The Purpose and Experiences of an international Student by Destiny

The Purpose and Experiences of an international Student by Destiny - April 2020 Scholarship Essay

Confidently stepping into an unknown sixth-year classroom, at a new school, within an entirely new country, I assess my classmates. They stare back at me, their eyes filled to the brim with intrigue, mirroring my own.
I find my seat. The middle row. Two from the front.
I continue to feel the curious looks from my peers on the back of my head, a few polite smiles from those closest to me, the experimental wave.
Suddenly, the boy in front of me turns around, I'm a bit startled, but think nothing of it. I was hoping to make many friends soon, and this seemed like a good opportunity to begin. He opens his mouth to speak, seeming quite eager to ask something.
As he talks, loud enough for the rest of the class to hear, I freeze. I must have misheard, "I'm sorry, can you repeat that please?"
"Are you a nazi?".
It was just a question, innocent, asked by one naive young child to another. Yet I had no answer. I was frozen, in shock. What should I say?
A wave of silence hit the class, as the air around me seemed to stand still and grow many times heavier than it had before. Although this only lasted for a few seconds before the teacher stepped in. For me, it lasted a lifetime.
Such occurrences have continued to appear every now and then during the past ten years of my life, minimally dependent on the place. However, I no longer await the aid of others to remove myself from the situation. As a German-born student, who has experienced many educational systems within drastically different countries, I have prepared myself for such occurrences.
However, the fact that I even need to justify myself within so many public situations has increasingly begun to plague my mind. What do I have to do with those people? Am I just the embodiment of a stereotype?
I have grown tired of the individuals who consistently judge others not based on their actions or their story, but by their country, their nationality.
While having the incredible opportunity to attend the International School San Patricio, I have been able to comprehend that I am not the only one who has experienced such uncomfortable circumstances. Yet, at the same time, it pains me that this is something we have in common. And while it is a bit more prominent within other countries, it seems as though every one is judged by everyone. But then I wondered, "Is the constant judgment and stereotyping contributing to communital, national or even global communication?"
No, it does not.
Therefore, a few of my friends and I have come together over the past few months to arrange a few general outlines and ideas of how to minimise this issue, if not for everyone, at least within the school we are currently attending.
We are attempting to manifest a positive thought process regarding others, their beliefs and their origins, all while constantly reminding those around us to do the same. I believe that your opinion or perception of another person should by no means be determined by the history of their country or the social stereotypes that groups of people may have mirrored in the past. It should be dependent on their character, their actions.
I am aware that when reflecting this issue on a global level, one will have to utilise much more than a group of students looking to make a difference.
Nonetheless, even from a self-serving perspective, there is an opportunity for growth. In order to expand such efforts to a universal level, however, one must begin from the community, work nationally and finally reflect globally. I am of the opinion that nothing excuses such behaviour, and it is something I wish to take with me, something that will lead myself and my community to a brighter or accepting future.