Word Count: 1576 Character Development from the First-Year Experience My first semester at the University of Notre Dame was unlike any other period of my life. Swings of emotions, periods of growth, and tests of my character and integrity have been common themes to this large-scale transition. Every uphill battle I have fought this semester has led to unimaginable personal development that has shaped and reinforced the best parts of my character. Undoubtedly, experiences at Notre Dame, especially considering my Moreau class, have been thought-provoking and led me to question parts of my character to promote character development. Overall, I have encountered many trivial, demanding, thought-provoking, and stressful situations, and I continually respond by using any experience, positive or negative, as a time for growth; I have and will celebrate success and learn from failure. One of the most thought-provoking moments from my Moreau class, learning about responding to societal expectations left a lasting impression on me. In high school, my mindset was strictly geared to achieving the best grades for the wrong reasons. Satisfying my parents and looking smart in the eyes of my peers served as my only motivation to achieve the highest test scores. I found that all my feelings of happiness, achievement, and satisfaction relied exclusively on how others felt. This flawed mindset carried into college; however, I soon shifted my mindset completely: “Instead of asking, ‘What should I do?’ or ‘What would my friend/parent/significant other expect me to do?’, [I asked myself], ‘What do I want to do?’ and ‘What do I think is best?’” (Why Letting Go of Expectations is a Freeing Habit” by Julian Hogan – Moreau FYE Week Nine [https://grottonetwork.com/navigate-life/health-and-wellness/letting-go-of- expectations/?utm_source=fall_2021&utm_medium=class&utm_id=moreau.]). I declared that my satisfaction would be dependent solely on my own personal expectations and aspirations, and I was attending school only for myself and not on behalf of others; the grades I receive are mine, so I have nothing to prove to anyone but myself. When I studied for the first test in Microeconomics, I told myself I am only studying for my own benefit which relieved a huge burden and fear that was prevalent in my life. I carried this same energy and determination into the rest of my midterms as well. As a result, except for one 89%, I have received A’s on every one of my midterms and have performed above class average on each one as well. I feel much freer considering I am not chained or reliant on public perception. I strongly intend to carry this mindset and energy into future semesters at Notre Dame and hold this sentiment into years beyond. Another thought-provoking topic from Moreau came from the call to action in my community. The reflection from this week made me reflect on the problems plaguing my communities. Coming from California, I have always seen the homeless crisis as the paramount issue that needs to be addressed immediately. However, with California’s government being all but completely inactive and inefficient, the homeless crisis has continued to rage on and grow exponentially. Every commute to school, work, friends’ houses, restaurants, the post office, or anywhere else, I would see large and widespread homeless communities that have been prominent since before I even stepped foot on this planet. Because of the lack of action from our bungling government, people like my family have taken it upon themselves to serve these communities and lend a helping hand. I had to realize that “[I] cannot pretend to stand outside this. [I am] woven into it” (“Wesley Theological Seminary 2012 Commencement Address” by Fr. John Jenkins, C.S.C. – Moreau FYE Week Ten [https://president.nd.edu/homilies-writings- addresses/wesley-theological-seminary-commencement/]). Catering to this belief, my family https://president.nd.edu/homilies-writings-addresses/wesley-theological-seminary-commencement/ https://president.nd.edu/homilies-writings-addresses/wesley-theological-seminary-commencement/ cooks, serves, helps, donates, purchases presents, and performs countless charitable works to aid the homeless population for as long as I can remember. Since this paramount issue plagues my society, I cannot simply be a bystander and allow the crisis to intensify; I have to take it upon myself to be a positive force in my community. I continue this ministry through my involvement in Campus Ministry with the Notre Dame Right to Life club where I stand firm on an issue I feel passionate about. I strive to be a positive force by promoting good in my society and calling for positive and lasting change. Thus, I have always and, when I have a family of my own, will always continue to respond with positivity and service to societal problems I encounter in the future. By the same token, performing charitable works for widespread and diverse communities has served as eye-opening and character-building experiences. As stated earlier, the ineptitude of the California government meant that individual private citizens have had to take matters into their own hands. We have adopted the belief that “the authority to lead toward community can emerge from anyone in an organization—and it may be more likely to emerge from people who do not hold positional power” (“Thirteen Ways of Looking at Community” by Parker J. Palmer – Moreau FYE Week Eleven [http://couragerenewal.org/parker/writings/13-ways-of-looking-at- community/]). We encountered the problem of a growing crisis that was receiving no government attention, and we responded by catering to the needs of homeless people and increasing their chances of becoming a positive force to society. Some charity works I have been involved with quite frequently include delivering Christmas presents to underprivileged families, packaging and cooking meals for the homeless, volunteering with nursing homes, and promoting physical education with handicapped students. Through all these actions, I have had countless interactions with people with different social, racial, and economic backgrounds than me. Through these interactions, I have grown my understanding and awareness of their circumstances, and my passion to help them—despite my lack of positional power or authority— has only grown as I continue to strive to improve my community one person at a time. These diverse experiences have well equipped me with the ability and knowledge required to relate and serve those with a different background than me; I can better understand what they went through to end up at Notre Dame and give them a sense of comfort as I show them comfort and hospitality through my actions. I firmly intend to continue my family’s legacy of heavy community involvement well into my own future; whenever I see a societal community issue that I can be a positive force in, I will always be on the frontlines to get the situation addressed. However, more important than anything else, my most important example of character development from my encounters at Notre Dame has been the solidification of my Catholic faith. From a specific Moreau reflection, I identified that my “hope [from] trusting in the cross and God’s promise of the kingdom” is the root of my Catholic faith (“Hope – Holy Cross and Christian Education” by Fr. James B. King, C.S.C. – Moreau FYE Week Twelve [https://assets.avemariapress.com/media/files/620c70f530258ca967f1906ce08329b8/Holy_Cross _and_Christian_Ed_-_Excerpt.pdf.]). A common theme to my experience at Notre Dame so far, I have encountered countless trivial situations that tempted me to give up. However, focusing on my faith rooted in hope, I realized that giving up is way harder than trying. Through these encounters, I never lose hope because I remind myself that God is always in control and loves me. Because of this response, I constantly bounce back rapidly because I trust in the cross and link my sense of hope to my faith. At Notre Dame, the opportunity to have the glorious basilica and stunning grotto have served as places of comfort and refuge for me when times get rough; when I seek refuge in Christ, he always answers and gives me hope that He will always watch over me and keep me going according to His plan. I will undoubtedly always maintain this mindset of faith through hope and continue to respond effectively and valiantly. The Moreau First Year Experience enabled me to grasp a better understanding and awareness of my character development from my first semester. I am incredibly thankful for the opportunities to not only visualize and discuss my own progress but to also hear the encounters, stories, advice, and thoughts of my peers. It is easy to sometimes think you are alone in any given battle; however, hearing about others’ imperfections and struggles has made me realize I never have and never will be alone in any of my trivial life problems. There will always be someone going through the same thing, and even if I cannot find them, I can find a friend, family member, classmate, instructor, professor, and so many more people willing to help me. Bring me to this settling peaceful conclusion, The Moreau First Year Experience has served as a major asset to my academic and personal growth, and I could not be prouder of the students and instructor who made the experience as delightful, growth-promoting, and enjoyable as it was; I took part in life-changing and character-developing encounters that left a permanent impression on my character that I intend to carry for the rest of my time on Earth. Works Cited Fr. John Jenkins, C.S.C. “Wesley Theological Seminary Commencement.” Office of the President, https://president.nd.edu/homilies-writings-addresses/wesley-theological- seminary-commencement/ Julia Hogan, LCPC. “Why Letting Go of Expectations Is a Freeing Habit.” Grotto Network, 29 Jan. 2020, https://grottonetwork.com/navigate-life/health-and-wellness/letting-go-of- expectations/?utm_source=fall_2021&utm_medium=class&utm_id=moreau. King, Fr. James B. “Holy Cross and Christian Ed - Assets.avemariapress.com.” Holy Cross and Christian Education, https://assets.avemariapress.com/media/files/620c70f530258ca967f1906ce08329b8/Holy_ Cross_and_Christian_Ed_-_Excerpt.pdf. Palmer, Parker J. “Thirteen Ways of Looking at Community • Center for Courage & Renewal.” Center for Courage & Renewal, 25 Feb. 2017, http://couragerenewal.org/parker/writings/13-ways-of-looking-at-community/. https://president.nd.edu/homilies-writings-addresses/wesley-theological-seminary-commencement/ https://president.nd.edu/homilies-writings-addresses/wesley-theological-seminary-commencement/