Ben's Moral Compass
Jordyn 
Noname
Orange is the New Black
Ally
My 7th Grade English Teacher
My Dad
My 8th Grade History Teacher
Social Media
My Karate Instructor
My mom let me make an Instagram account at the end of my fourth grade year. I didn’t start avidly using social media until middle school. At first I was just a bunch of generic memes but it soon evolved to my personal magazine with things I like. Social media has given me access to things such as news, political movements, art, fashion, literature, music, etc. All of the things I see influence me in some way or another whether it’s who I follow or my views on men in mini-skirts, social media has helped shape me as a person.
The first time I ever listened to a Noname song I was in 7th grade and it was unintentionally in one of auto generated playlists. The more and more I listened to the song (Reality Check) the more fascinated I became with it and the story that was told through it. Noname is a black woman, (two things I am not) who freely expresses her opinion and fears as a black woman in America, just by listening to her music I am able to understand more about her fears and her utopia. Just by listening to her music Noname has opened my eyes and changed my mind, and I think that I would be in a different mentality if it wasn’t for her music.
My Mom
My mom and I liked to call my dad a “loud American” because that’s pretty much what he is. My father isn’t afraid of voicing his opinion or thoughts even if he’ll get weird looks and disagreements. I think this rubbed off on me, I am not afraid to voice my opinion regardless of if it contradicts the majority opinion. I also say what’s on my mind (not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing), which is something I also get from my father. These two “traits” have helped me become who I am today, and I know for a fact without them I’d be a completely different person.
I’ve known Jordyn since kindergarten and we’ve been close friends, if not best friends since kindergarten. Jordyn and I come from completely different types of families, but since we’ve known each other for so long we have become a part of each other’s family. Getting so close with Jordyn, her mom, her dad, her brother, and her cousins and uncles and aunts I have heard different things and experienced different that would have never happened in my small, all white family, because of this Jordyn, and her family have helped shape my morality.
Ally and I have known each other since we were two, our families met in Maui and have been going back together ever since, because of this Ally and I have become super close and I view her more as a sister than anything else. When you get really close with someone, you start to live your lives together, because of this I have experienced things such as mental health problems, which is something I would never experience (or at least to the extent in which I have) by myself. Of course there are other things that I have experienced and learnt about because of Ally, things that I would have never experienced or looked at the same way if I didn’t have her in my life. So, to say the least Ally has definitely led to my morals and character growth.
When I was in kindergarten I started karate, every lesson/workout before we started learning new things my instructor would always sit us down in a group and talk to us, he always would connect his life with ours and create morals and life lessons from that. Though outside of the studio he was a quiet man, inside of his studio he was full of life and I admired that. In elementary school (and even now, but not as much) I was very quiet and kept to myself, my karate instructor would always break me out of my shell. After learning from him for five years I had gained a new perspective of the world, and was taught how to be more empathetic and respectful towards people regardless of who they are and their relationship to me. This was one of the biggest lessons I’ve learnt so far, so to say the least, my karate instructor has shaped (if not formed) my morals.
My elementary school was predominantly white, so going to middle school where there were less white kids was a shock to me. The person that helped me take it all in was my 7th grade English teacher Ms. Smith. She often discussed social justice issues with us and was the first person to open my eyes towards how corrupt society is. She also ran her classroom in a closed mouths don’t get fed manner, where if you didn’t advocate for yourself you wouldn’t benefit as much. Her mix of teaching us about questioning how we perceive things and advocating for ourselves really helped me become a stronger person mentally and shaped my morals and views of expression.
The first time I ever watched Orange is the New Black was in 7th grade, when I told you I was shocked, I WAS SHOCKED, but eventually I was able to admire the queerness of it all and even able to relate in some ways. Before watching Orange is the New Black I didn’t have an opinion towards prisons and incarceration in the United States, but as I continued to watch the show and was introduced to the corruption a switch flipped in my head which sparked my interest in the prison industrial complex in all its corruptness as well as the “justice” system in the United States. I am still learning and reading about the corruption that is mentioned in Orange is the New Black but I know that if I’d never watched the show I wouldn’t have the same fire and desire for justice as I do right now.
I’d always had a liking for history, but 7th grade ancient history was not my thing. In 8th grade I was reluctant about history but was glad that I had gotten this teacher, Mrs. Smith-Stucky (oddly enough her and my english teacher are sisters). Mrs. Stucky taught her class through multiple perspectives, finding various primary sources from all sides. Her class showed me that events in history can be hidden which is why it’s important to do your research. This mentality has helped me become a lifelong learner, and has created my desire for always wanting to know why or the other side of the story.
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My mother was born and raised in England, her parents came from poor families, her mother being a great ballet dancer but unable to go to the Royal School of Dance simply because her parents couldn’t afford it and her dad moving from Northern Ireland to England by himself at 17 just so he could provide for his family. My mother was also the first person in her family to go to college. My mother’s hard work ethic has rubbed off on me, mainly because she showed me that if you work hard you will benefit in the long run. A strong work ethic and respect for yourself, and your work is the best lesson my mom could have taught me, and she did.