Moreau FYE S2 Integration IV


The Mission of 
By 

When writing my personal mission statement for the Week 13 prompt, I looked
back and thought to myself how I could make this statement as meaningful but
simple as possible. I understand that many of my classmates decided to go
along with a longer statement than I did—after all, this is what the Moreau
model suggested. However, I figured that the mission statements of many of
the most successful companies were very simple yet so meaningful, so why
can’t mine be the same? After about half an hour of deliberation, I decided on
this paragraph:

“My name is Sebastian and I am a product of my actions and my experiences. I will
live the precious life I have been given to its fullest potential. I will meet new people
from around the world, learn from them, and understand them. I will treat them
with kindness and respect, always acting for the common good while not forgetting
myself. I will forever keep God in my heart as my guide while I discover the beauty of
what life has to o�er. I am a learner, I am a friend, I am an explorer, I am a son, and
I am a servant of God.”

I believe that this statement is simple enough to understand, but complex
enough to carry immense meaning. Every sentence of this statement can be
broken down into some experience, some goal, and some value that I hold on
the most basic level. I will be recounting these experiences, goals, and values
as I give a rundown of this mission statement, exploring the inner workings of
who I am as a person, along with the basic fabric of what defines me as a
person. Without further ado, let’s break down Sebastian.

On the most basic level of my person, I am built upon a foundation of
accountability. I have learned, throughout my academic career, di�erent
methods of holding myself to the highest standards in all aspects of my life.
While this is very important to me, I have learned how to balance this with a
certain level of self care during college. The biggest “I-really-need-to-start-
taking-care-of-myself” moment for me came in the November of Fall
Semester. I became very sick with the flu during the middle of the month, but
decided my well-being was not worth missing a couple of classes to recover. I
also wanted to attend a special event dinner in the Oak Room above South



Dining Hall that I was invited to through a seminar class, and I was not going
to give up the opportunity to escape dining hall food for an evening, so I
attended.

I ended the evening by leaving the dinner early and throwing-up all of the
fancy chicken I ate, which was disappointing to say the least. What followed
was the worst night of sleep I’ve ever had. I woke up severely dehydrated, and
ended up walking into the Dillon common-room and passing out on the floor
with no one around. I woke up, called an ambulance for myself, and went to the
hospital. I ended up losing seven pounds that semester (at least I didn’t gain
the freshman 15, right?) This is when I figured I should probably start taking
better care of myself, which I have since then.

Another key lesson that I try to incorporate into my life is constantly
reminding myself that life is precious and deserves to be appreciated at all
moments. I feel so blessed that I have been given the opportunity to live the life
that I live, and I am constantly reminded of that fact here at Notre Dame. Many
seniors and graduates have reminded me that this experience goes by
extremely quickly, so I should embrace everything this University has to o�er
while I am here. I take this advice to heart, and oftentimes have a hard time
saying no to di�erent events or opportunities on campus. For example, my
participation in the Fisher Regatta was totally last-minute. When the sign-up
for Dillon was sent to my email, I had zero interest in doing it. However, there
was that little voice in the back of my mind that told me I was going to regret
not participating in this amazing tradition, so I made it happen. It turned out
to be one of the best experiences I’ve had as a student on this campus so far,
even though I did get a little bit wet after the spine of our barrel and pallet
crafted boat snapped in the water.

Another key accomplishment that I want to continue to embrace during my
time here is meeting people from around the world who can teach me their
perspectives on life. Growing up, I watched a lot of Anthony Bourdain with my
parents and was inspired by the way he was able to connect with and embrace
di�erent cultures so easily. I found myself wanting to be like Bourdain when I
got older—able to explore the world with confidence and a curious attitude
(minus the drug addiction.) I’ve tried my best to embrace things during my
time at Notre Dame. I’ll be studying abroad in Jerusalem this summer, but



beyond this, I try to meet new people from new places every single day. Some
of my best friends here are from places I would not have even thought of:
Palestine, the Philippines, Chicago, New York, Rhode Island, Florida, Texas.
The list goes on and on and on. All of these di�erent friends I made have
contributed to me and my knowledge of the world in some form. I have grown
to be a more understanding and compassionate person, and I cannot thank
them enough for that.

The final section of my mission statement I would like to touch on is my
commitment to treating others with kindness and respect for the sake of the
common good. It is important to me to embody the Catholic value of charity
while at Notre Dame and throughout my life. Embracing Notre Dame’s
perspective on inclusivity, I am committed to respecting all people from all
walks of life. (The Spirit of Inclusion at Notre Dame by UND) In my future
career, I want to be able to serve those less fortunate than myself. Through
Moreau, I have been able to realize the importance of this and discern how I
can actually serve this purpose in my life. It is my dream to work in the
business of MLB operations, so I decided to take the Center for Social Concerns
class on sports and social change to better understand how I can promote
justice in my future career. I hope to continue to embody these principles in my
everyday interactions with other people.

My personal mission statement is very significant to me. It defines and
outlines who I am as a person, embodying the key aspects of what makes me
unique and good. It is my hope that I will be able to look back at this statement,
adjust it to fit myself throughout the years, and use it to cement myself in my
beliefs.

https://dulac.nd.edu/university-mission-and-vision/spirit-of-inclusion/