Capstone Integration
Moreau FYE
Catherine Wagner
Personal Responsibility for Every Aspect of Life
	I, , hereby declare that I will adhere to the following principles throughout the remainder of my life. I will inspire others to do well by being a model of good citizenship and behavior. I will create loving relationships by reciprocating loyalty, honesty, love, and attention. I will improve myself daily by working on my health, my skills, my intelligence, and my attitude. I will help my community by becoming involved in service projects that use my time and talents towards a meaningful end. I will choose work projects that inspire me to be a force for good in this world (“Mission Statement” by  - Moreau FYE Week 13).
	Over the next three years, I plan to be a model of good citizenship and behavior by being someone that the younger kids in my dorm will look up to. In order to do this, I think that I must engage in dorm culture with enthusiasm. I will always leave my door open so that Freshmen next year have someone to talk to. I plan on competing with them in section sports as well as interhall competitions to strengthen the bonds between us. In doing so, I will be actively participating in the culture of Siegfried Hall rather than simply saying that I’m in the hall (Passion isn’t enough by NPR - Moreau FYE Week Eleven). I also plan to introduce myself and get to know every freshman in my dorm next year. This way, they will always have a smiling face to greet them when they see me. I plan to help them during the first few weeks especially because I know this is a really hard time being away from home and coming with no friends. Personally, I felt lost for much of the beginning of the first semester, and I think that doing this will be helpful to the freshmen. In doing so, I will be practicing accompaniment and learning about them as individuals (Teaching Accompaniment by Steve Reifenberg - Moreau FYE Week 9). By being a helping hand to the freshman, I can help cultivate a culture of inclusion and acceptance, where individual differences are celebrated as a means of creating a richer environment (The Spirit of Inclusion at Notre Dame by Du Lac - Moreau FYE Week 10). In order to accomplish this, I will host weekly “Office Hours” at four on Fridays. This was something that the older kids in my dorm did, and I think it really helped a lot of people get to know each other and share some stories from their experiences.
	I will create loving relationships with others over the next few years by always being proactive. Instead of waiting for others to come to me, I will seek people out in order to get to know them better. During the first semester, I went to a lecture by Peter Kaufmann. I came away from that lecture with a few good ideas. One of these was proactivity and the principle of going positive and going first when meeting people or just interacting with them. I can’t control how someone will respond to me, but I can control my own actions. It’s important to focus on controllable things because they’re the ones we should be worried about (Five Minutes by the Grotto - Moreau FYE Week 6) I think that this principle will also help me not stress about things that are outside of my control. When it comes to stepping up a relationship by spending time with people, I think I will adhere to the question of “What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?” (7 Clues: An Interactive Assessment Activity - Meruelo Center - Moreau FYE Week 4). This mindset will let me take risks, which is necessary when stepping up any relationship to the next level.
	I will improve myself and maintain my health through proper exercise both physically and mentally. This will involve learning new skills and developing fresh habits. One habit I intend to adopt is that of meditation. I think that this will allow me to take a break on a daily basis and just sit still. In doing so, I will make other experiences seem much fuller, and appreciate menial tasks more (“Why we Need to Slow Down our Lives” by Pico Iyer - Moreau 
FYE Week 1). To maintain my mental health, I plan to spend quality time with people I love. Like my sister told me, I’m at my best when I’m cracking jokes with people that I fully trust (Discernment Conversation Activity with Emily Moses Moreau FYE Week Five). This will also give me a break from stressful tasks and let me enjoy myself. Perhaps this will take the form of facetiming with my cousins in the next three years.
	I think that I will engage in service over the next three years by visiting and volunteering at the South Bend Center for the Homeless. By helping out at the South Bend Center, I will be giving my time up for those who aren’t as fortunate as I am, and ultimately help those that God calls his chosen (2: Mission” by the Congregation of Holy Cross - Moreau FYE Week 12).  I find it both personally fulfilling to help those who are in need as well as genuinely beneficial for society. Animating my life with service will allow me to remain balanced as a human being. In doing so, I will also exercise the principle that “each and every everyone's existence is deeply tied to that of others” in practice (“Why the Only Future Worth Building Includes Everyone” by Pope Francis - Moreau FYE Week Seven). Helping others in college will be a foundation for living the rest of my life as a servant of God doing his best work (Integration Three by  - Moreau FYE Week Eight). 
	In my work, I can pursue a degree that I believe will provide me with an opportunity for passion in my projects. I’m currently studying Finance. I think my ultimate goal for my career is to become involved in Venture Capital, and I think that a finance degree is a good start to reach this goal. I will explore classes over the next three years that allow me to determine which fields of study that I find joy in, because these choices will ultimately shape my life over the next ten years (“Three Key Questions” by Fr. Michael Himes - Moreau FYE Week Three). It will take courage for me to switch majors if I determine that I don’t like the field of finance. However, I think that sticking to what feels right for me will ultimately make me happier and allow me to contribute to society in the best way possible (“Hesburgh” by Jerry Barca and Christine O’Malley - Moreau FYE Week Two). 
	Ultimately, I think that living out the values described in my mission statement will lead to a fulfilling life and both personal and community improvement. To me, that is the definition of  a life well lived.