Senior Editorial- Dorothy Irwin

Dorothy Irwin
May 29, 2009
Filed under Student Blogs

After elementary school, many of my friends went on to schools that feed to Myers Park and Providence, or they enrolled in private schools.  Still more switched schools during my years at McClintock.  I, however, along with others, continued on to East Meck.

            Had I followed the crowd and switched to another school, I would have missed out on some great experiences.  Not only has East given me a better overall high school experience and prepared me for college, but it has also provided me with a more realistic perspective of what awaits me in the real world.

            As I walk through the hallways, everyone is not the same as me.  Some people attend schools where most of the students are just like them.  Everyone they encounter each day looks the same, wears the same clothes, shops at the same stores, and shares the same beliefs.  What a boring experience.  These kids are in for a culture shock when they reach the real world- everyone out there is not just like you!

            I am thankful East hasn’t sheltered me from the real world.  What I’m referring to is the world outside of school which students must eventually move on to, where they’ll be on their own.  People can’t hide in private schools forever; eventually they have to face the world on their own and interact with different people.  This might as well start in school.  Diverse schools make it easy to get along with a variety of people and discover what can be gained from these relationships.  There is so much to be learned from someone whose life is different from your own, if only you have an open mind.

            At East, I’ve had the valuable opportunity to have meaningful discussions and relationships with people who have completely different perspectives on life than I do.  Some of these opportunities have come in Theory of Knowledge, a class most students don’t have the opportunity to take.  This IB class, which covers a range of topics including politics, ethics, and religion, is comprised of students with many different religious, ethical, financial, and racial backgrounds.  Not only have I learned about others’ beliefs, but I have shared my own beliefs and have had them challenged- a rare opportunity for a high school student.

            My experience here at East has allowed me to be myself throughout school.  Rather than feeling pressured to conform to certain standards, I have been accepted for who I am.  I feel this is in part due to the schools’ diversity, which allows students to be themselves rather than adapting to one widespread norm.

            This school has prepared me for my future- for college, and especially for the real world.  In East’s diverse environment, I have developed meaningful friendships with a variety of different people.  I am thankful I have not been stuck in a monotonous environment where I would be sheltered from the realities of the real world.  So thank you, East, for providing me with a diverse education for the past four years of my life and for preparing me for the life I have ahead of me.