Aidan Holley, 18, has won the Parade of Nations essay contest on multiculturalism. He will receive
a $1,000 scholarship to Michigan Technological University, where he will study engineering
management, starting this fall.
Multiculturalism is a fact of life for Holley, who lives in Baraga.
"I have lived in the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community most of my life. Half of my graduating
class at Baraga High School was tribal."Aidan Holley
The Parade of Nations essay contest was open to high school seniors who plan to go
to Michigan Tech. It asked two questions:
- What does multiculturalism mean to you?
- Why does it matter to you, to your community, to our country, to the world?
In his essay, Holley writes: “In my community, Baraga County, this concept is especially
important to understand. The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community lies within the area, and
Baraga’s culture can be divided mainly into two different groups: Yoopers with Finland
in their blood and Native Americans who have been on this land for centuries. For
the most part, we get along well together. But there are times that it can get problematic,
because multiculturalism is a mostly unknown and foreign concept for much of our populations.
If both groups put multiculturalism into effect for Baraga, it would create a more
welcoming environment for either group to be more open to each other, spreading even
more culture to each other without the worries of being slandered.”
As for the importance of multiculturalism to the country and the world, Holley says:
“My definition of multiculturalism is to have a better understanding of the people
who surround us in our world. To me, it is really important to be able to harness
this major ability, as it helps connect people from multiple different regions of
the globe. For example, in a workplace, having workers who are American, Italian,
Kenyan, Russian, Japanese, and/or Brazilian in the same area helps create diversity,
which helps each culture to understand the other. Using this example all over the
world would create an alliance of hundreds of different backgrounds and traditions
and unite them together into one large hub that anyone can learn from.”
Aidan goes on to say: "Our country is another good example of why multiculturalism
is important to understand. It does happen in some areas of the United States, but
only on certain occasions and in certain areas of the country. If it happened all
over our society, it would create a much more accepting environment to be able to
share whatever culture someone belongs to with a different culture."
The valedictorian of his class at Baraga High, Holley has won more than 20 scholarships.
He was inducted into the National Honor Society in 10th grade. He also served on the
student council.
"He's a phenomenal student and a great kid, but what really stands out for me is his
huge heart," says Aidan's mother, Stefanie Holley. "He always goes out of his way
to let everyone know how appreciative he is of the help they have given him--his classmates,
his teachers, the bus driver. He recently sent a thank-you card to one of the lunch
ladies."
Aidan’s mother recalls another experience he had with multiculturalism. “We lived
in southern Mississippi for three years when he was younger,” she explains. “It was
a completely different culture. He learned a lot there.”
Both Parade of Nations contest winners this year were from Baraga. Chiara Rapacci,
an exchange student from Italy, won the logo design contest. Holley was not surprised. “It reflects on the teachers at Baraga High School,” he says. “I can’t
say enough good about the teachers there.”
When Holley isn’t excelling in school or being kind to the people around him, he likes
to ride his Honda motorcycle, repair vehicles, collect coins and enjoy the vastness
of Lake Superior.
The Parade of Nations will take place on Saturday, September 17. Read more on our Facebook Page.
