Some problems with diversity among Rutgers students have recently been the subject of five o’clock news channels everywhere with the tragic death of a student whose privacy wall was shattered when a video explicated his undercover sexual orientation. This is solely the fault of some ignorant people and has not, in any way, changed my view of Rutgers because what a college application cannot measure is information about prejudices that an applicant carries with them, until this essay has been made required.

In my high school career, I have seen and learned about hate crimes and prejudice behavior, finding myself completely disturbed at the extent to which people will go to show their hatred of someone’s practices. I have also been on the forefront of many gay slurs, but never take offense to them. The trite, yet true, statement that “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” has dwelled in my brain since the day I heard it as a child. The words and remarks exacerbate throughout the years, but my reaction has never grown into more than an eye roll. I do dress different than most males and never took an interest in sports, rather taking interest in the sciences, fashion, and theater. Part of what I bring to Rutgers is my unconventionality. With my myriad of interests, I bring open mindedness to new things and people, never being at a loss of words when involved in a conversation with somebody new.

Being raised as an Italian, family and bonds are very important to me, something I cherish above any material thing. Something my family taught me was to never stop helping someone in need until they are not in need anymore. I bring these same family values with me where ever I go, so Rutgers can be sure that this will be another contribution of mine.

On a lighter note, I have a natural talent of using humor effectively in social situations. I find myself making people laugh constantly, which I use to bring many different people together. I always try my best to not only talk to a diverse group of people, but I then try to get those people to talk to other people, trying to stretch diversity even farther. This is mainly what I did with the Celebrations Club, an extracurricular activity I started in my high school. This club tried to bring together a diverse group of students of all ages, races, and backgrounds to help celebrate anything happening in the school by announcing it on a bulletin board. Starting this club showed me that I can use my humor, something I thought was only for fun, and combine it with my intelligence, determination, and social skills and start a club, something I would love to do at Rutgers.

Overall, Rutgers can give me a college education, a necessity in today’s world and a milestone for myself and family, as well as the college experience. Having spent most of my time at my house and school in Manalapan, Rutgers acts as a new platform for me to take everything I stated above to a broader more diverse audience of people. Rutgers can also act as a wake-up call for me to the real world happenings through the stories other students bring to this college. Rutgers University is my ticket to a successful and fulfilling life where I hope to share my experiences, learn from others, and mature into an adulthood.