FYS 10102 Capstone Integration Richardson 1 Professor Taylor FYS 10102 24 April 2022 A Transformative Year: My Freshman Experience Throughout my life, I have always sought to serve God. This semester has provided me a greater chance for self-reflection to discern the path God intends for me to follow to best accomplish this goal. By creating a personal mission statement for myself similar to the University of Notre Dame mission statement (“University of Notre Dame Mission Statement” - Moreau FYE Week Thirteen), I have been able to better define this path for myself. This semester, I spent much time in self-reflection. Following my first semester at Notre Dame, I took time at the beginning of this semester to reflect upon last semester and what I wished to improve upon this semester. I found my favorite place on campus, a spot with a view of the Main Building and Basilica on St. Mary’s Lake, and spent time there in contemplation of last semester per Pico Iyer’s advice (“Why we need to slow down our lives” by Pico Iyer - Moreau FYE Week One). There, I sat on a rock and prayed, asking God to show me how I could improve this semester and make better use of the time He has given me here at Notre Dame. This semester, I faced great personal challenges. My mother was diagnosed with endometrial cancer at the beginning of the semester. I was distraught, but thankfully, I had amazing friends, my future roommates, who have supported me throughout her illness this semester. My friends kept me grounded during this hectic and surreal semester through their constant support and honesty, the mark of a great friendship as Father Hesburgh described in a https://www.nd.edu/about/mission/ https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ Richardson 2 letter to President Nixon (“Hesburgh” produced by Jerry Barca and Christine O’Malley - Moreau FYE Week Two). As Mother Teresa said, “One cannot love, unless it is at their own expense.” (“Why the only future worth building includes everyone” by His Holiness Pope Francis, in which he quotes Mother Teresa - Moreau FYE Week Seven). My friends and I showed each other great unconditional love as we helped each other navigate this semester. The love my friends showed me was immense as they helped me navigate this challenging time, which turned into a time of great discovery for me, both academic and personal. This semester, my classes were more difficult than they were last semester as I delved deeper into the courses required for my Biochemistry major. While I faced challenges in these classes, I found them fascinating and enjoyed the questions presented to me in them. Whether those questions had answers yet or not, I enjoyed reasoning my way through them and enjoyed the challenges they presented me even if I could not answer them. Father Michael Himes said, “Joy is the delight one takes in being dissatisfied.” (“Three Key Questions” by Father Michael Himes - Moreau FYE Week Three). This semester, I found joy in being dissatisfied by the lack of answers to some of science’s greatest unanswered questions presented to us. I enjoyed devising my own hypotheses regarding the answers to these questions and would love to get to explore them more in the future. This semester, I was accepted into Dr. Stack’s ovarian cancer research lab in the Fall of 2022. I am ecstatic to embark upon this work and to help however I can because I will be able to put to use the knowledge I have obtained here at Notre Dame thus far for good. My mom has struggled with ovarian cancer in the past, and I wrote one of my Notre Dame admissions essays about wanting to work in this lab, so being accepted into this lab is a dream come true for me. This semester, I have been glad to discover that I really do love my https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9 https://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone/transcript https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41005/files/468567?module_item_id=144085 Richardson 3 major and the challenges it presents, and I am so excited to put my education to use to help others like my mom who have struggled with this disease while getting to explore my intellectual curiosity regarding this disease. In the future, I would love to work with ovarian cancer patients and perhaps to continue conducting ovarian cancer research in my future career as a doctor. This semester has reaffirmed that I will be happy working in medicine and that I have the capability to be successful doing so. Personally, I have grown immensely this semester. I asked myself “what” questions instead of “why” questions per Tasha Eurich’s advice to enable myself to gain the most self-insight possible this semester (“The right way to be introspective (yes, there’s a wrong way)” by Tasha Eurich, PhD - Moreau FYE Week Six). I discussed my strengths and weaknesses with my parents to gain greater self-insight. They said how I have a desire for achievement, for pushing my limits to discover what they are. They also reaffirmed my passion regarding uterine and ovarian cancer research. They said I am at my best when I am busy, when I have no time for fear or for self doubt (“Week Five Discernment Conversation Activity” with Eric and Tracy Richardson - Moreau FYE Week Five). This conversation provided me with great insight into my own character and why I am the way I am. My life experiences have certainly shaped who I am. My mom’s past illnesses and her illness this semester have increased my desire to conduct ovarian or uterine cancer research and to perhaps be an OB/GYN in the future so I can help people by providing excellent and compassionate medical care to others the same way in which my mom has been helped. During the next three years here at Notre Dame, I will be working in Dr. Stack’s ovarian cancer research lab to embark upon this goal. My past life experiences have shaped my desire and goals for the https://ideas.ted.com/the-right-way-to-be-introspective-yes-theres-a-wrong-way/ https://ideas.ted.com/the-right-way-to-be-introspective-yes-theres-a-wrong-way/ https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yZ7hqvx-u4EuW2nlK-fRbWFiurQm1mZv_KpoeeiN4So/edit Richardson 4 next three years and my life beyond Notre Dame. As the Meruelo Family Center for Career Development stated, “Every experience shapes you in some way, whether you realize it at the time or not!” (“Navigating Your Career Journey” by the Meruelo Family Center for Career Development - Moreau FYE Week Four). I have found this to be true throughout my life, but particularly this semester, as my past experiences are starting to shape my time here at Notre Dame and beyond. This semester, I became more engaged with groups on campus such as PEMCo. I just performed in the club’s revue “Seeking Answers Anywhere.” I loved the process of putting on this show because it allowed me to make new amazing friends and continue pursuing my love of theater from high school while also helping out a good cause. All of the ticket proceeds from the show benefit the IRC Ukraine Relief Fund. By performing in this show, I was able to have great fun while using my talents to serve others, which I have always sought to do with my life. I hope to continue to perform in PEMCo productions in the future and to help worthy causes such as this one in future productions during my next three years here at Notre Dame. During the next three years at Notre Dame and beyond, I hope to become even more engaged in service to marginalized communities. As a doctor, I hope to provide affordable, quality specialty medical care to those belonging to underprivileged and marginalized communities. I seek to embody the spirit of inclusion Jesus showed to all in His service to all people, as articulated in “The Spirit of Inclusion at Notre Dame” (“The Spirit of Inclusion at Notre Dame” - from du Lac: a Guide to Student Life - Moreau FYE Week Ten). I hope to accompany others but also to be accompanied by them, as described by Professor Steve Reifenberg, so I can learn from my patients as I help them and so I can learn from other service https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://dulac.nd.edu/university-mission-and-vision/spirit-of-inclusion/ https://dulac.nd.edu/university-mission-and-vision/spirit-of-inclusion/ Richardson 5 work I do here at Notre Dame and beyond (“Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey Together” by Professor Steve Reifenberg - Moreau FYE Week Nine). I hope to seek out viewpoints different from my own in my time here at Notre Dame, as well. Already, I have benefited from my dorm community in particular, as I have had many conversations with girls in my dorm with viewpoints different from my own and with backgrounds entirely different from my own. In doing so, I have gained a greater appreciation of other cultures, and I have gained insight into other viewpoints surrounding various issues that I had not considered before. I have also had the opportunity to engage in such discourse in my Glynn Family Honors Program class seminars. I am grateful for the opportunities already presented to me here at Notre Dame to have such discussions, and I hope to continue engaging in such discussions during the next few years because they will allow me to better understand the people I hope to serve and to understand important issues I hope to remedy in the future. This is vitally important, as described by Dr. Paul Blaschko (“How to Avoid an Echo Chamber” by Dr. Paul Blaschko - Moreau FYE Week Eleven). By having knowledge of other viewpoints and empathizing with others who have suffered, I will have the courage to speak up about such issues and to amplify the voices of those who are marginalized, the importance of which was emphasized by Dean G. Marcus Cole of the Notre Dame Law School (“I am George Floyd. Except, I can breathe. And I can do something.” by Dean G. Marcus Cole - Moreau FYE Week Twelve). By doing all of this, I will consider my life one that has been well-lived (“Defining a Life Well-Lived” Integration by - Moreau FYE Week Eight). https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit?usp=sharing https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit?usp=sharing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaIVxQcqnLs&t=1s&ab_channel=ThinkND https://law.nd.edu/news-events/news/dean-g-marcus-cole-i-am-george-floyd-except-i-can-breathe-and-i-can-do-something/ https://law.nd.edu/news-events/news/dean-g-marcus-cole-i-am-george-floyd-except-i-can-breathe-and-i-can-do-something/ https://docs.google.com/document/d/1R9bbxva_5X8j-TMFhbsw9XJJ-GZ8KJtJCRxBiWfNYmE/edit?usp=sharing https://docs.google.com/document/d/1R9bbxva_5X8j-TMFhbsw9XJJ-GZ8KJtJCRxBiWfNYmE/edit?usp=sharing Richardson 6 This semester has been one full of challenges, but it has also been extremely eye-opening and transformative. I look forward to the next three years at Notre Dame as I continue to grow and embark upon the journey God has planned for me.