Integration 1 - Moreau FYE Integration 1 October 15, 2021 My Core Beliefs: Experiences With Values, Interpersonal Relationships and Community My core beliefs are a dynamic and ever-evolving platform on which my morals and self understanding are built on. These values apply to different aspects of my life and shape my experiences in the world and at Notre Dame. Specifically, I have root beliefs that apply to myself and my relationships in my community. These all work in tandem while existing separately. My relationship to myself is important because my beliefs influence my decision making and relationship with faith. My root beliefs for interpersonal connections influence the people I associate with and the bonds I create with them. My root beliefs for my community are shaped by the identity groups I’m a part of and influence the chosen communities I’ve joined. The first aspect of my root beliefs are ones for myself. These are defined as follows; I believe that I am searching for experiences and the resources to make them happen. I believe that I grow by turning inward and working on myself while also doing my part in the outside world. Finally, I believe that I pursue the truth by growing my knowledge and breadth of experience. My first value is centered on balancing academic and social experiences, while also working towards a career that will support those endeavors. From the Ted Talk “Should You Live for your Resume or your Eulogy”, I see these two Adams in myself in terms of how I want to approach school. My Adam 1 wants to only focus on grades and excelling at school. In contrast, my Adam 2 wants to work in myself internally and make deep connections with my peers (“Should You Live for your Resume or your Eulogy” by David Brooks - Moreau FYE Week Two). My core beliefs see value in both and want both to exist in my life for a long time. In this transition to college, this core belief has been challenged consistently. There are so many events, clubs and social gatherings happening constantly. However, I also have what seems like an endless list of assignments to complete. I often feel like I’m choosing academics over social connections or vice versa, not letting them coexist. This is when my second value for turning inward and examining myself is necessary. I often struggle with saying no, both when it comes to commitments to clubs and academic events, and to social gatherings. Faith is extremely important when it comes to grounding myself and making hard decisions, like saying no. In the Week 3 lesson, Fr. Pete says, “the greatest journey you will ever go on is the one of self discovery.” This is a very powerful quote that ties into the importance of faith. My journal is this safe space where I unpack everything in my head and can be free to express my spirituality and values. (“The Role of Faith in Our Story” by Fr. Pete McCormick - Moreau FYE Week Three). My final belief has developed over time as I’ve been exposed to learning in school and learning from my community. Week 7 focused on learning both from stories and facts. Facts are most often found in academic settings, and I continue to learn at Notre Dame. Stories are usually found in personal experience, both from my life and others. I've seen the profound importance of creating space for personal stories in my Gender Equity for Teens club in highschool. This community was meant for everyone where we educated each other on important issues of race, gender, sexuality and other relevant topics in politics, media and society. The topics discussed weren’t ones that I’d seen in my traditional classroom and were just as important as any math or english class. The stories I heard have forever changed my perception of society and power structures. They also informed my values to motivate me to keep learning. (“How to Destroy Truth” by David Brooks - Moreau FYE Week Seven). These core beliefs are central to who I am by shaping my outlook and how I approach life. The second aspect of my root beliefs are the values that are central to interpersonal relationships and community. My friendships, family and romantic relationships are extremely important to me, and the root values that shape them are constantly in use. I believe that I forge life-giving relationships by bonding with people who can be both vulnerable and match my enthusiasm. I have social anxiety and had a few traumatic experiences in highschool with friendships. The residual trauma makes me overthink interactions with friends and I felt it was important to work with a professional. I started therapy knowing that in order to get the most out of it, I’d have to be honest, sharing the good and the bad. Through therapy, my interpersonal relationships have improved as I now feel comfortable in myself and have the ability to trust others. In order to live what Dr. Brown calls a “whole-hearted” life, we must love ourselves in order to have healthy and love-filled connections to others. Once we let down our barriers and accept the risk of being our most authentic selves, we build connections with other people. This cultivates meaningful relationships that make our lives fuller (“The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown - Moreau FYE Week One). Once I’m able to be vulnerable with someone, I want to share all of my interests and quirks that make me happy. Someone who can share themselves with me and affirm my vulnerability with their own enthusiasm is a person I know I will share a long and healthy connection with. I also believe that I am responsible for my own actions and the support and protection of others. The Week 5 curriculum on healthy relationships helped define this root belief. Through DuLoc and having open conversations about safety, I’ve been able to learn more about what a healthy relationship means. I also believe it's important to be your https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Qm9cGRub0&feature=youtu.be brother or sister's keeper. Relationships are centered on supporting one another and that includes helping them in a time of need. I want to continue this practice proactively caring for my peers. In Fr. In Kevin Grove’s speech, he tells the audience, “We cannot love the God we don't see without loving the brother we do see” (''Two Notre Dames: Your Holy Cross Education '' by Fr. Kevin Grove - Moreau FYE Week Five). This is central to a Notre Dame education because we center community and caring for one another. In conclusion, my personal and relationship oriented beliefs have guided my college experience thus far. Through Moreau, I’ve been able to clearly articulate these beliefs and identify where they are present in my life. In the future, I want to continue learning about my beliefs and the beliefs of others so I can challenge my own. By exploring what is important to me, my experience at Notre Dame has been an education for the head and the heart.