most of it. Meanwhile, many problems do arise in this process so it is essential for one to understand it and to engage into this process. Personally, I am interested in people who are from different countries, with different stories and backgrounds.