I too, am Southwest Video
I too, am Southwest
During my junior year, my high school created a Diversity Assembly with a goal of celebrating different cultures, races, sexualities, religions, and bodies to promote acceptance. The first year was a hit and it grew into an anticipated event that many clubs and students would spend months preparing performances and speeches for.
The theme of the assembly my senior year was "I too am Southwest" (inspired by the "I too am Harvard" campaign). A friend from broadcast class and I decided that we wanted to make our own “whiteboard” style video featuring our classmates and teachers.
We sent out emails and asked to speak before classes about our project and started getting volunteers. Then we spent a few weeks filming after school, about 12 hours in total, as 50 volunteers trickled in to share the parts of themselves that they wanted to celebrate. I talked with each person and helped them write their boards.
We hoped it would give students and teachers an opportunity to dispel a stereotype or show a different side of their label or identity. As an 18 year old, it was the most ambitious and most personal video project I had ever taken on.
The video was approved to be shown at the assembly, and it was very well received by the student body and the faculty. Afterwards, it was put on the school website and my Principal mentioned it as a highlight of that year during our graduation ceremony.
I was also awarded the Kindness Scholarship from the Faith Always Wins Foundation for this video project, because it “encouraged others to gain knowledge, change their mindset and have more kind behaviors.”