The cumulation of my freshman year, and Notre Dame’s Moreau course, has helped me to further strengthen my mission statement and personal beliefs. I have formed many important friendships and learned valuable life lessons that have allowed me to reflect upon what truly values me, and what is important to me. “I strive towards living a good life, and fulfilling my expectations for myself” (Week 13: My Mission Statement). A good life is something that can mean vastly different things to different people. But to me, one thing that I find extremely important is connecting with others. I believe that “each and everyone’s existence is deeply tied to that of others” (Week 7:  “Why the only future worth building includes everyone” (His Holiness Pope Francis, TED Conferences ). Moreau has helped to show me this, as well as my formation of friendships here. Many times, my friends and I think about how much our lives have been impacted by the fact that we chose to come to Notre Dame and be friends with one another. We often wonder how our lives would have been different if we had been friends with other people. I believe that I am who I am today because of my friends and my experiences, and my friends are who they are because of their past and present relationships with others. In this way, there is a ripple effect that spreads out to everyone, even beyond those you have met, or even plan on meeting. 

	My experience at Notre Dame thus far has also taught me to “strive for self-growth, as well as being more empathic. I like to see new perspectives on things and offer advice” (Week 5: A conversation with a friend). I learned very early during my time here, that while the “Golden” rule of treating others how you want to be treated is a very important lesson to learn, it isn’t always true. Instead, “we need to see others as other people! Not to project on them what we would like if we were in their shoes because we are not in their shoes” (Week 3: "Meet the nun who wants you to remember that you will die" (Ruth Graham, NY Times)). Coming to college, and being in an environment of so many different opinions, I have realized that “the reason things are important is because we give them meaning.” (Week 8: Eulogy). I have given value to specific things in my life that other people may not have, which can cause differing opinions on things and sometimes result in disagreements. I’ve learned that the most important thing to recognize when these disagreements arise, is that just because someone views something differently, or does something a different way, doesn’t make one right or wrong, or necessarily better than the other. This conclusion was then reaffirmed when I learned that echo chambers lead to “losing our sense of how someone might reasonably disagree.” (Week 11:  “How to Avoid an Echo Chamber” (Dr. Paul Blaschko, ThinkND)). In many ways, where we are from is an echo chamber, and coming here has allowed me to break free from that, and grow from that.

	I have also developed a stronger sense of self-worth during my time here, which I believe is key to living a good life. I found that during Week 10 I resonated with the fear that Jacob Walsh had. His self thought that: “You don’t believe you can be loved. You think if people knew the real you, they wouldn’t love you either” was one that I had found myself thinking at the beginning of freshman year (Week 10: "Growing up Gay and Catholic” (Jacob Walsh, Grotto)). However, as I began to embrace vulnerability with my friends, I learned that this thought was far from the truth. Furthermore, the unconditional love my friends have given me has helped me to learn self-love, and recognize that “unproductive and upsetting emotions… can swamp us and impede positive action” (Week 6: “The Right Way to be Introspective (Yes, There’s a Wrong Way)” (Tasha Eurich, TED Conferences)).

Additionally, I’ve learned that I am blessed with many opportunities to help others and it's important that I use my opportunities to help others. I think that Father Hesburgh stands as a good example of this. “As far as the Catholic Church goes, he was a bit of a renegade to rules. He used common sense” (Week 2: "Hesburgh" (Produced by Jerry Barca and Christine O'Malley)). I view Father Hesburgh as a role model. He saw what needed to be done to make the world a better place, and used his privilege to help others. This for me can appear differently, whether that means volunteering or activism in your community. However, I also believe that it's important to understand the idea of accompaniment; “To accompany is to help the person take their own destiny in their hands and allow that their voice is heard.” (Week 9: “Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey Together” (Professor Steve Reifenberg). I’ve learned this at Notre Dame, and also through service opportunities in high school. Sometimes, privilege can cause people to think that they are better than others, however, that is far from the truth. Week 12 has taught me that “my education and position… place me in a position to do something about” injustice in society (Week 12: “Dean G. Marcus Cole: 'I am George Floyd. Except, I can breathe. And I can do something.” (Marcus Cole, Dean of Notre Dame Law School)).

Lastly, I have learned that there is beauty in balance, and that balance is key to living a good life. While it is true that I came here to learn more about topics that I am passionate about, and I “also view studying what you love as highly practical,” I also came to Notre Dame to form life-long friendships and grow as a person (Week 4: "Navigating Your Career Journey” (Meruelo Family Center for Career Development). It can be difficult to find the balance between schoolwork, time to reflect, and time to be with those important to me. But this is something that I have gotten better at this semester by more effectively managing my time and planning things out more. However, I’ve come to realize that oftentimes, it's the unplanned moments in life that are the most important. Furthermore, while we do have busy schedules, “the one day a week we take off becomes a vast empty space through which we can wander, without agenda” (Week 1: "Why we need to slow down our lives" (Pico Iyer, TED). The balance between planned and spontaneous is something that I believe is key to living a good life, and hope to further develop.

I believe that a life well-lived is one of pursuing self-fulfillment. Self-fulfillment comes from self-growth and reflection, having a strong community of people you love, giving back to others, and maintaining balance in one’s life. My experiences throughout my time at Notre Dame will help me to achieve these goals and continue to develop as a person and a student.