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It’s easy to write New Canaan off as a bubble, frankly because there is no denying that it is a bubble. In 2011, Money Magazine deemed New Canaan the 8th top-earning income town in the country. With a median home price of over a million dollars, it is no wonder why New Canaan is a part of the “Golden Coast.”

Many New Canaan High School graduates I know complain about the bubble. Going to college means going to a whole other world for many of us. I have been known to complain occasionally as well. My issue with New Canaan, or at least NCHS, is the lack of diversity. It is hard to understand other cultures when 90% of NCHS’s student body is white.

Last August I began my first year of college. The College of William and Mary, a school not particularly known for its diversity, provided me a community with more variety than I could ever imagine. Challenging what you have known is one of the main elements of college, but I wish that I had been less ignorant of this beautiful variance before I started college.

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Diversity is mainly the extent of my complaints though. Getting out of the wealth bubble was shocking, but only mildly so. New Canaan kids are taught that they are well off from a very young age. Sometimes that resonates into an “age of spoilage.” We’ve all seen that nagging middle school student begging his mom for the next Apple gadget. More importantly, what follows this phase is a lesson of appreciation.

A good amount of the New Canaan population has been given the luxury of wealth. This means access to education and the ability to live comfortably while helping others. Unfortunately well known wealth can blind many to the fact that there is a decent percentage of New Canaanites who stand on less financially secure ground. It’s important that all New Canaan residents, especially those under the age of twenty, realize this.  

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However self-actualization is still made easier in a town like New Canaan. Volunteer opportunities can be found everywhere. There are countless connections to be made and opportunities to pursue made possible by the accomplished and supportive community.

So, sassy college kids, next time you start moaning, try to also remember the good things this town has brought you. Yes, New Canaan can easily be written off as a bubble, but it is also a fantastic place to grow up.

 

                                                                  Works Cited:

1.     "NCHS Overview." US News. U.S.News & World Report, n.d. Web. 18 June 2013.

2.     "Top-earning Towns." CNNMoney. Cable News Network, 15 Aug. 2011. Web. 18 June 2013.

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