Essay On Who Am I

WhoamI?WhatdoIbelieve?I'vespentthelastfewyearsinabitofatransition.Iwasraisedina strongconservative,Christianhome,withwonderfulparents.Iwashomeschooledthroughhigh schoolandIwasactivelyinvolvedinthechurchEveryone,includingme,thoughtIwouldgoto Biblecollegeandbecomeamissionary.

IjoinedtheMarineCorpsat20yearsold,thenbeganattendingastatecollegeat23(ifenough peopleask,IblogaboutwhatmytimeintheMarineswaslike).Theselastfewyearshavebeen formativeforme,asIhaveencounteredmanypeople,situations,andstrugglesIhadneverimagined facinginmyyouthIhadtoreevaluatealotofthings,whichcausedmetospendalotoftimeina sortofmorallimbo,whereIwasn'tsurewhereIstoodonalotofthings.

Now,Istillamexploringsomeissues,butthereareothersIamquitecertainof.Youmaydisagree withalotofthethingsonmylistGoodThisiswheremyjourneyhasleadme,yoursmaybe leadingyoudownanotherpath.Isharethisasmuchformyselfasanyoneelse.Thisisme.Thisis whatIbelieve:

1:IbelievethereisaGod.IbelieveitistheGodoftheBible.IbelieveJesusishissonandtheheis theperfectrepresentationofGodthefather

2:Ibelievethatloveistheessenceofhumanpurpose.ToloveGodfirst,andtolovehispeople second.

3:IbelievethisworldisbeautifulNotjustthefloraandfaunaandenvironment,thoughthatisabig partofit,butalso

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PASSportEssay#1Thequestion"whoamI"?Canhavealotofindividualsthinkingabout themselves,includingmyselfbecauseonemightnotknowwheretostart.Itisaverybroadquestion, buthavingdonetheStrengthsFinder2.0assessment,IrealizedmoreindepthwhatkindofpersonI reallyambasedonmytop5strengths.WhoIamasalearner,whoIaminmycareerandwhoIam asapersonoffaithleadmetoansweringthequestionaboveandunderstandingmoreofmyself within.Firstoff,whoIamasalearnerhaschangedoverthepastyears.Attimesbefore,Iwouldn't takecertainclassesorassignmentsseriouslyandhavelearnedmylessonswhenIfailed.Ibelieve havingclassmatesatthetimewhoweren'tasfocusedasIwantedtobe,playedabigroleinmylack ofunderstandinginclasses.IunderstoodlaterthatifIfeltlearningwassoimportanttome,Ineedto realizethatitismyfutureandIneededtofocusonmyown.Havinglearnerinmytop5strengths definesmeverywell.Rath(2007)explainsthat,"Theprocess,morethanthecontentortheresult,is especiallyexcitingforyou"(p.133).IbelievethisdefinesmeasalearnerbecauseIenjoyhaving booksinhand,openingupmynotebooktowritenotesandlearningnewwaystounderstandthe class.RegardlessifthecontentissomethingIhavetogetintoorifIdon'tdowellontests,Ienjoy theprocessofstudyingandlearningmoreevenwhenIknowIdidn'tdosowell;thatiswhat motivatesme.IbelieveaslongasIkeepthismindsetandunderstandthatthisismystrength,Iwill continuetogrowandfurthermyeducationasmuchaspossible.EventhoughIhavefailedafewof mylastclasses,IneverletthatstopmefromcontinuingKnowingthatIhave"failed"makesme realizeIknowIcandobetterandItrymyhardestnottoletitgetmedown.IwillnotgetfurtherifI don'tkeeptryingandasalearnerIamamotivatortomyselfinmystudies.WhenitcomestowhoI aminmycareer,afewofmystrengthsshinethroughmorethanothersForexample,Iput everythingIhaveintomyworkandintomycareer,andlookingbackathowI'veworkedinthepast comparedtonow,Iseemystrengthsrestorativeanddeveloper.

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ThispaperdiscusseswhoIamasanindividual,throughgender,culture,myworldviewsandthe differencebetweenmeandotherpeople,whySocialWorkinterestsmeandwhat'fitandproper' meansthroughtheSocialWorkersRegistrationBoard.Theword'culture'canmeanmanythingsto differentpeopleovertheworld,mostofusarewhowearetodaybecauseofthedifferent'cultures' wehavebeenexposedtoovertheyearsthrough,friends,familyandcommunitytonameafewA briefdefinitionoftheword'culture'means'thetotaloftheinheritedideas,beliefs,values,and knowledge,whichconstitutethesharedbasesofsocialaction'(Culture,2012).Manyofuswould shareabeliefand/orviewonsituationsbasedonourcultureandwhatwehavebeenexposedtoFor example,Idiscoveredsomeofmyculture,valuesandideathroughfamily,butbecauseIlefthome atayoungageofsixteen,Ithenlearntdifferentcultures,ideas,beliefs,throughfriends,community, workandstudy.AsIbecameoldermycultureslowlychangedasImarried,changedcountryand hadafamilyofmyown.Therefore,mycultureexperienceskeptchangingwithme,forexample,my 'studyculture',turnedinto'primaryschoolandkindy'NowIamamotherItryandinstilsomeof thatintomychildrenaswellasallowingthemtocreatetheirownbeliefsandvaluesthroughtheir ownculture,likeschoolandrecreationalactivities.IbelieveIknewmygenderatayoungage,I cannotreallysayfor

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WhoIamFourbluewallsandaquaintwindowseatmakeuparoomthatcontainsallthatdefines me.Uponenteringthisroomone'seyesfallimmediatelyuponfourkeyobjects:asurfboard, Polaroidphotos,anopenbookthatisfilledwithwritinginthemargin,andastereo.Eachbelonging isapuzzlepiece,apartofwhoIam.Whenpiecedtogether,ReneeSwageristheresultingimage.I keeptheseitemsinmyroomtoshedlightonwhoIamOnthefirstwallliesasurfboardThe mountedboardiscrateredandwornfromsummersspentsurfingatChincoteagueIsland,myhome awayfromhome.Surfingismypassion.Nothingcomparestotheserenefeelingofpaddlingoutinto thevastoceanandwaitingforasetofwavestorollinIttakesshowmorecontent ThebookwillalwaysremainopenbecauseIamstillmakingmypathanddailylooktothebookfor inspiration.

Oppositethiswallsitsablackstereoonawhitenightstand.Hundredsofsongsofdifferentgenres havebeenplayedonthisstereothroughoutmyyearsinhighschool.Ifindthatindierockandjazz musichascaughtmyattentionthemostovertheyearsThereisgreatcontrastbetweenthesegenres Howeverbothareimportanttomebecausetheyevokeanemotionofhappinessindifferentways.In bothgenresthelyricsarewrittenwithpurposeandameaning.BothNatKingColeandDanCroll willsharethespotlightonmystereo.

Alastglancebackwhenexitingmyroomwouldmakeonethinkthatitcontainsverylittle.Yet,I findthatitholdsallthatIcouldeverhopeforItisnotanabundanceofmaterialpossessionsthat makesmefeelcomplete.Instead,thewordsofSalinger,thehangingphotosofsmilingfaces,anda mountedworndownsurfboardwhileNatKingColesings"Unforgettable"inthebackgroundleave mefeelingmostmyself

YoungJustice

IwasbornwithasenseofrighteousnessbeforeIevenknewitsmeaning.IfIeverfeltthatsomeone hadwrongedmeorothersIsoughttomakethingsrightnomatterwhatittook.Myfirstquestfor justicebeganatanearlyageofseven.

IhadalwaysbeenproudofmymotherforhavingbeenanurseShechosealifeofhelpingothers Thoughshewasnolongeranactivenurse

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WhoAmI?

WhoamI?ManypeoplewouldaskthisquestiontothemselvesTheywouldtrytointernalizethe questionandbegintoanswerbasedfromthethingsthatwouldgraspintotheirmind.Somewould startfromsimplethingsuntiltheywouldcometothepointthinkingofcomplexthingsand everythingbecomesdubitableasReneDescartessaysinhisUniversalMethodicDoubtAnswering thesimplequestionaboveisnotthateasy.Thoughitisnotthateasy,thereisstillananswer.No, manyanswersrather.Inmyownpointofview,internalization,experience,pointsofponder, environment,etc.aresomefactorsthatwouldleadapersontobeinacriticalstateofmind,thus leadinghiminansweringthesimplequestion:WhoamI?It...showmorecontent...

MyparentsareMarissaBEdullantesandRosellerPEdullantesTheyareverysupportive especiallywhenwetalkofourneedsandstudies.Icanseeandfeelthatfromthedaywewereborn, theytrulycareandloveus.Iamawomanwithdignitylivingwithapurpose.Atall–thin–curly–short–haired–working–college–studentwomanwhoisoneofthosepeopleexistingbydoingthe ordinaryday–to–daylifestyle.Iwakeup,eat,gotoschool,listentowhattheteachertalksabout, walkbythehallwayofourschool,gohome,commute,workonmyhomework,thengotobeduntil thecyclecontinues.Iamsittingonachairnow,facingacomputerwhiletypingeverythingthat comestomymindandpouringthemoutfromwhatIfeel.Atthispoint,IcansayIammybody. EachoneofusdesirestoreachsomethinginahurrywithoutstrivinghardtograbitAsiftheyare justtakingeverythingforgrantedandwaitingforthatdreamstocometothem.Howpatheticthese people'slifewouldbeiftheycontinuetolivealifefullofemptinessandwithguidanceofnoone. Howcouldtheyanswerthesimplequestioniftheycannotevenhelptheirownselves?Howcould theyfindasolutiontotheirproblemwithnoAbsolutetruth?

PeopleexperiencefailuresinlifeTheymaybeembarrassedinfrontofmanypeoplebecausethey werescoldedbytheirteachersofhavingdonesomethingunreasonable,freshbreak–upswiththeir girlfriendsorboyfriends,notpassingthe

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WhoamI?ItisfunnyyoushouldaskbecauseIwasjustaskingmyselfthesamequestion.How wouldIdefinemyselfInaculturethatseemstosoeasilyattachalabeltosomeoneorquicklyplace peopleintoacategory?HowwouldIbeabletomakeyouunderstandmyplaceintheworld,ormy relationshiptotheworldthatsurroundsme?IfIwantyoutounderstandandseethe"realme"and howIfitintothebigpicture,IwouldhavetodoanimmenseamountofsoulsearchingIwouldhave tochoosemyingredientsverycarefully.Firstandforemost,Ineedtogainsomeinsightformyself intomytrueidentity.Oncethatiscompleted,Icanbeginthedialogthatwouldaccuratelydescribe whoIamSelf–perception,thatisthekey!Ifapersonwantstodescribethemselvestosomeoneelse, theyneedtounderstandwhotheyare.LetmetrytopaintapictureofwhoIaminawaythatwill hopefullybeanaccuratepictureofthe"realme".Thefollowingarticledefinesincertaintermswhat Ibelievemakesuswhoweare,andtellsalittleofthestoryofwhoIhavediscoveredmyselftobeas Itravelalongthisjourneythatwecall"life".

TheIngredientsWhendescribingmyselfthereisagreatdealtoconsider.Asamatteroffact,allthe thingsthatmakeupouridentityareverycomplexandnoteasilycatalogued.Thefirstthingthat comestomindisthatpeopleareaproductoftheirenvironments.Next,youmightsaythatwearea combinationofthevarious

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Whydon'twesitdownandhavealittlepeakintomylife.WhoamI?I'mgoingtoletyouinonmy past,whoIhavebecome,andwhatorwhoI'mplanningtobeinmyfuture.Idon'tquitehavemyself figuredoutyet,butIcantellyouallaboutwhatIdohavefiguredout,andwhyIamwhoIam today.IknowwhatI'vedonetogettothispointandwhatI'mdeterminedtodolateroninlife.So let'ssettledownandjumpintomylifeforastoryallaboutwhoIam

Icamealongunexpectedlyaftertwoolderbrothersfrommymomandonefrommydad.Momand dadtriedforagirlbutweresoontoldmymomcouldhavenomorechildrenIwasapleasant surpriseafterthenewsandJune24,2002Iwasbroughtintothisworld.Withabitofanagegapin betweenmybrothersandI,Ihadthreepainsinmybuttandalsothreemorepeopletoprotectme.I eventuallylearnedhowtofightbacktotheboys,andfromthenonthehousewasevenmorechaotic thanusual.

IwasbornwithawholeinmyearandhadtohavethreesurgerieswhenIwasveryyoung.Idon't remembermuchofthesurgeriesbutIdorememberhowexcitedIwastoeatthemultiplepopsicles thedoctorwouldgivemeafterwards,havingtowearaveryobnoxiousheadpieceforawhile,and notbeingabletogetmyearwet.Soonafterthelastsurgery,myfamilytookmyfirstbigvacationin LasVegasThewholetripwasasuccess,IeventurnedsixontheLasVegasstrip!Thistripwasone ofmyfirsttimesstartingto

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Reflectiveessay

ThereasonIamwhoIamisobviouslyfrommyorigin.Mytribeisoneofthestrongestethnic groupsintheArabworld.However,IchoosetobelievethereasonIamwhoIamcomesfrom nurtureIwasalwaysraisedandtreatedingoodMuslimhouseholdwhenIwasachild,myparents alwaysinsuredahealthyandstablelifeandeducationthatIcanhave.IstudiedfiveyearsinChina, inaninternationalschoolintheFijianprovince.Thosefiveyearshadthelargestimpactonmylife sofarIwaslivingacompletelydifferentlife,andgettingusetoacompletelydifferentcultureIt's truethey'rebothinthesamecontinent,howevertheyhavedifferentlifestyles.

WhenIwasinSaudiArabiafromtheperiodIwasborntill10yearsold,Iwasadifferentperson completely.IwasterribleinschoolworkandIwasabully.Itwasoneoftheworstexperienceinmy life,becausebeingabullyisjustcruel.WhenIfirstmovedtochina,...showmorecontent... ThereasonItriedthat,wasbecause9thgradewasmylastyearinChina,soIwantedtoliveupto themost.Ievenbrokearecordinastaminatestinphysicaleducation,thetestwascalled"pacer test".whichultimatelybasesonstaminaandthewayitmeasuresyourabilityinstaminawasto makeyourun50feetandbackinacertaintime.Andeverytimeyouran50feetitwouldcountone, howeverthetrickypartwasthatitwouldshortenthetimelengthforeach50feetyouran,andthose werecalledlevelsThefirsttimeItriedthepacertestIhadascoreof19in6thgrade,butthelast timeIhadthepacertestin9thgradeIhadascoreof100.noonebelievedmyscoreincluding myself.Iwasalsoachairmaninthemodelunitednationsinmyschool'sconferencewhichwasone ofthehappiestmomentsofmylifeOverallIhadsomeupsanddownsin9thgrade,howeverIcan easilysayitwasthebestyearofmy

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WhoamI?

Iamatallgirlwithchestnuthair,forestgreeneyesandsun–tannedskin.Myphysiquesetsmeapart fromthe7.4billionotherpeopleonourplanet.If,however,Iwereanidenticaltwin,physical characteristicsalonewouldnotsufficetodistinguishbetweenmysisterandmeEventhoughwe wouldlookthesame,wewouldclearlybetwodifferentpeople.Therefore,wecanconcludethata meredescriptionofourphysiquecannotbeconsideredauniversalandcomprehensiveresponseto thequestionathand,asitneglectsotheraspectsofouridentity

Ouridentity–encompassingnumerouselementsofbeing,amongwhich:family,profession,culture, religion,sexuality,personalityandemotions–isofunimaginablecomplexity,suchthatina metaphoricalsenseitmaybeportrayedasinfinite....showmorecontent... maybeansweredbythefollowingstatement:IaminfinityThisholdstruefromabio–mathematical approachandasocio–culturalperspective,aswellasinametaphoricalsenseandinrelationshipto time.However,anelementofconcernwiththisdefinitionis,thatasamodelanswertoall,itwould defeatasenseofuniquenesssoughtbyindividualswhotrytodistinguishthemselvesfromtheir surroundingsusingtheaforementionedquestion.Specifically,ifIaminfinity,andYouareinfinity (intheinstancewhenyoudefineyourselfasIaminfinity),thenlanguagealonecannothighlightthe differencesbetweenyouandme.Thus,thesheerwordinfinitywouldbedeemedaninsufficient responsetotheessayquestion;unlessinfinityweretobeconsideredaninfiniteconcept–infinity accountingforavarietyofinfinitiesItisnotwithinthescopeofthisessaytodiscusswhether infinityistrulyaninfiniteconcept;butifweweretoassumeitwerenot,wewouldneedto contemplatewhetherIaminfinityshouldberefinedtothestatementIamapartofinfinity,toallow fordifferentiationamongsubjectsansweringthe

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Haveyoueverlookedbackandthoughtaboutwhattrulymakesyouwhoyouaretoday?WellI haveandIamafirmbelieverthatsportshaveshapedmeintothemanIamtoday.IamwhoIam todaybecauseittaughtmetopreservethroughthetoughestthingsinlife,ithastaughtmethat nothingevercomeseasyinlife,andalsoithastaughtmehowtorespectpeople.Sportshadchanged mylifesignificantlyeversinceIwasfiveyearsold,therehasbeenupsanddownsinmylifeandI feellikeIlookbackatsportstohelpmegetthroughtheseobstaclesinlife.Sportshavehelpedme persevereinlifebecauseallmylifeIhavebeentoldIwasnotgoodenoughtomakeittothenextto thenextlevelinbaseballIthastaughtmetoworkharderthanotherstobettermyskillsandoutwork theothersaroundme.WhenIwas11IwasnotabletomaketheLittleLeagueAll–Starteam becausemy"skillset"wasnotgoodenough,andatthatmomentIhadtoldmyselfthatIwasgoing tomakethatteamnextyearandIwoulddowhateverittakestobebetterthantheothersonthat team.Itevenhelpsmeinschoolbecausewhenthelasttwoweeksofthesemesterarecomingupand allIcanthinkaboutiswalkingoutthatdoorforthenexttwomonthsofnothingbutsleepingandnot stressingoverhomeworkanymore.ButIknowthatIneedtobuckledownandgetoffthecouchand Ilookbackathowsportshavetaughtmenottobelazyandhowtobethebest,soIgotoffthecouch andgetto

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'WhoamI?'ReflectionPaperWhoamI?Thisquestionseemssimple,butthisisactuallyadifficult questionforanindividualtoanswerabouthim/herself.Ifsomeoneaskmeallofthesuddenabout whoIam,Imighttakefewminutestothinkaboutitbecausethequestionsisreallybroad.Imight answerallthesequestionsaboutmyselfaboutwhatIthinkIam.Itmightbechangingfromtimeto timeInthisessayIwilldescribewhatIthinkaboutmyselfinvariousaspects:WhoamI physically?Physically,IamahealthypersonwithahealthybodyandIamalsocurrentlyphysically active.Besides,Iamconsideredarelativelytallwomaninmycountry,butnotwhenIcametostudy intheUnitedStates–IbecomeoneoftheshortestpeopleinclassIhavealonghair,oliveskintone, ovalshapedfaceandbrowneyes.WhoamIEmotionally?Emotionally,Iamtheonewhoiseasyto forgivepeopleforwhattheydid.Iamalsoapersonwhodonotknowtoexpressangertosomeone whichIthinkmightleadtobothnegativeandpositiveeffectstorelationshipwithpeopleingeneral. IalsovaluemyfamilysomuchwhereIworkhardinschoolandcollegetobebetteroffinlifeafter graduationnotonlyformyself,butfoemyfamilytooWhoamIspiritually?Iamreallyglad becausefornowIamsatisfiedwithmyselfandIknowmyselfwelltounderstandothers.Iama MuslimandIslamismyreligion.ItendtokeepthisinmindwitheverythingthatIdoinmyevery daylife.Who

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WhoamI?That'satoughquestionforsomepeopletoanswerbecauseyoudon'twanttomessup andmakepeoplethinkyouareweirdbecauseyoulikecertainthingssomepeopledon't.Idon'tmind tellingpeopleaboutmyselfandlettingthemintomystoryoflife,sohereisalittleaboutme.Icome fromafamilyoffourbrothersandonesisterIamoneofthreetobeincollegeandiamalsothe youngestinmyfamilyMymomanddadarestillmarriedandhavebeenfor17yearsIhavea cat,beardeddragonandihadadogbutshepassedawayinFebruary.Iamaveryfamilyoriented person,iwouldmuchratherbesurroundedbyfamilythenwithfriends.MybrotherCameronwhois 22yearsoldistheclosestpersontomeifi'mnotwithhimi'meitheratschoolorwithmyboyfriend offouryear,hisnameisBraeden.Myfavoritecolorispurple,Isingmostlycountryunlessi'm leadingworshipatmychurchwhichialsodoeverywednesdayformyyouthgroup.IloveGodwith allmyheartiwassavedNovemberthird2016butiamlearningandlovinghimmoreandmore everyday.Iamaopenbookandiamwillingtotryandanyonethroughanythinginlifeiftheylet meIwenttoBendavishighschoolIwasinshowchoirforfouryears,Iwasalsoafootball equipmentmanagerfor6years.Iloveanimalsespeciallycatsbutiwillloveonanyfurryanimal thereis.IamterrifiedofspidersandIdon'tlikewhenpeopleareangrywithme.Iamvery independentandwillstrivetosucceedat

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WhoAmI?Personality

WhoamIEveryoneintheworldgrowsupaskingthesamequestion,whoamI?Personalityiswhat definesthisanswertothisquestion.Fortunately,therearepeoplelikepsychiatristCarlJungand psychologistHowardGardnerwhohavegiveninsightsandthemeansoffindingouthowtoanswer thisageoldquestion.Jung'stheoryofone'spersonalityisbasedonfourcoupledtraitsthatcanvary 16differentwaysThese8traits,extroversionvsintroversion,sensingvsintuition,thinkingvs feeling,andjudgingvs.perceiving,makeuptheessenceofwhosomeoneissupposedtobe(Jung, 1971),unlikeGardner's'theoryof8intelligences,languagesmart,mathsmart,visualsmart,body smart,musicsmart,peoplesmart,self–smartandnaturesmart(Gardner,2009),replacingone singularintelligence.Gardnerexplainsthesesmartcomponentsmakeupapersonality.Becauseof havingthesepersonalityinsightsandbuildingblocks,onecandescribetheirownstrengthsoftraits, comparesimilaritiesordifferenceswithothersandexplainwhythesesimilaritiesordifferencesare importanttounderstand.Thefirststepistoidentifymyownpersonalityandwhatmystrengthsare.

ItookJung'spersonalitytestandmyresultsarethatIamISFJ,47%introvert,38%sensing,9% feelingand25%judging.IdoagreewiththeintrovertassessmentasItendtowanttodothingson myown.IamthemostcreativeduringthemiddleofthenightwhileIamaloneinmythoughts.I did

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WhenIlookinthemirrorIknowwhomIam,butsocietymakesitdifficulttounderstandwhoIam, becauseIwasborntoimmigrantsofNigeriandescent,andIamafirstgenerationAmerican,that termissometimesusedsoloosely.BylookingatmynametheyassumethatIamfromsomeisland, butIamsoquicktotellthemthat"IamNigerian",thereisanotherstatementthatnormallyfollows this"Youdonothaveanaccent"IwonderifIhadanaccentwouldIbeconsideredNigerianand notAmerican;thenIsaythat"MyparentsareNigerian"andthenthatchanges,sotothemIamjust associatedwiththeNigeriancultureitdoesnotmakemeNigerian,therehasbeenmanydiscussion betweenmyfriendswhoarethesamelikemeconfusedtoshowmorecontent Icurrentlyenjoyshockingpeoplewithmyheritagebecausethereisstillastigmaaboutwhata "Haitian"shouldlooklike,soundlike,etc.I'dsaythatbecauseIwassuchascaredlittlekidwho didn'ttalkmuch,myfamilycoulddolittletosupportmebecausetheydidn'tknowIwashaving issues(A.Benjamin,personalcommunication,Dec1,2009).Thisissayingthatifyoudonotwalk, talk,orthinklikethem;thenyouarenotconsideredtobeofthatethnicityEverydayIamona constantracetodiscoverwhoIamasanindividual.IamfightingthisbattlewhetherIchooseto acknowledgeitornot.DonaldHernandezhaswritteninhisbookChildrenofImmigrants:Health, Adjustment,andPublicAssistance;hetalksaboutmajorkeypoints,butthemostimportantonestate "Third,becauselifechancesdiffergreatlyaccordingtoraceandethnicityintheUnitedStates,and becauseoftheraceandethniccompositionofimmigrantstothiscountryhasshiftedmarkedly duringrecentdecades,"(3).ThatistruetryingtobeonethingisveryhardinUSAsocietyhasan effectofhowyoumaybecomeastheindividual.IfIwereinanothercountrytheywouldjustseeas anAmericanandnothingelse,buttheplacethatIwasbornandraisedtheyseemeaswhatmy parentsareNigerians.IamnotAmericanbecausemyparentsarefromNigeria;thishasbeenavery constantthing,becauseofseveraldefinitionsofwhatit

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WhoIAmWhoAmI?NormallyI'dsaywhatwe'vebeenprogrammedtosay:dateofbirth, nationality,height,weight,strengths,weaknesses,goals,etc.Butthisassignmentisdifferent becauseyou'dliketoknowwhoIamontheinside,orwhatmakesme,me.IbelievewhoIam,and mostlyanyoneforthatmatter,dependson4things:yourenvironment,peopleyou'rearound, decisionsyoumake,andthepowerofsuggestionThesethingswill"steer"andchangethecourseof your"life'sship"forbetterorworse,that'suptoyou.GrowingupinthesmalltownofBelleGlade, familyof7,ina2bedroomapartmentwascrampedbutcomfortable.Lookingback,Icanseehow westruggled,butatthetimeweneverwantedforanythingIneverwantedtohear"NO"soIwaited forayesopportunitytopresentitself,andIwouldaskthen,andinmostcasesitworkedinmyfavor. Myfatherworkedwhilemymomwasthehousewife.Aswegrew,bothparentsworkedandthe neighborswouldwatchoverus.Backthentheycoulddisciplineyou,becauseittookavillageto raiseyou,unliketoday.BeingthechildofHaitianimmigrantswasdifficultbecauseoftheteasing andtauntingThey'dsaythat"youeatcat"oryouhave"HBO(Haitianbodyodor)"Ontopofthat Ihaveanoutie,sothatmademeanintroverted,shykidandmymother'soneofJehovah'sWitnesses sothatexcludedmefrombirthdaycelebrationsandholidayassignments.I'deitherhaveaseparate taskorjustaskedtositthisone

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WhoAmI?

TodayasIlookbackatthefirstpaperthatIwroteforthisclass,Iseethatitisnotthetypeofpaper thatIusuallywrite.Itisnotfullofbig,sophisticatedwords.Ratheritisapaperthatdoeswhatitis supposedto,explaininsimpleenglishmythoughtsonthesubjectThosethoughtsarethattoday mostcollegekidsarewhinersandstudentsgotocollegebecauseitisthenorm.Ialsogaveacouple ofabstractstothese.Ineverreallytookastandastowhichofthosepertainedtome.ButIthinkthat theyalldoinasenseInawayIamirresponsibleIleavestufftothelastminute,Icram,andIgeta attitudeandjustsayscrewit.Asforthemetaphorpartofthefirstpaper,IdofeelthatIama parentshowmorecontent

Quitethecontrary.It'sjustlikestyle.AtschoolmyapproachtoworkisverydifferentthanwhenI amatmysummerjob.AtschoolIcanslackandstillgetawaywithit.Butinthesummer,ifIslack, Igetmyasschewed,andpossiblyfiredWhichofthesetwoismorelikewhoIreallyam?This worstthingis,Idon'tevenknow.

WhoamI?WhatistherelationshipbetweenmyselfandtheselfthatIportray,ifthereisa difference?IamI,oramI?WhatfollowsisthefirsttoversesofaQueensrychesongentitled"Iam

Beatingwithlifeyoupromisedlife,security,happiness.Unfortunatesoncornered,coweringinthe pitofcirclingpanesofglassthatsurroundandrevealstheeverpresentit "It"ismymove,myeverylook,interpretinggestures,informingotherswhat'sundercoverand lurkingbeneathmymaskofthisyear'sfeaturedmodel.Ithistomuch?Closeyoureyes.Caretolook inside?IamI.

IjustfinishedlisteningtothissonganditgavemeinsightonmypresentdilemmaIthinkthatthese versesaythatontheoutside,whenhelooksintotheglass,hedoesn'tseewhathewantstosee.So heliftedthemask.Butthenherethoughtthismaneuver,doIreallywanteveryonetoknowwhoI reallyamIthinkthatthispertainstomeThemethatwritesisnottherealmeFormewritingisa mask.WhenIwriteIhidemytrueself.Butwhy?BecauseotherpeoplemaynotlikewhoIreally

Whiledeceptivelysimple,thisquestionisoftenoneofthehardestforpeopletoanswer.However, theauthorknownasMichelDeMontaignededicatedhislifetowritingabookfilledfromcoverto coverwithessaisinanefforttopaintapictureofhishonestself.Ineachessay,Montaigneattempts todiscoverhimselfbylayingforthhisreactionsandideasconcerningvariouslifeexperiencesand subjectsIndoingso,heisabletodeterminejusthowmuchofhis"character"wasaresultofnature, andhowmuchwasabyproductofsociety.So,usingMontaigne'sideaofself–examination,isit reallypossibletotrulyknowwhoweare?Howmightwegoaboutfiguringitout?Andwhatisit thattrulyshapesustoday?Peopledefineshowmorecontent

Doubtful.Therearemanywaystohelpinthesearchforself–understanding,lookingatmajorlife experiences,askingyourselfdifficultquestions,followingamoralguideline,orjustdoingwhatever itisyouwanttodo.Howeverthisisstilloneoflife'sgreatquestionsandnottomentionahighly personalthoughtsoadynamic,ratherthanstaticanswerisnosurprise.Intoday'spopularculture societyor"popculture,"ithasbecomeincreasinglydifficultfortheindividualtocreativelyand uniquelyexpressthemselves.Thiscultureisgeneratedbythemassmedia,consistentlytraveling throughournationevolvingandshapingtheperspectivesofouryoungergenerations.Withthis constantbombardmentofadvertisements,images,ideas,andproducts,ithasbecomeincreasingly difficulttodistinguishourtrueselveswhenpopularcultureisdivertingourattentionfromreallife problemsItsmessagesarecausingindividualstoconcoctbeliefsthatcertainthingsarenecessaryto life,whentheyreallyholdnotruevalue.Thisiswhatisshapingoursocietytodayandprobablythe biggestbarrierwefaceinourquestforansweringthequestionofwhoamI?Today'sgenerationof materialisticallymotivatedmindshavebeenledtobelievethatmaterialpossessionswillprovidea pathwaytohappinessandvalidationforwhotheyareaspeople.Asurveyfound

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Breathinthroughyourmouthandoutthroughyournoiseandsomemightsaybreathinyournoise andoutthroughyourmouthtokeeplessgermsfromcominginbut,Ihadmyowntechnique. BreathingInthroughmynoiseandoutmynoisewasmystrategyanditworkedeverysingletime.

Thisisthetechniquethatgavememypassion,thisisthetechniquethatgavemepartofmy description,thisisthetechniquethatgavemepartofmyidentity,andthisisthetechniquethatmade mewhoIamtoday.ThereasonthistechniqueofmineissoimportanttowhoIamisbecauseitis appliedtothreethingsinmylifethatIammostpassionateabout.Track,marchingband,andpraise dancingThesethreehobbiesofmineplayaveryimportantroleinmylifebecausetheyallplaya partinhowIdefinemyself.WhenIfirststartedrunningtrackIwasinthe4thgrade.Ididn'treally knowmuchaboutthesportatthetime,Ijustknewitdidn'tinvolveaballsoIwasallforit.Asthe yearspassedandIwentofftomiddleschool,trackbecameveryseriousforme.Istartedwinning medalsforraces,Ibecameoneofthetrackteamcaptains,andIevenjoinedatrackteamoutsideof schoolcalledbeastmodebecauseIlovedthesportsomuchOnceIwentofftohighschoolpeople allwaysidentifiedmeas"thatboythat'sallwaysrunning".ThisiswhenIknewthattrackwasmore thanjustasportorahobbyforme,itwaspartofmyidentification.EverytimeIsteppedontotrack ...Getmorecontent...

Throughoutmysenioryear,Ihavehadtheopportunitytowritenumerousintrospectiveessaysina feebleattempttodemonstratetocollegesthemostimportantaspectsofmypersonality.Asaresult, todayIhaveoptedtotakeadifferentfocus.InsteadofdescribingsolelywhoIam,Iwouldliketo focusonhowIhavebecomewhoIamtoday.Mybeliefshavebeenshapedandalteredoncountless occasions,andIbelieveitisoftheutmostimportancetoidentifythepeopleandeventsthathave createdlargeimpactsonmysetofbeliefsinordertofirmlydeterminethosebeliefs.

GrowinguponMercerIsland,Ihaveoftenfacedarigidsetofexpectationspresentedtomebymy parentsandfriends,yetIrarelypausetoconsidertheconsequencesofblindlyfollowingthese expectations.Formostofmylife,IhaveidentifiedwithcharacterssimilartoOphelia.Ihave consistentlybeenarule–followerandhavefollowedthepathlaidoutforme.Upuntilthispoint,I believetheforceddirectionhaspositivelyinfluencedmylife.Ihavefamily,friends,andmentors wholovemeandcareaboutmywell–beingIliveasafeandcomfortablelife,andIamperfectly willingtoaskforhelp.However,thisguidancecanalsobestifling.AsItrytouncovermymost significantbeliefs,IhavediscoveredthatsomuchofmypersonalityisbasedonothersthatIhardly knowwhoIammyself.

Nextfall,whenIarriveatcollegeinEvanston,Illinois,Icancountthenumberofpeople ...Getmorecontent...

WhoAmI?Iwasbornnameondateinplace.Iamason,brother,uncle,nephew,cousin, andfriend.Iwasdesperatelyshyasasmallchild,butgrewoutofit.Myteenyearswerehappy timessports,friends,summersspentinplace.ItallhelpedshapemeintowhoIamtoday.My interestsaremany.Ihavealwaysenjoyedreadingabouthistoryandfollowthehistorychannel faithfullyIlovemusicIt'sbeenapartofmylifeforaslongasIcanrememberIfinditcalming whenlifegetsrocky.Ilovemyparents,especiallymymom.Beeninreallovetwice;beenin"like" moretimesthanIcancount.Forthemostpartschoolisgreat,butworkcouldbebetter.Ienjoy writingbecauseIamabletoexposemythoughts,emotionsandinnerfeelingsit'stherapeuticand helpsmediscoverhowI"really"feel.Otherwise,Isometimesstruggletoputmyfeelingsinto words.I'mhappymostdaysandenjoybeingaroundthoseIlove.Iamapassionatepersonhealthy andoutgoing.Ingeneral,I'dclassifymyselfasagoodperson.Icareaboutcausesandinjusticein theworld.IrecognizethepowerIhavetomakeadifference.OneofthegreatestexperiencesI've hadwasduringmyfreshmanyearofhighschoolIdecidedtojoinUpwardBound,aTrioprogram fundedbythegovernmenttohelplowerincomefamiliesprepareforthefutureandfurthertheir children'seducation.ParticipatinghelpedmerealizethateducationisextremelyimportantandI knowwhymyparents

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