It is true that on paper just about every university program promotes cultural diversity; but I have found the UCLA program to be one that successfully and sincerely practices what it preaches. My particular program includes candidates representing numerous cultural and ethnic backgrounds including African-American, Armenian-American, Korean-American, Chinese-American, Mexican-American, Anglo-American, Vietnamese-American, Filipino-American, and Central-American, just to name a few. And even as other schools may boast of ethnically diverse populations, I've found that my program moves beyond just having a lot of "different races" meeting in the same classroom to employing a curriculum that actively engages us in examination of our differences, societies' historical treatment of difference, and the ways in which our future teaching will and must be affected by ethnic and linguistic difference in the classroom. Through my classes, school-sponsored social gatherings and fieldwork, I honestly can say that I have gained more exposure to, insight about and meaningful interactions with persons of diverse backgrounds in a single quarter than I probably have experienced in my entire life.
As a graduate of an historically African-American college, I came to UCLA in search of participation in an interracial and multilingual community of learners which would augment the experiences and knowledge I gained during my undergraduate years. This, I have found in the GSE&IS program. In reflecting upon my decision to study here, all I can say is, "So far, so good!"
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