Junction City High School is unlike most high schools in Kansas. Over half of the students are a different race in Junction City and it is a very diverse community. The diverse community in the high school makes an environment that everyone can comfortable in.

Lily Nyugen, a Senior in Junction City High school likes the diversity here. Lily has lived here for most of her life but was born in Florida and she compares Florida to Kansas.

“Florida is fun; it’s not that busy here in Kansas, but it is definitely more diverse than Florida. My cousins like it here when they visit because it’s so calm.” Said Lily Nyugen, a senior at Junction City High School.

Lily believes that the exposure to different cultures has given her opportunities to learn about new cultures.

“With so many people coming to Kansas I get to see different styles of how people dress, accents, and act socially.”

Unlike many schools, Junction City isn’t comprised of many cliques and are culturally accepting because of the many different cultures that attend the high school.

“I believe Junction City is filled with different ethnicities and try to get everyone involved” Said an anonymous Senior at Junction City

The military installation is merely minutes apart from Junction City everyone and because of this, so many people from different places come to Junction City because of the military.

Andras Sandoval is a senior in Junction City High school and has lived here for four years. Andras has experienced the diversity throughout his high school years and believes that diversity has benefited him greatly.

“With Junction City being a military installation there are different ethnicities and beliefs. You can meet a person that lived in New York and find out about their culture.”

“Like for example, I compare the weather here to the weather in Colorado all the time.”

There are even accounts of students switching schools to attend Junction City to feel like they fit in more.

“I moved here because in my old school people bullied me for being a different ethnicity and over weight. I like it here in Junction City because I don’t have that feeling here” Said an anonymous student currently attending Junction City.

These students from different states can always share their different experiences in other states, but they can also find familiar faces and other students who used to live in the states they lived in. These slight similarities can bring two individuals who would have never thought of being friends to being close friends.

The Junction City High School principal, Ms. Sharp, was interviewed on her ideas of the diversity of the high school. Living in Junction City for 23 years, she’s learned to call this place her home. Ms. Sharp has moved around often in her life and had to adjust to many different settings and build many relationships.

“We don’t come from the same mold. We’re unique and different.”

She had the opportunity to meet many different types of people from around the world in her athletic career and in her high school life. She can relate to many of the students that move into Junction City with a moving background, because she experienced the same when she was our age. It’s hard to be the new kid and because of that the high school tries to get everyone involved.

“I’m more comfortable in the element of diversity” said Ms. Sharp “And I feel comfortable in Junction City.”

When Junction City High School was compared to the diversity in America, the ratio was quite similar.

“We don’t look like Kansas. We look like the United States and that’s what I love about Junction City. We’re all accepting of one another. I have the opportunity to experience the amount of diversity other schools don’t.”

Ms. Sharp believes that we need to embrace our individuality and appreciate the diversity in the school.