I came from a relatively homogenous high school. The uniformity was not one-dimensional either: my classmates in high school were all generally the same whether you looked at academic interests, race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or even political affiliation and stance. Therefore, top on my college wish list was a sense of diversity.

As a rising senior here at Northwestern, I can easily say that one of my favorite things about Northwestern, and one of the things that makes me the happiest here, is that the student body and faculty not only accepts the multi-faceted student body, but also encourages each individual to learn from this variety. Students here come from all across the country and world, representing various racial and ethnic groups. Furthermore, regardless of your faith, beliefs, socioeconomic status, or interests, you will find not a few, but a whole host of people who celebrate and identify with you; you will also find people who disagree with or do not completely understand your perspective. And, here at Northwestern, those differences are learning opportunities that students love to take a hold of.

My sophomore year, I participated in group on campus called Sustained Dialogue. For one quarter, a group of individuals met weekly to discuss issues that affected our campus, our nation, and our world. We shared our views, debated the merits of each view, and ultimately grew into a very tight unit. We had a Sustained Dialogue reunion my junior year (a whole year after we had wrapped up our last meeting) and were able to see how we were doing and of course continue discussing the issues most important to us. I credit Sustained Dialogue with making me think more critically about myself and my established beliefs. Additionally, hearing from others – some who completely disagreed with me – also excited me and taught me more about myself than I anticipated. Thanks to Sustained Dialogue and the diverse people I met through this program, I now not only have new friends, but also have a much broader understanding of myself and the issues surrounding me.

This is simply one example and is simply one snapshot of the vast array of opportunities afforded to us here at Northwestern due to the depth of our student body. Northwestern’s diversity fuels the student body and allows us to truly grow personally. My answer to “what makes you happy at NU” changes semi-regularly since so much excites me here, but benefiting from my ability to look back at my past three years, I can safely say that the students’ and the university’s commitment to a broad and varied learning experience has made me the happiest Wildcat.

–Kevin Nigarura