He loaded his whole life into a U-Haul. “The Autobiography of Malcolm X,” a bed, a panoply of cooking materials, and a Patrick McDonnell children’s book journeyed north with him. Tall trees and clear canal water faded as skyscrapers emerged outside of his windshield.

History teacher Tray White ventured away from his Southern lifestyle in Georgia to the Midwestern lifestyle of Chicago this summer to serve as Parker’s new Intermediate and Middle School Dean of Student Life— a position entailing the establishment of clubs, counseling, managing gradewide retreats, and leading the Summer Bridge Program.

Transforming his perceptions about the Midwest, White’s visit to Chicago last year shocked the Southerner. “You have the city of Atlanta. That was my context for what a city was, and after visiting Chicago,” White said, “I realized that my concept of a city was distorted.”

White established much of his perception of Midwestern cities through teaching his Civil Rights Class at Augusta Preparatory Day School, where he also served as a middle school counselor. “We looked at some race riots that happened in the Midwest. At the time, the Midwest was really composed of first and second generation European immigrants who made their way over from the East Coast,” White said. “You have that, and you have black folks migrating from the South up through the Midwest. Now you have this conflict and tension.”

When White traveled to Chicago, he found little tension and segregation, and much racial and ethnic diversity. “Diversity has taken on a new meaning for me here,” White said. “Being able to walk down the street and hear four or five different languages being spoken, or seeing people feel much more comfortable and open about expressing themselves.”

Food enhanced White’s impression of Chicago’s diversity. “I had no idea that Chicago had such an incredible food culture,” White said. “I wouldn’t consider myself a full-blown foodie, but I enjoy exploring different neighborhoods and the city that encompasses them by the collection of restaurants that each community has to offer.”

Various ethnicities, each with their unique cuisine, compose Chicago’s diversity. West Town primarily includes Polish cuisine, Pilsen primarily includes Mexican cuisine, and Lincoln Square primarily includes German cuisine, according to the “Oregonian.”

Diversity also impacted White’s consideration of Parker. “Parker says, ‘We’re not going to wait until someone is an adult to talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion,’” White said. “We’re going to talk about those things early on.”

Intermediate and Middle School Division Head John Novick appreciates White’s recognition and embrace of diversity. “His experiences and the level of what I would call his ‘cultural competence,’ his understanding of how identity impacts how we experience the world and relate to one another, will be brilliant,” Novick said.

Experiencing a unique world to him, White felt the embrace of Midwestern hospitality. “Hospitality isn’t just a Southern thing,” White said. “Everybody here is extremely nice that I’ve met so far. Willing to help whenever they can.”

Novick took White to a Cubs game and recommended restaurants to him to help him acclimate. “He seems to me to be very enthusiastic and excited about seeing a new city,” Novick, who—through these experiences—has seen White’s assimilation to Chicago firsthand, said. “The adjustment has not looked difficult for him.”

White, aided by his experience as a counselor, teacher, and an athletics coach, hopes to return the favor by assisting students as he continues to adapt to Midwestern culture. “I think of it being like a dream come true. Continuing to try to take on a new challenge,” White said about the job. “Every day it’s learning how to incorporate everything you’ve done up to this point into the job now.”

Novick helped White, whom he and the rest of the selection team unanimously picked from a pool of 75-80 applicants, to bolster his confidence in tackling this new challenge, over the summer. “It can be very easy to drift into a space of ‘I know it all,’” White, who—until recently—had only been to Chicago as a child, said. “You stick to the things that are most comfortable, but that’s not always a good thing.”