Throughout my time in college, I have become increasingly more aware of who I am. I have learned about identity and what that entails. I have been able to dive into my own personal identity and the things that people around me identify with. I have learned how that plays into leadership and what challenges come along with identities. One of the most informative events we held this year was the Brown Bag Lunch discussion about Identity and Leadership. We dove into people’s personal identities and how that has affected their leadership styles and the way they see themselves as a leader. It was interesting to hear the multitude of different identities that were in the room. I never took the time to think about the different levels of my own identity, so it was a different experience for me to think about the different levels of someone else’s. From that event, I gained a new insight on the privileges that comes along with some identities and what it is like to be someone who is privileged in many different ways. I also learned about the different identities that face barriers and obstacles that keep them from progressing the way they would like to.
Hampton Workshop Volunteers
I personally identify as an African American, woman, student, sister, daughter, friend, the list goes on. When I was younger, I never really thought about my identity and how it affected me on the daily basis. As I got older, I became more aware of my skin color and what some people think about my skin color or those who have the same skin color as me. I realized that sometimes, girls do have it harder than boys. I realized that some people see females as being less competent than males and still to this day, some people feel that females should play a subordinate role in society. All of these things hit you really fast when you get into college. I have never really had any big personal experiences with racism or sexism but that does not mean that I am unaware that things of this nature happen to people everyday. It happens to people I know and love.
Yes, George Mason is a very diverse school and yes there are a plethora of people and cultures and backgrounds, but that doesn’t mean that this community is perfect. I still feel there are areas it could improve. I would like to see more inclusion within the university, not just from the university’s administration, but from student organizations as well. I would like to see more mixers, more collaborative events, different cultures and religions coming together to inform one another about what is most important to them. I do think that realizing that there is room for improvement is a step in the right direction though.
I have learned to act in a way that acknowledges the struggles that every individual I encounter may face. I have learned not to lump people in groups and categorize them. This may be cheesy but I really have learned that you can’t judge a book by it’s cover. Everyone’s stories and experiences are different and they really do play a large role in who that person is. It is important to be cognizant of that fact as you move through life.