Emily Patten,
Phoenix, AZ.

I grew up in a city with a substantial lack of racial diversity, yet my parents and teachers were able to instill values of acceptance and empathy. In my adult life, I’ve found that those two beliefs go pretty far in the way of understanding those who don’t look like me. As an elementary school teacher, my goal is to create a similar environment in the classroom: my kiddos know what Maya Angelou so beautifully stated in her poem, “Human Family”: ‘We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.’