Personal Narrative: I Am Sarah Newell

Introduction
The question of who am I has never really been more difficult than answering “I am Sarah Newell. I am from Libertyville, Illinois, I am nineteen years old and studying Psychology at Calvin College.” But, this question has always been answered in the present, never in the past or the future. The question of how did I get to be the Sarah Newell I am today has more sociological implications than realized at first glance. The issue of agency verses structure was one that I was not aware of until I learned of it in this class. Since discovering this issue, I was shocked, looking back on my life, that many of my decisions were in fact not my own, but were imposed on me by society, my peers, my family or other social institutions. While I would like to believe that I am a completely autonomous person, I realize that many …show more content…
In fact, the sad truth is that my skin color has given me more opportunities. Michael R. Wegner in a study about poverty and race talks about how white people start the race of life miles ahead of African Americans. He also addresses the issues that many African Americans face when they are born, their white counterparts do not, such as their socioeconomic status or the education they receive. He goes on to say that even later in life, simple things like going to college, getting a car, or even walking down the street is not an issue for white men and women but are issues that African Americans deal with daily (Wegner 1). So even though our country says that there is equal opportunity for everyone, people of color tend to start well behind white Americans and face struggles along the way that those with white privilege do not. I have seen this to be true in my own life and in my town. Because of the town I grew up in, I felt that I was part of an in-group because of my skin