Maddie Bender

Ericson

CONF 101-002

9/4/2019

My Identity

There are many little things that make me up as a person such as being a woman, an

actress, and a college student. These things combine with many others to make up who I am, but

aren’t the things I consider truly identifying aspects of my identity. For me, being Jewish, a

Richmond native, and being a sister of Pi Beta Phi have shaped who I am and my identity.

I was raised in a household where religion was never really pushed upon me. Being

Jewish was always just a part of me and who I was, not so much my religion. I struggled with my

religious identity for a few years, but before I went off to college a couple years ago, I

determined that I’m not one for theologies. I still connect with being Jewish all the same in that it

always will and always has been a cultural and heritage thing for me. To me, being Jewish has

always symbolized family, tradition, and togetherness. There’s nothing I love more than being

with my family and spending time with the ones I love. Many people tend to dread the holidays

with all the “family drama” and stress it brings, but I’ve always looked forward to the different

Jewish holidays and being with my family. Some of my fondest memories and things I still look

forward to are helping my grandma cook for our celebrations. Being together with my relatives

makes my heart warm. My experience as a Jewish woman has made me very family-oriented and

extremely grateful and proud for the things I can accomplish that many older Jewish generations

couldn’t. Outside of my Jewish upbringing, where I grew up has played a big part in my identity

as well.
 I was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, one of the most diverse areas of Virginia

while also being one of the most liberal areas as well. I went to the most diverse elementary and

high schools in my specific county, Henrico, as well. I feel growing, learning, and spending my

whole life there has truly shaped who I am. Growing up, I’ve always been an advocate for equal

opportunity, equal treatment, and true human rights. This is because I’ve never been sheltered

away from the realities of those who are different from me and don’t experience white privilege.

I’ve been exposed to many different perceptions, beliefs, and cultures. I feel I am a very open-

minded and accepting person because of this and in combination with how progressive

Richmond is. Being a Richmond native, I believe diversity is one of the most important things to

have in any environment and was even the main driving factor for me choosing to attend George

Mason University. I’m very glad to be able to go to a diverse university and be so close to

Washington, D.C. where I can try and intern at places like Amnesty International or other

organizations working toward human rights. The person that Richmond has made me has led me

to my passions and future career. Living at GMU and in Fairfax now, my identity has also been

shaped by my involvement on campus.

In this last Spring 2019 semester of my freshman year, I joined the Pi Beta Phi Women’s

Fraternity. Even in the half a year I’ve been in it, I feel it has already shaped a part of me and is

something I hold close to me and my identity. Not only are my sisters an amazing genuine,

diverse group of girls, but they strive to change give back and change lives. We use the acronym

“I Love Having Pi Phi Sisters” to list our values. The “I” stands for Integrity, “L” for Lifelong

Commitment, “H” for Honor and Respect. the first “P” for Philanthropic Service to Others, the

second “P” for Personal and Intellectual Growth, and finally the “S” for my personal favorite

value of Sincere Friendship. These values are things that I have always held to myself as things
that I live by. Through Pi Beta Phi, I am truly able to practice these values and grow from them

with my sisters. I feel as though I truly exemplify these values now. And through my sorority I

finally have a chance to change lives. Through the Pi Beta Phi Foundation’s main initiative of

Read > Lead > Achieve, we get to help with children’s literacy. One in four children will grow

up to be functionally illiterate. This means that because of a lack of attention and school

materials and programs when children are younger, they keep getting pushed through their

proceeding grade levels, just barely making it. This means that their comprehension and

understanding of many words becomes lesser and lesser as their grade levels go up. Eventually

they don’t understand medical forms and many other kinds of documentation they need to

survive. Functionally illiterate people are more likely to end up in prison as well. With Pi Beta

Phi’s Champions Are Readers program, we get to go to elementary schools and teach kids how

to properly pronounce letters and words, how to read, provide reading materials, and more!

Ultimately, we get to help change the lives of the kids we meet and work with. Being a woman

who gets to be a part of such an impactful and supportive sisterhood means the world to me and

has changed me for the better. Being in Pi Beta Phi is much more than something for my college

experience, it is something that has shaped who I am.

All of these things together make me who I am today. Today, I see myself as a Jewish

woman who is a lover of my family and quality time, an advocate for human rights, someone

who is accepting and encouraging of all people, and as someone who can and does make a

change in the world while still growing and improving myself. If I hadn’t have grown up in my

Jewish household with my Jewish traditions, lived a life in a diverse community in Richmond, or

joined Pi Beta Phi I would be a different woman. I wouldn’t be the Maddie Bender that I know.