My upbringing and schooling have significantly shaped how I “read the world”. Growing up in the catholic education system had the largest impact on me, yet my Exchange in Sweden greatly changed my prior lenses and biases. I had so many preconceptions about the world. I had been indoctrinated with numerous prejudices against individuals that were not true. Prejudices against members of different religions, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and people who actively participated in sexual activities were instilled in me, and became deeply rooted after being repeatedly discussed in religion-based classes. It wasn’t until I moved to Sweden for my Exchange program that I began to unlearn and work against these biases. Most, if not all, of my friends were atheists, and very left-wing in terms of politics. They were active members of their community and voiced their opinions when and where they could, including in the classroom. If they disagreed with a subject being discussed, they made sure that their disagreement was brought to attention, and the teachers broadly accepted it. Most of my friends were also members of the LGBTQ+ community, and it was truly a beautiful experience to see how accepted they were in school for just living their truths. The amount of acceptance, diversity, and inclusivity in my Swedish high school for all of the students was truly phenomenal and eye opening. My Swedish High school, Skvaderns Gymnasieskola in Sundsvall, allowed for me to grow and develop in ways I never thought possible, as well as change my biases and cause them to do a complete flip. I feel so lucky to have been able to experience this drastic change, and I will forever be grateful for the full 180 change I went through.

Several single stories were present in my own schooling. the most prominent single story present in my education was about Jesus and Catholicism. Everything I learned about was taught through a Catholic lens. It was either the catholic way or no way, with very little leniency on all topics. Christianity as a whole was the only correct religion, and any ideology that did not align with Catholic beliefs was dismissed. Everything I learned throughout my grade one to grade twelve education was based on Catholic values, beliefs, and opinions, and I believe them fully. The only truth that mattered was what came out of the Church and the Pope. Everything else was deemed to be false and was not given a moment of consideration.