Writing 01

What is your identity and how does it impact how you see the world and how the world sees you?

I feel like I’ve been aware of personal identity, what it means, and why it’s important for a long time. Growing up, I was never super into sports and other commonly masculine areas. This made it sometimes hard to fit in and truly be myself. As I and the people around me have grown up, though, it’s gotten better. People begin to truly accept themselves and be okay with others being different.

Personal, emotional identity permeates every facet of my life, and in college I’ve begun to think about a more professional and scholarly identity as well, specifically as it relates to computer science and my career ahead.

The classic computer programmer, at least in pop culture, is a fat, greasy, uber nerdy man who lives in a basement and pounds Mountain Dew. I very much do not subscribe to this stereotype, and I don’t believe most of my peers do either. While I do very much identify as a “nerd,” I see myself as much more than that. It’s a part of me that does not completely define me. I love being a computer scientist, being associated with problem solving, technology, and cool products.

My university, Notre Dame, also comes loaded with a stereotype. The classic Notre Dame student in my mind is an affluent, white, Catholic, extroverted stud who’s working to make it big. I am white, and was raised Catholic, but I think that’s about where my similarities to this stereotype end. My parents are divorced, I grew up solidly in the middle class (mom a kindergarten teach, dad a small business owner), and I heavily identify as an introvert. Being at Notre Dame has forced me to come out of my shell a lot and become more outgoing which I feel very lucky to have experienced.

Even if I’m not the “classic” Notre Dame student in every way, the privilege I’ve been blessed with throughout my life has been enormous. My parents were always super supportive of me in everything I did. College was not an option, it was an expectation. Growing up in a household where it was known that I would go on to get a degree and be successful in the professional world was incredibly conducive to hard work. There’s no way I’d be here without that. I’ve also been blessed with good health, a luxury I feel that many take for granted. My body works, for the most part, like it’s supposed to and I’ve never had to worry about that.

If I’m being honest, considering all these stereotypes and privileges is not actively in my mind at all times. There are times I take advantage of my situation, am ungrateful, or otherwise not using these blessings in the best way possible. While I think it’s near impossible to be fully aware at all times, I am constantly working on trying to take my privilege into account more often and act appropriately based on it. I’ve been given so much. I need to use these gifts to give back to others.

As I move forward in life and the world continues to expand for me, my awareness to the level of my privilege and how I see my own identity has, and will continue to, evolve. Especially with how connected everyone is today with technology, it is so easy to see all those living with a fraction of what I have been given. While I don’t feel guilty for having been born into the situation I am in or having achieved the things I have, I know that MY actions only have a small role in how it all worked out. Because of that, I want to empower others to be able to reach as high as I have and become as satisfied and happy in life as I am.

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