Alex Bohnsack

Exploratory Essay Final

Ingram
There are many things that come to my mind when I am asked, What are
you passionate about? Things like, family, friends, happiness; these all hold
strong meaning to me. But something that stood out from my list was the act of
social inclusion. Extending this term into social equality, I strongly believe that
people from all walks of life should be afforded the same opportunities as one and
other. This strong ideology of equality was put instilled in me from a young age.
Throughout my years as a student I have continued to stand by my beliefs.
Pushing not only myself, but often my peers as well, to strive for an inclusive
community.
I went to Quaker school for eleven years. During my time as a Friend, I
was schooled in the principles of equality and the ways of respect. New Garden
Friends was much different from your average school. The students helped create
the guidelines and called their teachers by their first names. The notion of respect
for one another was at the heart of every action we took. Even in the lunchroom it
was important for us to live out our principles. Every Thursday was mix it up
day, which was created so that students would avoid becoming cliquish. Our
English teacher mandated that we could not sit with people from our regular
group of friends. These mix it up days were vital to our growth because they
helped instill in us the principle of inclusion. We learned the value of hearing
multiple perspectives and that the combination of diverse influences can produce
the best outcomes. Then I went to high school. Transitioning into the real
world, I was greeted with the harsh reality that not everyone held such open
values. I noticed as cliques developed, members became complacent, and there

Alex Bohnsack
Exploratory Essay Final
Ingram
was no mechanism to introduce change. Even though we attended one of the
most diverse high schools in the county, we still had strong social divisions. Being
thrown into this new environment made me realize that personal effort must be
made to ensure that we dont stay in our comfort zones.

Being a freshman in college, I am getting thrown into this community

where acceptance is part of the culture. College is a place where more often than
not, people will encounter other types of people that they did not even know
existed. But that is the beauty of it. In younger grades we have to fight, push, and
regulate our interaction. College helped to show me that, there is not a need for
me to be passionate about an inclusive community. By this I mean, on their own,
people will look out for others. I know not everyone will, but in the community I
have seen here at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, it is evident that
there are many decent human being here.

I am not throwing away this passion of having an inclusive community.

Despite what I said, there are those that can still learn how to include others, or
simply be more open to new ways of life. However, I think as I grow older, I will
see that it is when we are younger that we need are hands held through the
process. As we get older, hopefully we are mature enough to realize that what
makes life great is not the same thing, the same person all the time. It is the
celebration of differences, the celebration of life that makes our days exciting.

Alex Bohnsack
Exploratory Essay Final
Ingram