Eli Gonzalez, a WCHS student, was one of the speakers at the event.

WARSAW — A Diversity Day event was held at the Warsaw Community High School Performing Arts Center Wednesday, May 9. 

Attendees enjoyed food and social time from 5 – 5:30 p.m. At 6 p.m. dancers from Our Lady of Guadalupe, Warsaw, performed a dance routine. 

Diversity Day exists to create an inclusive environment and bring awareness to different cultures.  The goal of the event held at WCHS was for everyone to feel valued, to understand their differences and to celebrate their backgrounds.

Two WCHS students, Eli Gonzalez and Diana Salinas, were the first two speakers. Gonzalez described himself as “a feminine guy” and told the audience about his struggles with being labeled as “soft” and “weak.”

“I hope to inspire anyone who might be afraid of being different,” said Gonzalez.  

Salinas’ family moved here from Mexico when she was very young. Salinas became fluent in English within a year. As a second grader she had to translate job applications and bills for her parents.

“I had to sign myself up for school every year just as many other Hispanic kids with non English-speaking parents.”

She stated she did not experience any form of racism during her elementary school years. “Middle school is when you figure out that not all people are as nice as you are,” said Salinas. 

Following this, everyone was asked to come up to the stage to trace their handprint with chalk and write where they are from on a poster-sized piece of paper, which will be hung up at the school.

Noemi Ponce and Kondo Simfukwe were the final two speakers. The last hour of the event was spent with activities, community and food in the lobby.