WEBVTT

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[MUSIC PLAYING]

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Culture of belonging for me
in the context of my school

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means that everyone
can walk in there,

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and they automatically
know exactly where

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they can go to feel safe
and to feel welcome.

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I think it means including
everybody, no matter what

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grade they're in, no matter
what their journey was,

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no matter what
school they go to,

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whether that's a traditional
school, an alternative school,

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a choice school.

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That is the culture in that we
feel like we all belong and we

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are not being left out
by teachers and staff

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and students.

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When I feel like
I belong, I feel

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like I'm able to make good
connections with people.

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I'm able to genuinely bond.

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It feels good, and
it feels like I

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can go to school
knowing that I have

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people who I can go to if
I need to go for something.

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For me, personally, Ms. Jamie,
our tennis specialist-- she's

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kind of my safe place because
I can go to her all the time

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for whatever I need.

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She always has pins if I need
to fix a piece of clothing.

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She will sew clothing for
students who have ripped it.

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She will do all
these things that

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just make it feel like I don't
have to be fearful of something

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that was an accident or
something that I'm not

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comfortable talking
with my peers about.

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I can always go to her.

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And I feel like, in general,
every student should have that.

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I think many students aren't
comfortable being themselves.

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And I think, in a way, maybe
seeing different teachers

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from different
ethnic backgrounds

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would increase that
so that they could

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embrace themselves
and feel like,

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I have someone I relate to.

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I've noticed from
personal experience

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and from others' experience
the people who do not

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feel as if they belong have
their academics-- their grades

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are lower, they show
up to school less,

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and they don't talk
to people as much.

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Education is really
important, and everyone

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deserves to have an equal
amount of education.

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If they don't feel
like they belong,

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they aren't able to
get that education,

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just because they will
feel, I don't belong,

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so why even bother
going to my school?

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I decided to move over
into alternative education.

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And when I got there,
I was really nervous.

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And I sat down with my school
counselor and the social worker

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there, and they told me, listen,
you're going to graduate.

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You're going to do
these amazing things.

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You are worth
everything, and we're

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going to help you get that.

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And they did.

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I am succeeding very well.

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Teachers-- they light
up every single time.

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They smile every single time
every student comes in the room

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like, hey, I'm glad you're
here, because, like I said,

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it's a sense of
belonging, you know?

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Every single time somebody walks
into the room, they're not shy.

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They're always walking in like,
hey, how are you guys doing?

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It's never a quiet,
head down, hoodie up.

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For me, as someone
who feels better

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when the people
around me feel better,

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when I know that my peers have
that experience where they can

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walk in the building and they
can feel good about themselves

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and can feel good about
their learning environment

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and they can just walk
in there and learn,

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that's what's great
for me, personally.

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I remember when I was
younger, I actually

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was never in touch
with my cultural roots

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because my mom and my father--

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they're not very cultural.

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They came to America
at a young age.

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And so I grew up not
having that connection.

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But when I did found
that connection,

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though, I found myself being
overjoyed and always smiling.

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And obviously, when
I don't have that,

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I find myself in my room
being sad and depressed.

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I have two ethnic
backgrounds as a mixed child,

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and being able to experience
that has made me change

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and I think has helped
me grow as a person.

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And so I want other people
to also experience that,

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to have that
learning opportunity

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to get to know themselves.

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It's like a necessity, you know?

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Feeling that you
belong, in my opinion,

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shouldn't be a question.

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I love going to school
because it's like every day is

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a blessing, you know?

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Every day, you get to learn.

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Every day, you get better.

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I want to make sure
that I'm making

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it a safe place for everybody
and that everyone feels welcome

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here.

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I feel like I've heard
other kids say this too.

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It makes us feel a lot
safer and more respected.

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We're able to have genuine
conversations even when

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there's diverse perspectives
or people who don't agree.

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Even though we have
different opinions,

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we can respect each other.

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I think it's a really
beautiful thing.

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[MUSIC PLAYING]

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