Capstone Integration The Pursuit of Happiness Personal Mission Statement: I am at my best when I am around people I care about as well as when I am around people that I know care about me. To me, the greatest feeling is that which comes from forming meaningful relationships. I had a wonderful childhood and have a great relationship with my parents. I have maintained relationships with my closest highschool friends but continue to meet new people. This year I’ve had the opportunity to expand my social circle and meet some incredibly fulfilling people. I am constantly striving for self improvement and I find joy in seeing others reach their full potential. I pride myself on achievement and take my goals seriously. I believe that goal setting is the greatest and most accessible form of measuring success. Anyone can set goals, quantitative or qualitative, big or small. Everyone should have some goals for themselves long and short term. These goals are something all people can bond over and I often use my aspirations to shape my personal brand. I make an effort to present myself as an easy going and determined person. I believe determination is a big part of my brand to represent the serious side of my personality. I hold myself to high standards through goal setting and find it fulfilling to build relationships and see those I care about succeed. One of the most important parts of my Mission Statement is my emphasis on authenticity and real world connection. I think it is important to maintain a healthy distance between real life and life on the internet. If I was able to, I wouldn’t be on my phone after Friday night until Monday morning. “I continue to keep the cornucopia of technology at arm’s length so that I can more easily remember who I am (Why we need to slow down our lives”, Pico Lyer, TED- Moreau FYE Week One). I know I am my most genuine self when I am communicating with friends face to face. This semester I was able to reduce the amount of time I spent on electronics and cut down on social media apps as well as watching mindless television. I like to think that I live my life in the constant pursuit of happiness. “What gives you joy? What is the source of your joy?(Three Key Questions, Fr. Michael Himes- Moreau FYE Week Three)”. I find joy in accomplishments and knowing I have made days worthwhile. I make an effort at the end of every day to reflect on some positive thing that either happened to me or someone I care about. “The only way to know more about yourself is to test the waters - just get out and experience life, (Navigating Your Career Journey, Meruelo Family Center for Career Development- Moreau FYE Week Four)”. I pride myself on being able to live in the moment and not worry about the small things. I have set big goals that are long term but I believe it's important to be able to somewhat let go of bigger stresses and disassociate from bigger issues. It’s easy to get bogged down in all the assignments I have throughout the year. I've learned to find a good balance between taking things one day at a time and also making smart decisions to benefit myself in the long run. I’ve now started to make weekly goals that I know are achievable that help the time go by. The partner I picked to have the week 5 conversation with was my best friend from my dorm, JD Brown. We started talking about why we think we became friends. JD is also someone who’s not afraid to tell you the truth. He is a very real and genuine person which I think is a major part of our friendship. I know he can hold me accountable and responsible for things that I do. I think we both hold each other to higher standards and push each other to be better people. https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41060/modules/items/143819 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41060/modules/items/143819 https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ “There are many ways to practice mindfulness both alone and in community, (The Right Way to be Introspective, Tasha Eurich, TED Conferences -Moreau FYE Week Six)”. This was one of the most introspective conversations I’ve ever had. There are not many times I’ve really discussed the depth of a friendship until this. This activity was one of the best examples of community mindfulness I could think of. I hope this can represent the importance of character in my Mission Statement. I have said before, I believe my common room is a place of inclusion. I have been able to witness the struggle of being different at a Catholic university first hand. “The social teachings of the Catholic Church promote a society founded on justice and love, in which all persons possess inherent dignity as children of God, (du lac: A Guide to Student Life, University of Notre Dame- Moreau FYE Week Ten)”. One of my quad mates has been openly gay since December and I’ve tried to be supportive every step of the way. He explained the need to hide his sexuality from his uber-religious family for the majority of highschool years and his parents still don’t believe him when he tries to be honest with them. I couldn’t imagine what he had to go through back home and I know it was also very hard for him to come out to the other men in our dorm. Although it may be hard for everyone to feel comfortable, college is all about expanding your horizon and being introduced to new ways of thinking. “An ideological bubble or social network naturally filters friends so he ends up hearing from a very narrow segment of the population, (How to Avoid an Echo Chamber '' (Dr. Paul Blaschko, ThinkND- Moreau FYE Week Eleven)”. Coming here, I was completely thrown out of my friend group and left on my own. Now that I have had a fresh start, I’ve been able to pick my new set of friends, most of which are very different from me. I think I’ve made a conscious effort this year to break out of any social or political echo chamber. I think we can all put our differences aside and create a symbiotic relationship where people peacefully accompany and learn from each other.“Each of us needs to get to know people who differ from us. We must all make a conscious decision and effort to expand our circles, (Dean G. Marcus Cole: 'I am George Floyd. Except, I can breathe. And I can do something. - Moreau FYE Week Twelve”). I have had some other roommates that were definitely not what I expected, but I think I learned even more from them than they’ve learned from me. “Even though I had landed on their doorstep with plans to be “their helper,” they accompanied me, Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey Together, (Steve Reifenberg- Moreau FYE Week Nine)”. The Moreau first year class has been a great learning experience for me. It has helped me become more in touch with my emotions as well as teach me to be a better friend. I will continue to live by my Mission Statement through the rest of my academic career here at Notre Dame. https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41060/modules/items/143883 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41060/modules/items/143883 https://dulac.nd.edu/university-mission-and-vision/spirit-of-inclusion/ https://dulac.nd.edu/university-mission-and-vision/spirit-of-inclusion/ https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41060/modules/items/143990 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41060/modules/items/143990 https://law.nd.edu/news-events/news/dean-g-marcus-cole-i-am-george-floyd-except-i-can-breathe-and-i-can-do-something/ https://law.nd.edu/news-events/news/dean-g-marcus-cole-i-am-george-floyd-except-i-can-breathe-and-i-can-do-something/ https://law.nd.edu/news-events/news/dean-g-marcus-cole-i-am-george-floyd-except-i-can-breathe-and-i-can-do-something/