Fame High Jasmine Lee

I revel in an eccentric painting of a curled up, blue-haired woman; I overhear a girl rehearsing a classical monologue, maybe Shakespeare; I soak in the haunting sound of a violinist playing a Tchaikovsky concerto in a nearby classroom. Walking down the green and orange hallways, I catch sight of students filming a group of dancers en pointe. And when I reach my classroom, I prepare to sing with my Vocal Jazz Ensemble, ready to enjoy one more avenue of artistic exploration.

I attend the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA), in which every inch of the campus is seen as a space to freely voice creativity. For three years, I have been able to create and express not only within my art form, but through every discipline, whether it be theater, dance, or composition. There are never any limitations, no outer voice suppressing the most outlandish artistic thought that may emerge.

At LACHSA, I am able to connect with everyone because we all share a passion for the arts. But not only is there artistic diversity, there is also diversity within race, sexuality, gender, and religion. Having come from a more conservative, parochial community, I immediately embraced the open and inclusive nature of my school community, amazed...