Diversity Statementby Barry Patrick Gordon Growing up in Fairfax County, an affluent suburb of Washington, D.C., I was directly immersed to a hodgepodge of diverse cultures. I do not recall at what age words like racism and bigotry became part of my vocabulary but I can tell you they never had a chance of becoming a part of my moral fiber and being. I had many friends where English was not their first language learned and in some cases not what they spoke at home with there parents. I believe it was...certainly by middle school when I became aware of a language known as Farsi and had befriended a handful of peers who made me aware that they spoke Farsi at home. My time spent just outside the Capital Beltway west of our Nation’s capital has undoubtedly left a positive mark on me and has led to me being color blind. Pigmentation is not the first thing I notice. Grier Hammond Henchy I am grateful for this and where I come from. It is a handy trait to carry with for it will certainly make it easier to get where I am going and I would love to have Virginia Commonwealth University to be a part of my journey.