Apr 6, 2015

When I first found out I was nominated for the Rams Blitz program I felt two different emotions.  One was excitement, another was nervousness.  The excitement came from the thought of new experiences and the possibility of making new friends, whereas my feeling of nervousness came from the exact same possibilities.  I was nervous about meeting people from McCluer North.  I was afraid they would judge me or stereotype me as someone I’m not.  When in reality, I am a girl who attends Lindbergh and simply wants to create more awareness for gender, racial, and cultural diversity.  I want to be able to explain to people that no one is the same, therefore all should be accepted.

Prior to the program, I wasn’t sure about how effective meeting with McCluer North would be.  To be honest, I thought this was another average “character development” program.  I was completely wrong! Rams Blitz, with the help of Diversity Awareness Partnership and CharacterPlus, opened my eyes on the many issues our society faces every day, whether it be stereotypes, racial diversity or lack of inclusion. One of my favorite experiences of the program was the inclusion activity we participated in.  We were split up into mini groups and given the task to make an activity, club, or some type of awareness day.  All the incredible ideas, such as a religion awareness club, an anti-bullying app, and a school-wide event dealing with inclusion of others, helped me and my fellow classmates take home possible activities for Lindbergh to take part in.

Before Rams Blitz started, I was guilty of sometimes judging others too quickly or making assumptions that were not true.  With this program’s guidance, I now understand that being judgmental or making too many assumptions can be detrimental to others.  By showing me that I shouldn’t make assumptions about people, even if it may be subconsciously at this point in my life, Rams Blitz has made me a better person and taught me to step back and get to know people, before making judgements.

As a student leader at Lindbergh High School, I plan on telling others the knowledge I’ve learned at Rams Blitz.  I want to share with others that it is ok to be different, because no one is the same.  This program has also shown me that to be a leader, one must be able to take input from a group.  As I watched all of the Rams Blitz facilitators, they were happy to answer questions and turn the teaching into an informational conversation.  This aspect of the program made the experience more enjoyable and memorable.  Rams Blitz is an excellent program with an excellent message.  I hope students who earn the chance to participate in this program in the future, receive the same gratification I have.  I am grateful for this experience, all of the new people I have gotten the chance to meet, and for the incredible facilitators that made the program.  Thank you Rams Blitz.

Natalie Gibson is a junior at Lindbergh High School, one of this year’s participating schools in Rams Blitz. As one of the blog competition finalists, Natalie’s blog is featured on the DAP website.

To learn more about the Rams Blitz program, read a previous blog entry, Rams Blitz: Student Leaders Become Diversity Inclusion Champions, written by Nicole Woodie of the St. Louis Rams.