Majorities vs. Minorities

Monday morning started with a very interesting discussion in my AP English class. We did not discuss how bad I am with topic sentences, nor did we compare our eight different points of view about narratives. We started our class by comparing majorities and minorities.  It was not a discussion about races, religions, or countries. It was a very impressive talk with our teacher about how a person, one human being, would fall from being a majority in a certain place, into being a minority in a completely opposite environment. What can we offer to ourselves to blend in?  How can we be recognized?  How can we rise from being a minority into succeeding in reaching the level of majorities? 

I came from a school where I was known by mostly everyone, and believe me when I say that this is not an exaggeration. Al-Kifah Private School believed in each child, and it had an amazing connection with its students. I studied there for eight years. I grew up between its teachers and within its classrooms. The sense of being a majority grew with me as I myself did too.  My sisters graduated from the same school, so they left me with a legacy of a great reputation. Being a majority was my destiny, because the road was paved for me to be so. Yet I still had to live up to it. I had to create my own reputation to be remembered with. I wanted people to say that I really did accomplish many things in that school.  

Then I decided to be an exchange student...  I did not expect to show up in a county that has never had a Saudi before and magically become Miss. Popular. No, things had to happen, and I had to face the challenge of proving myself in a new place. I suddenly became my own minority on the first day of school. In my English class, I explained to my classmates that it doesn't matter if you're a cool football player or a smart band member, because this is high school. High school is nothing but a product of the society. Each school is different, because the people who attend it are different. Moving from a state to another state could be difficult, so what about moving from the fifth largest city in Saudi Arabia to McDowell County? 

We are destined to face challenges so we can grow and learn.  I am very blessed, because I've been going through a roller coaster, and I'm still enjoying it.  Building my way to be a majority will not work in a year, but at least I know that I worked hard to leave a fingerprint before I leave. The reality behind succeeding is having the potentials of influencing others positively. I am not a product of McDowell High, but I was able to bring Saudi Arabia within myself and expose others to it. I will go back to being a majority, because thousands of miles away, people are eagerly waiting to see me and know about my year in here. 

I don't know if this makes much sense, but what I'm trying to state is that we will always have a place to go back to and feel like we are the most important people in the world.  But for now, or at least for myself, I will always remember that "big" does not mean that "small" is bad. 

Going back to my point of influencing others. Tonight, I had the pleasure of attending the Teacher of the Year Banquet with my American Mother. Thirteen teachers were being recognized for their efforts.  Educators are the influencers in each school. I was very inspired by the way each principal talked about his/her Teacher of the Year. They were very proud of them, and through their words, I knew that they felt very honored to present them as the best in their schools.  The teachers were a reflection of the tremendous work that every educator does to improve the learning experiences for the students. They spoke with passion, and their speeches reached the hearts of everyone in the room. A great leader takes full pride of his team, and every principal seemed very honored and proud tonight. The teachers made me want to become a teacher!  But, I know for a strong fact that that is not going to happen for me, because, well, I just don't know how to teach. (Good thing I know how to talk at least!)

As we were leaving the banquet, I received many videos from tonight's graduation ceremony at Al-Kifah. The school's administration that made me grow with important knowledge about life  -- and not only math and science which don't necessarily interest me -- did not forget me on this important day. They played a video about my life in the United States, and they talked about my experience. Now you see, a person does not have to be a majority to have what my school did for me, because I simply left it leaving my fingerprint behind. My teachers didn't ask me for A+'s as long as I made standard A's. They focused on my intelligence in speaking, so they made me give a speech in most of the school's conferences. They recognized my passion to write, that is why I gained support from all of them to improve it (but I still can't write good topic sentences. Oh well).  My school, Al-Kifah, gave everyone an equal opportunity in their talents to excel, and this is why I believe that it is the best school in the world.  I did not sit here without asking to give a speech at my McDowell High's graduation, but things run differently from one place to another. The traditions here are important to follow, but changing for the sake of the development of the next generations shall not harm. 

I am neither a majority, nor am I a minority. I do not care about the "coolness" that some people get obsessed about. I am the product of two great parents, and one amazing school. The future will give me a lot, and I need to offer it things in return. I may become a teacher, but that will be in volunteering aboard to teach English to kids in need. I will influence and leave my mark, and this will be through my dreams that I shall accomplish. I will work on my topic sentences too, because the resolution of our discussion in the AP English class led us to discover more about ourselves. Which then helped us in analyzing long articles concerning this topic. I will graduate without a speech to give, but I will be holding a diploma that will be the key to my next journey.