NOT THE SAME AT NOTRE DAME 
  “I believe that in order to become a better and successful person, I have to learn how to bravely face failures and show vulnerability.” 
   Coming to Notre Dame, I learned that it is completely fine to show our vulnerable sides, and in fact I am encouraged to include it in my speech. Although it has been almost 2 months since I started my new journey here, my life has completely changed. Before, I had my parents by my side who helped me do everything, from cleaning my room, making my bed, to setting up my bank account. Now, I have to be prepared to do all of these duties on my own. In addition, adapting to an environment that is contrastingly different from the one I spent my whole life living in is indeed very overwhelming for me at certain times. From “The power of Vulnerability” by Brene Brown - Moreau FYE Week 1: "You know what, you're imperfect and you're wired for struggle, but you're worthy of Love and Belonging”, no one is perfect, and it is impossible to maintain a perfect life. Mistakes are allowed to be made, vulnerability is allowed to be shown, yet the more essential part is how people respond to them. Before coming to Notre Dame, I was very anxious since this is a highly reputable university, the students here consisted of the best in their schools. Hence, the learning environment must be very intense and stressful. However, as I got here, I realized that they have amazing academic achievements at school, but it does not mean that they have perfect lives that everyone admires. Just like every other student, they also have disappointments when they do not do well in their tests, make mistakes, or feel homesick. Vulnerability creates a sense of belonging and love because everyone has their own insecurities and weaknesses, which forms a close-knitted community since everyone can understand each other better. Another important thing to mention is my attitude towards failures. I always look at failures with positivity, since failures are what help me to become stronger. I am aware of those mistakes so that next time I would be aware and try to avoid them. My point here can be illustrated through this quotation: “There is no failure that grace cannot transfigure into blessing (“Two Notre Dames: Your Holy Cross Education” by Fr. Kevin Grove - Moreau FYE Week 5).”

Since Notre Dame is such a welcoming community, I have the opportunity to adapt to the new environment without feeling any shocks or pressure, which helps me to open myself to others much easier. I am fortunate to have a roommate who is also an international student, so we are basically in the same boat. In addition we fit each other very well, so my roommate easily becomes one of my closest friends on campus. It is very easy for us to show our vulnerability to each other since trust is built alongside our relationship. To get closer together, we have a tradition to have a walk around the campus every Thursday night to give each other updates about what is happening in our lives. Whenever I feel down, I can easily talk to her, and she always spends time listening to me. Apart from my roommate, I can always turn to my Residential Assistance, Assistant Rector or Rector of my residence hall if I have any questions or concerns. On the academic side, I can always ask for help from professors or classmates, and they always offer help without hesitation. Even though it is hard to admit, having a perfect life nowadays is like a criteria that people blindly strive towards. Instagram is a great example to illustrate this point, where everyone only shows the best photos of themselves to receive the hearts, nice comments, and followers. That can be one way to feel “worthy of Love and Belonging”, yet what vulnerability differs from that is that maturity is shown. Being able to accept mistakes, confidently showing weaksides, and overcoming challenges are examples of growth in oneself, who is matured and knows how to learn from failures to become a better person. This story is true as I was moving into highschool. The classes were very hard, and receiving bad grades was inevitable to avoid. I realized that I could hide away the bad grades anymore, so I came to my teachers and explained to them their situation. Once I could get every concern out, I felt really relieved since I knew that my teachers would not judge me for doing that, and I would receive help instantly. It is not easy to comfortably show our soft and weak side immediately, and I am slowly working on it.
       “I believe in the power of give and take”.
I have a “love and hate” relationship with this concept. There were a lot of times I lost hope in it. No matter how much I tried to sacrifice myself for others, all of my effort was not appreciated. For example, I spent my time helping one friend with her work at school, yet she did not show up despite I waited two hours for her. One of the most essential things my parents told me was to always help other people, even if you will be in a worse position for helping them. They have a strong faith in the power of “Give and Take”. If I help others, one day all of my efforts will be paid back. Like what David Brooks said in his Ted Talk, “[you] have to give to receive. You have to surrender something outside yourself to gain strength within yourself (“Should You Live for your Resume or Your Eulogy?” by David Brooks - Moreau FYE Week 2). So I still follow what my parents told me and try to keep up with this belief. Coming to Notre Dame is the moment that I realize what my parents told me is true. I gain the trade-off by forming new relationships with people I never would have thought of being friends with.
This idea connects with the formation of a “Healthy Relationship”. A healthy relationship needs to come from contributions of two sides. One person helps the other, and some day the other one will help back that person, and this is the fundamental requirement for any form of relationship. Attention is one example of both “Give” and “Take”. From Grotto’s “5 Signs You Are In A Toxic Relationship”- Moreau FYE Week 4: “Attention is one of the rarest forms of love”. I have never thought about this before, yet thinking back, it is true. Attention is one of the ways people show love to each other, and it exists in various forms: listen to others, care for others, or even ask them how they feel everyday. In my opinion, attention is the foundation of a healthy relationship since two people can not be put into a relationship if they do not understand each other well. Knowing the basic facts like names, backgrounds, or hobbies is not engaging in a good relationship. A healthy relationship can not be achieved instantly, instead, it requires time and effort to get to know each other in detail. In a relationship, coming to Notre Dame, I gradually feel this power of “Give and Take”. We are individuals with different races, ethnicities, backgrounds, yet we are living as a community under the Dome. For instance, myself and my roommate are always there for each other whenever we need to talk or we need help. Helping each other does not have to come from direct or clear actions, it can be just genuinely caring for one another or like the example from the Grotto’s article, showing attention to others. I will always reach out for others whenever I can, and I believe that one day, sooner or later, I will receive love and appreciation just like how I distribute mine to others.
“I believe that I pursue truth by trying everything.”
Growing up in Vietnam, I was exposed to different cultures starting from a young age thanks to the internet and globalization. I watched Disney shows, read English books, and followed Western pop culture, so naturally, I am more drawn into Western culture to a point I was not appreciating my own culture. Ever since moving to the United States and especially being in South Bend, I have never loved my own culture more. One of my most memorable times here was making mooncakes with my Vietnamese friends in the Vietnamese Student Association (VSA) here. I never knew how much I needed that. I am so proud when people started to appreciate movies like Shang-Chi and TV shows such as Squid Game where Asian representation can be found. “Stories matter. Many stories matter. Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign, but stories can also be used to empower and to humanize. Stories can break the dignity of a people, but stories can also repair that broken dignity (“The Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Adichie - Moreau FYE Week 7).” Seeing an increasing number of Asian appreciation even in places like South Bend is a miraculous experience that I would definitely tell my family and friends back home. “The finger my grandfather lost to the auger, the eye my father shut to keep his sight (“Where I’m From” by George Ella Lyon - Moreau FYE Week 6).” strikes me the most. This poem reminds me of home. George’s vivid descriptions of his interests, tastes of home, and family inspired me to write my own Where I’m From poem that pretty much sums up my upbringing, personality, and aspirations of the future. I truly believe that my experiences here at Notre Dame have changed me for the better, and I hope this statement holds true up until I graduate.

    This first two months highlight a turning point in my life, moving to a differ t countries, meeting new people, learning in a new environment. There were a mixture of feelings: excitement, worrisome, hopeful,sorrowful, yet so far I have a great time spending in this beautiful campus. Attending Moreau classes is definitely a brand new experience for me since not explicitly showing my feelings or reflecting deeply about myself is not my personal trait. However, it is very interesting to be able to explore more about myself and understand more about the school and what it values.  Like what Father Pete said, “[the] greatest journey you will ever go on is one of self-discovery. (“The Role of Faith in Our Story” by Fr. Pete McCormick - Moreau FYE Week 3).” I am very much looking forward to seeing how far I can excel in this new environment.