Growing up in a rural, predominantly Caucasian town and attending a small school my whole life gave everyone, including myself, limited exposure to diversity and culture. I am the only Arabic and one of the few Mexicans within the school which has given me a unique perspective.I took it upon myself to gain and share the different experiences my unique background could only give.

With my Mother remarrying into a Christian Caucasian family, this limited my exposure to my Mexican and Arabic heritage even more. I wanted to embrace and share my heritage by inviting them to my Quinceanera, one of the most important traditions in Mexican culture celebrating a girl's transition into womanhood. I took this opportunity to have a quinceanera instead of the traditional American sweet sixteen. In turn, this gave me the opportunity to experience my heritage and to share it with family and friends.

I have also had the opportunity to embrace the cultures of my Muslim maternal grandfather. Even though I grew up in a Christian home, I’ve had many experiences with the Islamic culture. An example has been with my participation in Islamic holidays in particular, Ramadan when individuals fast during daylight hours. This gave me a greater appreciation and understanding of other religions and their …show more content…
I feel that a student who is attending The Ohio State University could feel intimidated because of its vast diversity, especially if they are not used to seeing anyone but people like themselves. I have the ability to help them feel at ease by giving them something to relate to such as growing up in a small town, and at the same time sharing with them my different cultural experiences. Also, I can encourage them to learn about other cultures by taking classes to learn about Islamic studies, or other culture-specific