Microsoft Word - MOREAU INTEGRATION .docx


Laura Díaz  
Moreau Integration  
Friday, October 15, 2021 
 

Why am I who I am? 
 

Root Beliefs are statements of conviction that shape choices and priorities. Each person has different 
root beliefs, and after being a Notre Student for two months now, I have learned and reflected about 
what are my personal root beliefs. Each root belief forms me into the person I am on my daily basis, and 
each of them make me be a better person, approaching situations life throws at me in the best way 
possible. The following root beliefs are part of who I am and are what shape me and make me the way I 
am today.  
 
I believe that I am searching for courage, vulnerability and belonging. As Brené Brown states, “These 
folks had the courage to be imperfect.”(“The Power of Vulnerability”  by Brené Brown - Moreau FYE 
Week One). This thought really leads me to believe how people who embrace their imperfections, have 
the most courage and live the happiest. As she explains, the biggest barrier for belonging is fitting in 
because when you are trying to fit in, you forget about who you really are. This is something I always 
keep in mind because to really belong to a community, one must stand tall with her/his true self, 
otherwise that feeling of belonging will never be accomplished. Here at Notre Dame, we have a diverse 
community and as soon as I got here, I noticed that it only takes being myself to feel that I fit in a certain 
group. I have learned that being vulnerable is not something I should be ashamed of, on the contrary, it 
is something that has helped me build stronger relationships.   
 
I believe that I can grow as my most authentic self by sticking to my values and as said above, standing 
tall with my true self. As David Brooks explains his vision of how society is divided in Adam I and Adam II, 
he states: “We happen to live in a society that favors Adam I, and often neglects Adam II.” (“Should You 
Live for Your Resume or Your Eulogy?” by David Brooks – Moreau FYE Week Two). This quote 
demonstrates the distinct aspects of human nature. Humans tend to value more material success than 
emotional success and for most people, it is easier to judge someone by his/her accomplishments, 
instead of judging by how he/she accomplished it. Therefore, I believe that in order to be an authentic, 
successful person, it is important to be a combination of both Adams, meaning that when being an 
innovative, creative person, the person is also humble and spiritual. This week I learned which are the 
strengths that define me and how I can practice them for my benefit in a daily basis. In order to be 
successful, I should not only think about the outcome, but I should also have in mind what is the best 
and truthful way to get there. Since hope is one of my signature strengths, here at Notre Dame I have 
faced situations where I have found myself in need of sticking to the thought that everything happens 
for a reason, and that everything is possible if we have a good mindset. This feeling of hope is what has 
kept me motivated in difficult situations.  
 
I believe that faith plays a big role in how I see the world because as Professor David Fagerberg states in 
his article, “Hope anchors the soul.” (“Faith Brings Light to a Dark World” – by Proffesor David Fagerberg 
– Moreau FYE Week Three). Having a sense of hope and specially faith in our lives will always give us a 
feeling of comfort and motivation that even though we may don’t see it at the moment, we are on the 
right path. Being hopeful is what will lead us towards our faith and closer to God, and the best way to 
face difficult situations is to always be hopeful that everything happens for a reason, and that God has 
put you in that particular situation for a reason, like Fr. Pete mentions in his video (“The Role of Faith in 
Our Story” by Fr. Pete McCormick – Moreau FYE Week Three). At the start of the semester, adapting to 



this new life here at Notre Dame felt very overwhelming, due to all the changes I was experiencing, and I 
started asking myself “Why am I here?”. Weeks after, I have noticed the important role faith plays in my 
life and instead of pushing my faith away in difficult situations, I believe that good things are coming for 
me, because as said, having hope will lead me to light, not darkness.  
 
I believe that I forge life-giving relationships by always keeping in mind how each relationship in my life 
makes me feel about myself and if they help me be a better or worse version of myself. As Olivia T. 
Taylor says, “Friendships should make you feel positive and like you’re investing in something long-
term.”  ("5 Signs You’re in a Toxic Friendship" by Olivia T. Taylor – Moreau FYE Week Four). Most people, 
if not all, live with at least one unhealthy relationship, and the problem is finding it out and knowing 
how to stop it. People tend to settle with these unhealthy relationships without realizing they can find 
better relationships that make them feel better about themselves. A healthy relationship is filled with 
honesty, respect, comfort, equality, among other qualities, and these are the essential elements that 
will make you feel you are investing in a long-term relationship. I am aware that toxic relationships are 
more common than what people think, and everyone should be able to recognize them. From past 
experiences, I can say that having unhealthy relationships throughout my life and being able to 
recognize them, has helped me build better connections and relationships with new people nowadays, 
for example with people here at Notre Dame.  
 
I believe that stories shape my journey because as Fr. Kevin Grove says, “We believe there is no failure 
that grace cannot transfigure into a blessing.” ( "Two Notre Dames: Your Holy Cross Education" by Fr. 
Kevin Grove – Moreau FYE Week Five). People tend to see every failure and every negative outcome in 
their lives as a problem or as an obstacle, instead of gaining strength and lessons from them and 
embracing their journey of life. I tend to fight myself because my first instinct when something does not 
go the way I expected, is to close my mind and get disappointed, but then I remember I must learn from 
my mistakes and that these “failures” will then become my strengths. Here in Notre Dame, this concept 
is very present because here we not only educate ourselves and learn academic stuff, but we also learn 
to become better persons. This week I learned about Moreau’s thought that a great education couldn't 
only be about learning things, it had to be about educating the human body as a whole. This is why what 
I most like about Notre Dame is that it makes students feel we all have a purpose, and it teaches us to 
believe in ourselves and learn from our experiences.  
 
I believe that where I come from has shaped me into who I am today. I feel the phrase “Where I’m 
From” is a very interesting one because for every person it means something completely different, and it 
is a phrase that contains millions of stories behind it ("Where I'm From" by George Ella Lyon – Moreau 
FYE Week Six). As I wrote about where I come from, I was able to reflect on how each of my stories and 
experiences have formed me. I feel proud to say that I come from a very united, strong family, who are 
the ones who support me and have raised me into who I am today. We live in a small, but amazing 
country which holds most of the best experiences of my life, those who have shaped me into who I am 
today. Every person comes from different backgrounds, and these backgrounds are what make each 
person unique, and this is something that called my attention while discussing our poems in class. As a 
Notre Dame student, I am sure these beliefs and background are going to help me make my journey a 
better one, by always having present from where I come from.  
 
I believe that I pursue the truth by always having an open mind about everything and not limiting myself 
to believe incomplete stories. As Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie says, “The single story creates stereotypes, 
and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make 
one story become the only story.” ( "Danger of a Single Story" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – Moreau 



FYE Week Seven). It is very easy to believe what we don’t really know, and this is why stereotypes are so 
common in our society. For this reason, we should always be informed and not believe in everything we 
are told. Like Adichie says, stereotypes are not always the complete story, and they tend to generalize 
aspects of people that are not true, making people believe certain traits about other people just because 
they are part of a group, making them biased. For me, it is very important to always keep this thought in 
mind, specially here in Notre Dame, where I am constantly meeting new people that come from 
different places. It is important to always keep my mind open and to not judge people before knowing 
them, in other words, not believing in stereotypes before knowing the complete story.  
 
For these past weeks, I have been able to deepen my self-knowledge, and figure out ways that will help 
me grow as a person. Notre Dame is the perfect place for this because its community and ways of 
teaching make every student be the best version of themselves. This place has made me learn and 
emphasize my root beliefs and put them into practice on my daily life. I am sure that I will continue to 
grow and learn more about myself throughout my journey in Notre Dame, where I will continue to learn 
how to be a better person, live my life by staying true to myself and living a life based in hope, faith, and 
values, which will guide me to live a life being the best version of myself.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



Citations  
 

“The Power of Vulnerability”  by Brené Brown - Moreau FYE Week One 
 
“Should You Live for Your Resume or Your Eulogy?” by David Brooks – Moreau FYE Week Two 
 
“Faith Brings Light to a Dark World” – by Proffesor David Fagerberg – Moreau FYE Week Three 
 
“The Role of Faith in Our Story” by Fr. Pete McCormick – Moreau FYE Week Three 
 
“5 Signs You’re in a Toxic Friendship" by Olivia T. Taylor – Moreau FYE Week Four 
 
 "Two Notre Dames: Your Holy Cross Education" by Fr. Kevin Grove – Moreau FYE Week Five 
 
"Where I'm From" by George Ella Lyon – Moreau FYE Week Six 
 
  "Danger of a Single Story" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – Moreau FYE Week Seven