My neighborhood and the surrounding area can be seen as socioeconomically segregated. There was a train station splitting the “rich people” and the “broke people”. Me being on the latter side of this spectrum, I always had a preconceived idea about those who were on the other side: condescending, conceited, stubborn, etc. Especially when finding out the those elementary schools on the other side had funds to go to so and so facilities and had so and so academic opportunities, it felt like a disadvantage in more ways than one. Upon entering high school, where both sides of the station join together to become one big public school, it felt pretty awkward. Not only because these were new people, but also again, because of the ideas I already had about them. This was more transparent for me when playing soccer for the school team. “We” kept amongst ourselves and “they” did the same. However, as we had to inevitably play together for the sport, I realized that they were not the inherently stuck up people I had thought and rather, they were equally as passionate and excited to just play the game. As I interacted with more of the “other” people throughout classes and and clubs, I came to understand that while there were some differences in experience, this was a time that we were all slowly understanding the “real” world and learning to cooperate with people of different backgrounds.
