It's the question that we ask ourselves–or at least we should.

Who am I?

It's a question that I have been frequently asking myself. Who am I? There are so many ways I can answer this question. I have many identities with which I identify with and others that I am still developing. I personally identify as a first generation college student, a History/ English major, a Hispanic male, a Stocktonian, a fraternity man, and so many other little details, all of which come together to form the person who is writing this article now.

Who am I?

Sometimes I think that I know who I am in life and what my dreams and aspirations are. However, life has a funny way of kicking you down when you least expect it to, whether that means getting out of a long-term relationship, losing your best friend, attending a new school or moving to a new city. These are a few scenarios that sometimes force us to rethink and leave us wanting to rediscover who we are as a person. I know I have felt this way many times before.

When I first came to college I knew I was a shy, quiet, average guy. There was nothing special about me. I came in thinking that I was going to remain the same and have the same personality that I had when I was in high school. Lo and behold: I was in for a surprise. I am no longer the same person I once was. In the last three years since high school graduation, I have grown so much as a person. I look back and I can track all of that change over time.

Who am I?

This year has been one where I feel I have been challenged to rethink who I am as a person. So many things have happened since August. I've had my highs but I have also had my lows. The people whom I used to be close with during my sophomore year have now graduated. They have moved on into their professional life. Although I stay in contact with them, it has been difficult to grow without them. I felt that I had lost the support of my closest friends and that I had to learn to grow on my own. I had left the nest once again, just as I had done when I left for college. So much has changed.

Who am I?

As I am writing this I can confidently say that I don't know who I am. I don't know who I am, and that is okay with me. Some people think that you always need to know who you are, but things are always changing and you can't predict where you will be the next year or even the next day. I am in the process of searching for who I am and figuring out new things about myself, new identities. I used to think that I knew everything about myself and how to be comfortable in my own skin. But now I realize that I will always ask myself: Who am I?