Originally written and recorded in 1998 for a conference produced by the Willow Creek Association, This Is Who I Am is an essay by writer and poet LaDonna Witmer. The original audience for This Is Who I Am was an auditorium full of Baby Boomers. LaDonna's essay was intended to introduce them to Generation X as part of a conference session with Dieter Zander and Tim Celek titled "Inside the Soul of a New Generation."

Generation X, born in the U.S. between 1964 and 1981, was labeled with the "X" tag for lack of a defining social identity. As young adults, Gen Xers gained a reputation as apathetic, cynical, disaffected, streetwise loners and slackers. It was this stereotype that LaDonna (herself a Gen Xer) addressed and attempted to explain in her 8-minute essay.

In the ensuing decade, as Gen X-ers have grown older and the Millenial Generation has taken their place, This Is Who I Am has somehow stayed relevant. Since 1998, the 8-minute clip of LaDonna speaking about her generation has been shown at countless churches and conferences around the world. It seems that no matter what the name of the generation, the desire to be seen, heard, and perhaps even understood, remains the same.

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