My visit to the National Honor Society conference

The 13th annual National Honor Society Conference in Washington, D.C., was an amazing experience. I did learn ways to improve my community, but I also met dozens of high school students from across the country.

Before I went, I didn't know how the other students were going to treat the students from other states, especially us from little Carson City. I was really wrong. I met tons of students from all across the country and had no problem talking to the students from New York, Alabama, Arizona or Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The most wonderful thing I learned at this conference was how different, yet alike, all kids are across the country. I sat at a table at one time with students from Minnesota, Illinois, North Dakota and Florida, and talked forever about all the things we remember from when we were younger.

Never before had I known that others, especially those who live thousands of miles from where I grew up, actually watched the TV shows, loved the cereals, and listened to the music that highlighted my childhood and teenage years.

I understand everyone is different. Some have grown up on the West Coast, while others on the East Coast; some of us have grown up in a big city, while others in a small Midwestern town; some of us even have Southern accents, while others have Boston accents. Funny, though, I found, that even with all these differences, we're all really quite similar, and able, if we give it a chance, to get along as if we had grown up next-door neighbors.

n Danika Keating is one of two students from Carson High School to attend the National Honor Society in Washington, D.C., recently.