My Place in My World Anonymous

In a school as small as The College Preparatory School (CPS), I often joke that just from looking at someone's shoes, I can give his or her first and last name and favorite color. Obviously this is an overstatement, but the point is that my "world" is relatively small. I chose to go to CPS because I was hoping for a feeling of kinship and intimacy, a comfortable and open environment.

However, I quickly noticed that students had formed small social groups that did not interact with one another. The class felt divided, lacking the sense of community I was seeking. Worse, I found myself caught up in this mentality, a part of one of these small groups. I realized that I was adding to the social separation that had occurred. Disappointed with myself and determined to change the way I interacted with my classmates, I made a conscious decision to reach out to a wider group of people, to "become the change I wanted to see in my world."

Knowing that I couldn't change the class dynamic overnight, I decided to start small. About halfway through my freshman year, I organized a bowling party, hoping that it would be an opportunity for different groups of students in my class to interact with one another. I made...