For Tiffany Frasier, the American “melting pot” is much more than conceptual, it’s an everyday reality.

The senior journalism major from New York University was born to a biracial mother and a Hispanic father. Frasier, 21, said her upbringing left her with a well-rounded perspective, helping her understand and rouse people from backgrounds as varied as her own.

“I think I just have that innate ability to bring out different sides of people just because my family is so diverse,” she said.

It’s no surprise she considers herself to be outspoken, on top of being assertive and understanding, given her background.

“We’re very open about talking race,” she said. “We like to push the envelope.”

Frasier’s ability to be objective and provocative and relate to other backgrounds are things she’s translating from her home life to her journalistic career.

“To be a successful journalist is to be able to reach out to different people,” she said.

Frasier’s own diversity is seemingly as influential as that of her surroundings in the hub of New York City. Originally from Westfield, N.J., Frasier said she has been familiar with Manhattan for her entire life. “I always saw myself living in the city,” she said.

“Manhattan is just the mecca of news; there’s always something groundbreaking,” she said. “Then even within Manhattan you have different sections of the city.”

Frasier hopes to connect readers through words and said the most exciting part of journalism is meeting people.