
Ever since I came to Riverstone in eighth grade, internationalism has played a large role in both the school community as a whole and within my class specifically. My grade has been joined by a fair number of international students over the years, and I have always loved getting to know a new person and a new culture. One of my favorite things to say when friends of mine from outside Riverstone ask about my school is that “I’ve got friends all over the world.” And it’s true. Every time we are joined by someone new, they bring with them their culture, their traditions, and most importantly, a different perspective.
Sometimes it is easy to forget in our everyday lives that we are just a small part of an ever-growing world. The way we view things and the priorities we make might seem strange just a few time zones over. But in a funny way, that is for me the greatest part about Riverstone’s internationalism. Not only does it allow us to meet amazing people and make great friends, but it allows us to think and to produce as if we are not just residents of this one country. Instead, we represent a sort of global perspective. We don’t only think of things the way they are in Boise, but rather how the way things are here fits into context with the way things are in Africa, Europe, Asia, or South America. We’re all working together to map out this world, to both change and preserve it for future generations. Because of our internationalism, this is a responsibility we can take on. And we don’t accept that responsibility because it’s assigned. We accept the responsibility because we want it.
Thanks to Sam B., a Grade 11 student, for writing this blog entry!