Identity

One large part of my life that has come to shape who I am is my family. Although I just have one brother, two parents and a grandmother that live in my household, I have a big extended familY: sixteen aunts and uncles, about 35 cousins, and now my family is growing as my cousins have children. My family has shaped who I am in many different ways. For example, having a large family has put me in my place and allowed my ego to stay at a reasonable level, as I blend in with the crowd at family gatherings. Additionally, my family is very teasing, and so being around my uncles and cousins that may (jokingly) make fun of me has made me a stronger person. Finally, I know that everyone in my family cares deeply about me, and will care even more as a grow up and begin to relate to the "adults." This is not my family, but literally my family is THIS BIG:

Secondly, all the traveling that I have done in my life has made me a more curious citizen of this world, and I am different than I would have been if I never left my home state. I have been to six foreign countries, and visiting other nations has shown me the great diversity of life that one can meet if one tries. This has shaped me in that I will always be a traveler: I believe I will always be moving (when economically possible), or at the very least, visiting other places. Even going to various places in the US has shown me the various people that our country holds that are unlike those around Philadelphia. I have as a result become more interested in society, people, and the interactions of countries with each other, and this will be a part of who I am forever. http://www.100people.org Finally, my faith is a crucial part of my identity that I have become closer to as I grow. In elementary school, I was one of the few public school kids that had to go to CCD on Wednesday nights, and at the time, I hated it. Of course, back then I had no appreciation for Catholicism or the wonderful relationship one can have with God. However, my parents made me go to Church every Sunday, and now it has become so essential to my week that I feel lost without mass. Additionally, entering the Mount has allowed me to see the wonderful parts of Catholicism that I never knew when I was younger. I know have a strong faith and have become a better woman than I would have been without it.