Mackenzie Melnar

EDU 280

Spring 2019

Assignment 1

Who am I? Well isn’t that the question of the century. I think I ask myself this question

just about every day. I wouldn’t doubt that others are doing the same. I could start with my

name, I am Mackenzie Melnar. I’ve always liked my name for its uniqueness and was told by my

parents that the name Melnar came from Czechoslovakia which isn’t actually a country anymore,

but two (Czech Republic and Slovakia as of 1993). Unfortunately, this information did nothing

but confuse me because as it turns out, my dad was adopted so technically, I don’t share any

blood with the “real” Melnars out there. Another unique feature I treasure is my red hair which

people assume makes me Scottish or Irish. Yet, I can’t fully connect with either of those cultures

either because my whole entire family is purely American. My dad’s biological last name would

have been Lewis and my mom’s maiden name is Pitchford. Both of these families have been in

America for a century or more. I’ve come to the conclusion that I am just American and nothing

more.

Enough about the past, what does this mean for me and my life? The first thing I’d like to

mention is that a lot of the men in my family served time in the military and this is always seen

as something to be proud of in America. Respect for the military and respect for authority in

general is something ingrained in me. My dad retired from the Air Force after serving 20 years

and most people whose parents served in the military moved around a lot. I got lucky and have

lived my entire life in Las Vegas thanks to my dad being stationed here. I feel that growing up in
Las Vegas has greatly enhanced my personal experience because of the extremely diverse

community here.

Anyone who’s not from here first assumes that Las Vegas would be a horrible place to

raise children because of the “Sin City” association. However, this tourist trap is as good a place

to call home as any. Growing up in Las Vegas is certainly different than growing up anywhere

else. Every day in Las Vegas people are flying in from all over the globe whether for vacation or

sometimes to stay. My classmates growing up were rather diverse and the exposure I had to a

wide range of cultures taught me that you really can’t judge a book by its cover.

One of the greatest values in my life is the love I have for music. Music is one of the few

constants that appears in nearly all cultures. I went to Las Vegas Academy for 9th-12th grade

where I mainly studied music and learned to play the saxophone. I see music as a wonderful tool

for learning and a brilliant way to break down cultural barriers. It is a universal language that has

the ability to speak to anyone no matter where they are from or how they were raised.

Growing up, they tell you you can be anything you put your mind to, and when I was in

second grade I decided I would be a teacher one day. One of the benefits of growing up

American is that I won’t let anything hold me back. Americans have proven time and time again

that just about anything is possible. So, I wouldn’t say my life was absolutely full of cultural

experiences however my eyes are open for what is out there. As a prospective educator I feel a

certain duty to learn all that I can about other cultures so that I am best prepared for my future

career. This writing process has helped me see that there is still so much that I could learn in

order to have a better understanding of people.