Tag Archives: student voices

Diversity Isn’t Just a Buzzword—It Changed How I See the World

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By Dominic T.

As I scanned my high school cafeteria, I, like every other freshman in America, anxiously wondered where I would fit in.

The difference was, when I looked at all my potential lunch companions, I didn’t just see students from countless religions, races, backgrounds, and economic statuses. I saw scholars, athletes, artists, musicians—completely unique individuals.

That experience, and many others like it, helped me realize something important: diversity isn’t just a feel-good checkbox. It’s essential to communities across the country.

The benefits of diversity aren’t just subjective—they’re measurable.

In a 2014 Princeton University study, researchers asked groups in Texas and Singapore to price stocks. They found that diverse groups were 58% more accurate than non-diverse groups. In other words, diversity improves how we solve problems, how we collaborate, and how we perform.

This applies to the workplace, too. Every culture has something valuable to bring to the table—economically, socially, and intellectually.

Diversity also saves lives. A study conducted at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that patients from non-white backgrounds often receive worse care from predominantly white medical centers. But when diversity among medical professionals increases, patient outcomes improve.

That’s because when people feel seen, heard, and understood—especially in essential settings like hospitals—they thrive.

I know this from experience. Out of 362 suburbs in Illinois, my hometown of Romeoville ranks number 31 in diversity. Growing up, I never saw my classmates from other cultures as “different”—it just felt normal.

As an agnostic person, I learned about religions like Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam directly from my peers. Their openness helped shape how I think, and helped me better understand the values people hold.

Diversity isn’t something you check off on a college application.
It’s a force that opens your mind, expands your empathy, and builds stronger communities.

The cultural richness of my hometown made me who I am. I believe everyone deserves the chance to grow up in an environment like that—because it doesn’t just change how you see the world.


It changes how you move through it.

The Hidden War Within: How Tribalism Splits Nigeria

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By Richard F.

Divide is part of human nature. We divide ourselves based on hair texture, gender, skin color, religion—but one that surprised me the most as I was growing up was dividing by tribe.

I am Nigerian, born and raised to embrace our rich and diverse culture. I thought different tribes, languages, and traditions were what made us strong. But the older I became, the more I realized how deeply tribalism had shattered the very pillars of our nation.

Nigeria has over 250 ethnic groups, yet the most densely populated—Yoruba, Hausa, and Igbo—dominate national politics and overshadow our shared identity. The roots of this division lie in colonization, when external forces arbitrarily drew borders across Africa, grouping together vastly different peoples into one country. Nigeria was not born as a nation; it was created as a colony. And the scars of that project remain.

Still, while I acknowledge the role colonization played, I also believe the current generation must take responsibility. Tribalism exists today because we keep perpetuating it—not because colonizers are still here.

I’ve seen it within Nigerian churches here in America, where adults tell children to “only marry Yoruba,” or discourage friendships along tribal lines. These are not harmless preferences; they are seeds of division, disguised as tradition.

Some Yoruba people even pride themselves on having “never been slaves,” using this as proof they are superior to other tribes. But no history is entirely pure. Such myths only breed resentment.

We’re taught to treat each other as “other,” even though we share the same national anthem, the same flag, the same future.

My Nigerian-ness cannot—and should not—be defined only by my tribe.

It is time to break the cycle. We, the youth, must consciously reject the stereotypes passed down to us. We can honor our traditions without using them as weapons.

We may have inherited tribalism, but it does not have to be our legacy.

More Than a Tan Suit: How Racism Shapes Presidential Respectability

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By Diego G.

Evil comes in many forms: the removal of healthcare from vulnerable Americans, the erasure of marginalized and oppressed peoples, or—worst of all—a tan suit.

No matter the issue, few things stick out more to the American public than the face behind it.

August 28, 2014, was pivotal for this reason. During the then-age of flower crowns and UGG boots, a tan suit worn by President Obama was deemed a national offense. Ironically, that fashion “crisis” somehow overshadowed Obama’s actual press conference about military plans in Syria. Whether it was deemed “unpresidential” or just “inappropriate,” America collectively decided: we’ll talk about ISIS later.

The ecru suit—typically worn in warmer, semiformal settings—seemed to symbolize another unspoken taboo in American politics: non-whiteness, something that many may have subconsciously linked to being “unprofessional.” If it were truly about the suit, why didn’t Donald Trump’s navy blue attire at Pope Francis’s funeral draw similar outrage?

But it didn’t—just like the current administration’s bizarre AI-generated TikToks portraying Trump as a golden idol or Obama being arrested didn’t either.

Since then, Donald Trump has refused to lower the flag after Senator John McCain’s death, and built a reputation around erratic tweets and a shocking digital footprint. He’s become less a symbol of professionalism and more of a reality TV character. Yet, somehow, Obama’s tan suit lasted longer in the public imagination than many of Trump’s actual political scandals.

That begs the question: What makes a Black man presidential—if someone like Trump can act like an estranged Kardashian and still merit the title?

This isn’t to say Obama’s presidency was without controversy. But unlike international arms deals or scandals, the most iconic media frenzy of his term was…the color of his suit.

Systemic racism doesn’t always announce itself loudly. It hides in plain sight—beneath standards, between expectations, and along the blurred lines of who is deemed “professional” and who is not.

Yes, Black Americans are often told they must work twice as hard to be treated equally. But two times zero is still zero. Without respect, privilege stays intact. And suits are still expected to be black.

The American Dream Is Simply a Dream

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By Sosena T.

All that you have isn’t solely the product of your hard work. Instead, it’s the result of a combination of factors that have played a significant role in bringing you to where you are. Because of this, the idea of a society built entirely on merit can never truly exist.

But if no one’s success is entirely their own—then whose is it?

The accident of birth has contributed to the establishment of societal classes since the days of Ancient Greece. When we look at the “meritocracy” system in America, it’s clear that what Americans pride themselves on is not so different from that of Greece. It, too, is tainted by chance.

Two high school students in Princeton, NJ—Aryan Ahja and Hoin Lee—who are currently going through the grueling college application process, said that success today is closely related to “individual connections” and comes with “a certain degree of bias.”

Bias may help someone advance in life, but that’s not true meritocracy. A fair playing field would need to exist—but that can only happen in utopian societies. Not in America. Not in 2025.

According to Nicholas Fata, a graduate student at Princeton University, the poster boy of meritocracy—the American Dream—is actually exclusive. The world we live in has restricted the possibility of prosperity due to various barriers, from economic limitations to social inequalities. And while the American Dream may mean something different to everyone, the role of merit in achieving one’s goals is often far smaller than we like to believe.

So can a true meritocracy ever exist?

Maybe questions like these—mine and yours—can’t be answered with a single explanation that quenches all thirst for reason. But acknowledging the random advantages and inequalities of life can strengthen our understanding of today’s society.

Sometimes dreams are just dreams. But looking toward the future without limits in mind?


That’s better than any American Dream.