Pedro Mattos Bellizia 
A life well-lived: The story of Pedro, the power of education: from a dreamer to an achiever 

	My name is Pedro Mattos Bellizia I am from São Paulo Brazil, and ever since I was little, I’ve always wanted to make a difference. I hope that over the course of my life this goal has been successful. In order to achieve such a feat, sacrifices and hard decisions had to be made, as the only way forward is through. 
As mentioned, ever since I was young, I wanted to change the world as a child, I was always fond of superheroes - the incredible deeds which they accomplished through a mixture of strength, wit, and expertise were looked up to by myself and countless others. Though in particular what really stood out to me were the ‘powers’ said heroes wielded as they were the means to the end, they were the tools heroes used to effect change. Through the eyes of my young self that is what I lacked. At that time I was still unaware that ‘powers’ come in many different forms. I once thought that powers could only be flying, super strength web-shooting, and so on. Though it was through my time in school that which I learned about the power of education.
As I grew up, I realized that education was undoubtedly the most influential power, helping all those who pursue it get closer to their goals in life. Not only did I learn this by acquiring perspective-changing knowledge, but also by being involved in community-based social projects. At the age of 13, I became a member of the first project I ever joined which strived to help the elderly in a local shelter. In one of the many visits, I engaged in a conversation with an elderly woman, and she mentioned how she didn’t accomplish all the goals she had in mind. I asked her why and she said it was because of a lack of opportunity, more specifically the barriers she had towards earning an education. At that moment I started to grasp the vitality of this power, then I realized that in order to effect change I need to have a strong grip over this. 
The first life-changing step was my decision to study abroad. I reckoned that the educational opportunities available outside of Brazil are vastly superior, thus I set aside all ‘my chips’ with the goal to study abroad. I told my parents about my ‘battle plan’ who even if a bit skeptical at first, fully supported me in this journey. Applying to college was a big step that amounted to various struggles such as a 9-hour car trip to a neighboring state to take the SAT exam. I can now say with clarity that I am grateful for this time period as it helped me grow as a person and placed me in a delightful town called South Bend. 
	Notre Dame was the step in which I learned the most, here I acquired new and sharpened the tools I already had to create a future my younger self would be proud of. The education and experiences which I came to have through my time here are invaluable. It was through this step that my dreams became of reach. I became able to pursue my career by helping people, the environment, and most importantly the world through the power of education and conscientization of world issues. Pursuing a career in analytics, business, and data science I learned how numbers can be more qualitative than one might imagine and it was through this notion that I began cementing the change I dreamt of achieving as a child. 
	For some time I worked in the corporate world, where I put my theoretical skills to practice - truly learning what it would take to change the world. It was there where I saw my opportunity to start my own business. As an entrepreneur, I had to be relentless, motivated, and hard-working so that my goal could be achieved. 
	Even if work was essential to achieve the goals, I learned through time that it is crucial to maintain a balance with pleasure. Many can see this as unproductive, but I often had my best ideas away from work along with the sheer fulfillment of it all. Pico Lyer (Why we need to slow down our lives – Pico Lyer – Moreau FYE week one) described this view by saying that ​​“the more time spent away from work the better that work will be”. 
	Another lesson that I learned was that of being strong-willed and relentless, even if it may come out as stubbornness oftentimes. It was through my studies in Notre Dame that I comprehended this view when reading about Father Hesburgh and his deeds. Father Hesburgh was challenged by the catholic church regarding religious freedom. Hesburgh aimed to forge inclusivity in Notre Dame and by so he defied the catholic church saying that he (Hesburgh film - Father Hesburgh – Moreau FYE 2) “took a vow of obedience, but I had to draw a line, at a university you can’t censor ideas if they disagree with your own.” Father 	Hesburgh conveyed the strength of will and character attributes which have helped me a lot over the years.
	As mentioned, said trait can be perceived as stubbornness though it is through this restlessness that true change can be achieved, as the first step to effect change is the desire to do so. St Augustine reinforces this view as he said (pastoral constitution - St. Augustine - Moreau FYE 3) “Dissatisfaction (restlessness) is not a bad thing… indeed it’s the best thing about us. It’s what constantly moves us forward, makes us grow, expands our horizons, and deepens our perceptions. It’s a very healthy, a very important, and a very valuable thing!” St. Augustine’s perspective elucidated be about the virtues of being stubborn and not giving up. This notion has deeply helped me in my career and studies, as once I faced an obstacle I was always empowered to find a solution.
 	It was through this dissatisfaction or ‘stubbornness’ that I found my true calling. Earlier in my life when deciding what to do for a career I was always unsure, trying to decide between different topics, classes, and essentially majors. It was then that I stumbled into incremental advice, (career development reflection - Meruelo center for career development  - Moreau FYE 4) “There is no “best major” out there - but there is a “best major for you." It was through a much-cherished conversation with my mother that I was able to better understand my place in life (Conversation - Moreau FYE 5). She encouraged me to be the best version of myself, even though I had heard many times before, this time it was different. During this time, she helped me understand myself better and essentially guided me to choose to pursue a career in Business Analytics. 
	Moreover, another important lesson taught to me is that of faith. In the first stages of my life, I was unsure of the virtues of faith and the benefits of following its path, though as I grew older this perception abruptly changed. At my time in Notre Dame, I learned about the benefits of a life in faith, and I believe that this was the catalyst to shape my life spiritually. It was then where I learned the power of faith in education and how they work side by side to construct a balanced individual. Dr Kim, a tetraplegic scientist explained that “suffering is part of our lives it is always there it is about how to respond to suffering with God?” ( Grotto 5 minute video - Dr. Kim - Moreau FYE 6) His story inspired me and helped cement the importance of faith for me. Its virtuousness was present across my life and helped me in many different instances. 
	Beginning my concluding remarks, I’d like to say that if there was one think I learned through my life, it was the importance of helping the other. It is by helping people that a life is well lived, and it is through Pope Francis’ remarks through which I would like to begin the end of my eulogy: "Let us help each other, all together, to remember that the 'other' is not a statistic or a number," he says. "We all need each other." ( Why the only future worth building includes everyone - Pope Francis - Moreau FYE 7)
Overall,	I believe I have had a good life and would like to thank all present for enriching my life. Thank you all, as I go on to the next chapter, I’d like to say that I hope everyone present can enjoy life as much as I did. 

Wishing you all the best.
Your’s sincerely,
Pedro.