Diversity in Psychology

My most notable experience out of my comfort zone to date would have to be my transition from private school to public school. The thoughts, feelings, and anxiety that I felt the first few days before entering high school is something I will never forget. Going into high school is hard for most kids, as it marks one of the last milestones in our childhood. Every person walking through those doors on the first day is thinking the same thing; “just four more years and I am done”. Not only was this the case for myself, but add to it the fact that I was now considered the new kid in school.

Up until the eighth grade I attended a private Catholic school. We did not have many kids in each grade, so we were all very close friends. These are the kids I grew up with and shared many of my child hood memories with. From birthday parties, sleep-over’s, dances, sports teams, and play dates, we were always together. We didn’t have to worry about who had the nicest shoes or who wore a more expensive pair of jeans as we were all in our school uniforms. We strictly liked each other because of who we were as people. As my eighth grade year was coming to an end, my parents informed me that I would be attending the public high school in my town. I did not know what to think. What about my friends? What if no one liked me? Why do I have to start all over again? What did this mean to all of the friendships I have forged over the last eight years of my life? Needless to say, I was upset, hurt, and angry. After talking with many of my classmates, I realized that everyone was going their separate ways. Some were going to continue on to Catholic high schools, while others were also going to their town’s public high school. It turned out that I was not the only one who was so worried; we all were thinking the same thing.

As my first day as a freshman in high school was drawing near, I started to panic about what to wear. I went through fifteen different shirts...