capstone integration Moreau Capstone Integration “It’s not about the money, it’s about (living a life well-lived)” I am a 19-year-old student at the University of Notre Dame dedicated to making the world a better place through my actions. To support this goal, I have engaged in many service activities throughout my life and joined the Notre Dame Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps. As a Catholic, I believe in one God and am committed to bringing the Kingdom of God to this world through acts of charity, service, and allyship. As a student, I am committed to the collection of knowledge and understanding, especially in the field of engineering. The University of Notre Dame has provided me with the means to pursue this goal. As a member of the United States Navy, I am committed to supporting freedom of the seas around the world and defending the blue and littoral waters of the United States and its allies. I am dedicated to maximizing my growth as a man through physical, emotional, and intellectual means. Despite my goal for growth, I am always aware of the possibility of temporary failure and try with utmost concentration and effort to use my failures as motivation and not depression. The state of my mental and physical health is also of great importance to me. Through the grace of God, I am in belief that I can accomplish anything. I plan to live out my mission statement by bringing the Kingdom of God through creating environments that foster love, care, and respect. I will work to create these environments because everyone has the power to make a difference in the world. As Pope Francis said, “The future of humankind isn’t exclusively in the hands of politicians, of great leaders, of big companies” (Why the only future worth building includes everyone by Pope Francis - Moreau FYE Week Seven). I will live out my mission statement to make the world a better place by working to find hope and bright spots in life. “When the hardships or unexpected things happen to us, we often focus on the things that we do not have” (5 Minutes by Aria Swarr - Moreau FYE Week Six), so in reaction to this, I will try to focus on what I do have when it is easy to sulk and focus on what I do not. I will live out my mission statement with determination to improve the lives of as many people as possible. In my discernment conversation with my mother in one of my Moreau assignments, she said I loved two things, “people and purpose” (Discernment conversation - Moreau FYE Week Five). These two things will have a large role in my life and my goal to live out my mission statement. I will live out my mission statement by having the confidence to take risks. Often it is easy for me to simply hide with everyone else and blend in. This action has no risk and requires no confidence in myself. However, the more risks I take, the more confident I become and the more I will get to know myself. The more I know myself, the more I know what will truly make me happy and what I am good at, and the more I can use that to help others and the world, completing my mission statement (Navigating Your Career Journey by Meruelo Family Center for Career Development - Moreau FYE Week Four). This journey of self-discovery should extend past me, to try to help others to find themselves. I will live out my mission statement by bringing joy everywhere I go and doing what will bring joy to myself. I like to think about the questions, “I ask myself two things about every choice I make - ‘Will this bring me true joy now?’ and ‘Will this bring me true joy in 30 years?’ If it could do neither, then God was not calling me to it”. (“Three Key Questions by Michael Himes” - Moreau FYE Week Three). I will live out my mission statement by living like Father Theodore Hesburgh (“Hesburgh” produced by Jerry Barca and Christine O’Malley - Moreau FYE Week Two). Fr. Hesburgh is an inspiration to me and I will work to live a life continuing his mission. I will work to foster a community of love and cooperation with little of the division that so often characterizes our world, just as Fr. Hesburgh did. As I work tirelessly to fulfill my mission statement, I shall not forget to slow down and reflect. Too often, we feel like “We’re never caught up with our lives” (Why we need to slow down our lives by Pico Iyer - Moreau FYE Week One). I will not be able to fully live out my mission statement if I am constantly behind on my own life. By slowing down and reflecting each day, I will grow to become the best version of myself who will live my mission statement. I will live out my mission statement by living in solidarity with the poor and marginalized of society as Jesus did. Fighting for solidarity among all people is not a new thing or unique to Catholicism, Steve Reifenberg says, “On the theological side, I was struck how every major religious tradition – including Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, and Christianity –has as a central concern of connecting our lives with those who are downtrodden, the victim, the widow, the orphan, the poor. The admonition is consistent across all traditions: Look beyond your immediate concerns; show compassion and accompany one another”(Teaching Accompaniment- A Learning Journey Together” by Steve Reifenberg, Moreau Week Nine). I will live out my mission statement by being an ally to those excluded from society and discriminated against. This “spirit of inclusion” is key to properly follow my mission statement goal of bringing the Kingdom of God through allyship. The statement, “One of the essential tests of social justice within any Christian community is its abiding spirit of inclusion” (The Spirit of Inclusion at Notre Dame - Moreau Week Ten) from The Spirit of Inclusion at Notre Dame highlights how integral inclusion is to my Catholic faith and identity. The rejection of anyone based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, etc. is a rejection of Jesus Christ, and this would be an ultimate failure on my part to live out my mission statement. I will live out my mission statement through constructive intellectual discussion. Intellectual thought and discussion will be very important in these next few years as I am in college trying to receive a degree. As I participate in these discussions, it is important I do not begin rejecting ideas I disagree with and create bubbles because “Bubbles become echo chambers when groups give up on tolerating diversity of opinion.” (“Big Questions 2, Part 4: How to Avoid an Echo Chamber” by ThinkND - Moreau Week Eleven). It will not be easy to continuously follow my mission statement. There will be days that I fail to live in the Kingdom of God and days that I do not want to care about my studies. Through all this, I must be resilient. After all, it is a general mission statement, not a day-by-day checklist. Thank you Theo for an amazing semester in Moreau!