Geiger 

Mr. Anthony Polotto
Moreau First Year Experience
3 December 2021
Encounters at Notre Dame Have Transformed My Life
	College is a time in every individual’s life that can be incredibly challenging. Students move to new places, make new friends, become independent, miss people from home, and have to learn how to balance all aspects of their lives. All these circumstances have the potential to change students’ perspectives regarding their place in life. Coming to Notre Dame, I had absolutely no idea what the future held for me. I was worried about all the changes that would come, yet I was also excited at the prospect of being able to start the next chapter of my life. In the short three months that I have been here, my Notre Dame experience has been transformative. I have encountered many new challenges, perspectives, and an overwhelming sense of hope for my future. 
	All prospective college students hear that the academic jump from high school to college is very challenging and is sometimes not handled well by students. People say that this is because the majority of the learning takes place outside of the classroom and students do not have the discipline to work on their own. In my own experience, I have found that it is true that my academic success is in my own hands. This is not because professors do not care about the success of their students; instead, these educators are not going to handhold students through every situation as teachers do in high school. I have found that this adjustment can be a bit challenging at times. Furthermore, as a result of this new style of learning, I have not always done as well on assignments as I would have liked. However, I have to remind myself of Julia Hogan’s belief. She tells us to “remember that none of us is perfect. We all make mistakes. We will disappoint people. We’ll disappoint ourselves. But the world doesn’t have to end when that happens” (“Why Letting Go of Expectations is a Freeing Habit” by Julia Hogan - Moreau FYE Week 9). I find it to be incredibly devastating when I do not achieve my goals. What I have to continue to tell myself, and what Hogan reminds all of us, is that accomplishments are not the only factor that determines whether or not my life is a success or failure; instead, there are a whole variety of aspects of life that make it complete. This includes, but is not limited to, friendship, self-care, leisure, exercise, spirituality, and, of course, achievements. All of these factors make my life complete. Despite these academic hardships that I have encountered, I have also learned the importance of being a well-rounded person and have come to enjoy all aspects of my life. Just as I have experienced difficulties at Notre Dame, I have also encountered new perspectives.
	One of the best parts of the college experience is the opportunity to meet new people who have entirely different perspectives, experiences, and circumstances in life. Unfortunately, just as in every part of American culture, there are many individuals who do not feel welcome in our community. Sometimes this is a result of underlying racism that exists. Father Christopher Devron writes, “Racism exists in systems or structures, as opposed to consisting merely of private acts of bigotry committed by individuals” (“Should Catholic Schools Teach Critical Race Theory?” by Christopher J. Devron, S.J. - Moreau First Year Experience Week 10). I have heard people have perspectives about racism that I do not believe are accurate. In my University Seminar class, we are reading the 1619 Project. I learn about the ways that slavery and racism still negatively impact African-Americans throughout the country. I had never heard about many of these horrible truths before coming to Notre Dame. These articles from class only strengthen my belief that more needs to be done to address the inequalities still present today. One of the best ways that I believe that inclusion can be achieved is by encountering and embracing those who are different from me. I can do this by expanding my sense of community. Parker Palmer writes, “Community does not depend on intimacy and must expand to embrace strangers, even enemies, as well as friends” (“Thirteen Ways of Looking at Community” by Parker J. Palmer - Moreau First Year Experience Week 11). College is the perfect time to grow this idea of “community.” I have tried to encounter as many people with different backgrounds as possible. I have friends with different geographical locations, different races, and different socioeconomic backgrounds. These individuals are far different from the ones that I know in my hometown. I have encountered students who are completely different from me; however, this has only worked to make me a more complete person. As a result, in part, of the new perspectives in my life, I have experienced a great deal of hope going forward.
	Notre Dame has helped to strengthen my sense of hope for my life. I believe that it can be very easy to become frustrated or even scared for what the future holds in store. Fortunately, the overwhelming presence of religion that I have encountered at Notre Dame has brought me peace during the uncertainty of life. The emphasis on religion is a crucial part of a Holy Cross Education. They write, “Striving for completeness means spending one’s life as a citizen of this world imitating the person of Christ as the gateway to citizenship in heaven. On this bedrock principle, all faith and thus all human hope rests” (“Holy Cross and Christian Education” by Campus Ministry - Moreau FYE Week 12). I believe that God is synonymous with the word hope. I have hope that struggles will improve. I have hope that deceased loved ones will greet us upon death. I have hope that the crises plaguing our world will be solved. Whenever grappling with a challenge, I put my faith in God that He will make it better. By attending this Catholic institution, the sense of faith that I have encountered has only strengthened this sense of hope. My time at Notre Dame has furthered my trust in religion, which is exactly what a Holy Cross Education wants every student to encounter.
	At just the beginning of my Notre Dame journey, I have encountered challenges, people with entirely different perspectives, and an increasing feeling of hope in my life. More specifically, the academic environment at Notre Dame is one that I was not used to in high school. That being said, I have also come to realize that all aspects of my life should be grown, not just my academic side. Second, all the new people that I have encountered have helped to broaden my sense of community to make all people feel welcome around me. Last, by delving deeper into my religion, I have experienced an overwhelming feeling of hope for my future, which has brought me great peace. In three short months, Notre Dame has transformed my experiences and perspectives in life. My time at college has made me a completely different person for the better, and I cannot wait to see where the rest of my time at Notre Dame takes me.