Diversity At Highland

from Kazakhstan, who regardless of their early process of learning English, still needed ways of communicating. We have seen our students and staff's open and friendly attitude at Highland, doing their best to make them feel part of the school community. Some of them would use translators on their phones and others would even go a step further and start to memorize phrases commonly used in their own language making them feel more comfortable as they get accustomed to a new language. When interviewing Sofia, she mentioned that she really values when somebody takes the effort to find a way to communicate with her. The fact that people try to engage with her in conversation makes her feel appreciated and accepted by them. She added that this small effort really shows how much they care, which is something she highly regards.

For students like Callian, who is a Junior at Highland Academy, having a bigger friend group that speaks Spanish has influenced her to learn more of the language. It has also given her the chance to ask them for help with topics in her Spanish class that she does not fully comprehend. Combining her efforts studying for this class with some help, she has been able to improve her grade by a full letter! Furthermore, she has also noticed that what she has learned is also helping her to understand conversations in Spanish and to her surprise, communicate with Sofia–who speaks Portuguese–better. For her, apart from improving a grade, what brings her more happiness is connecting with people better, which she finds even more satisfactory. She has started to see language not as another school subject, but as a way to communicate and establish meaningful connections with others. She is encouraged to keep learning and using the language, to be able to communicate even better in the future. As well as language, cultures also carry their own cuisine and traditional foods. However, sometimes they–with small variations–share recipes, leaving just a few differences that lead to discussions about which one tastes better. From a conversation that debated which was the best kind of “arepa,” either Venezuelan or Colombian, Jeniffer Southard, girls' assistant dean, and school’s nurse, volunteered her house’s kitchen to be the place of a cook-off. This “competition” took place on a Sunday morning, where representatives of these two countries came together to cook this traditional food in their own way. Despite the conversation and laughter, the cooks worked hard and concentrated to not get distracted. After everyone tried both of these dishes and appreciated their different flavors, the conclusion came to be that the best arepa was a mixture of the Colombian with the Venezuelan filling, resulting in a tie, or as everyone considered it, a win! Apart from bringing cultures together and allowing others to try traditional food from other countries, in Southard’s words, this cook-off was “a good excuse to try some tasty food from two different places and enjoy time with students”

Even though different from past experiences, having a wide variety of countries represented in the academy has enriched the school culture. Regardless of the issues that may arise from such a mix of personalities with different backgrounds, it's everyone's responsibility to find opportunities to connect with others, learn from them, and expand our horizons. By cultivating an environment of acceptance and respect, Highland Academy can ensure that each person’s unique culture is embraced and celebrated, providing a powerful platform for learning and growth.