Ode to Diversity
by Anchalee Pagsanjan

Age Diversity. Without it, I wouldn’t have been exposed to upperclassmen getting ready to jump-start an exciting and envious career path. I wouldn’t have been motivated my spring semester of freshman year to sit at my desk applying for countless internships that I had absolutely no chance in getting. Why? Because they were only “Accepting SENIORS and JUNIORS”. Age diversity taught me that titles didn’t set my limitations. I did. It helped me become more ambitious than I already was. I was encouraged. I was mentored. I was hired and I was able to bring my fresh and original expertise to my new internships. We need people from different experience levels to teach us their ways, whether it’s old-fashioned or innovative. We need people to spread their wisdom to those who still have to attain more. We need youthful minds to collaborate with mature professional to bring novelty and cutting-edge ideas. These minds will give us modern and unique perspectives that will help us overcome the roadblocks of conventional thinking. Without age diversity, we can’t discover, share, and connect.

Gender Diversity. I never understood the importance of this one until I took a course on Organizational Leadership. I learned that women made better leaders than men, but women only make up 14.6% of executive leaders. If they are the best, shouldn’t they make up more? What I took out from this one hour and twenty minute lecture was that we need more gender diversity. If women make better leaders, then we need more women leaders. More women leaders mean better leadership and better business. We need gender diversity because men lack the feminine aspects that make a great leader. We need gender diversity because women lack the masculine aspects that make a great leader. We need gender diversity because we have to teach one another our skills to better ourselves and the community. Without gender diversity, we can’t discover, share, and connect. 

Cultural Diversity. Why do we need it? I grew up in a New Jersey township surrounded by crops and cows. I was raised in a Filipino household, but I never embraced my Filipino culture. I was embarrassed by it. I lived in a town where whites were the majority and the only culture I wanted to immerse myself in was theirs. Then I got to Rutgers University and joined the Rutgers Association of Philippine Students. For the first time, I was able to enjoy and understand my culture. I was able to appreciate its beauty. I was able to share this beauty with other Filipinos and non-Filipinos. I learned that it was important to be different and it was important to contribute to diversity. Diversity gives us the chance to show people the significance of each culture. Diversity enlightens us and intensifies our knowledge. Diversity betters our attitudes, beliefs, and actions. We can connect with people in ways we would have never thought to be connected. Everyone can connect through gender, age, race, ethnicity, interests, passions, or a mixture of cultures. With diversity, we can share our insights and philosophies. With diversity, we can express ourselves freely to “make the world more open.”

So what are the benefits of diversity? Look up and look around you. You are staring at diversity in its finest state.

Thank you diversity.

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*I wrote this for a Facebook Internship essay. Unfortunately, I didn't get accepted. But I wanted to share this because diversity has shaped me and helped me improved. Diversity is so important! I wouldn't have the world any other way.*