1 December 2021
Fr. Kevin
Moreau FYS
The Lever Which Moves Clean Water
After spending this semester in the first-year engineering program, I plan to move forward with my studies of Environmental Engineering. This is so that I may use my knowledge and talents in the fields of science and math, as well as my love of the outdoors to help engineer a better world for tomorrow. As an environmental engineer, I hope to help design water infrastructure that can help bring clean water to everyone. This will help make the world a safer, more equitable place. 
	This desire to help the world have clean water stems from my desire to help build a better global community. In week 11 of Moreau, we read a text from the Center for Courage and renewal. In this text, authored by Parker J Palmer, we read “Whether we know it or not, like it or not, honor it or not, we are embedded in community. Whether we think of ourselves as biological creatures or spiritual beings or both, the truth remains: we were created in and for a complex ecology of relatedness, and without it we wither and die.” This speaks to an inherent part of being human; we are a collective race. We cannot survive in isolation, and we should work to help bring the longevity of the whole. By attempting to live in isolation, we not only harm ourselves, but we also harm the rest of humanity by failing to provide them with the gifts, talents and skills which can help work towards their benefit This begins to answer the question “What am I made for?”, but we are still missing a key element.
	In his 2012 commencement address to Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington DC, which we read in preparation for week 10, Father Jenkins says “Love is the deepest human need. Each human being has a deep spiritual, psychological, emotional longing for love. And not to get it injures us deeply.” This reflects a key component of my desire to bring clean water to the world. The feeling of love is just as important to a person’s flourishing as their need for water. For too long, some people have felt ignored and condemned to have a lower standard of living than that of their peers. Unfortunately, these divisions frequently fall upon socioeconomic lines. By bringing clean water, I hope to be able to help dissolve the barriers which divide people from one another. Thus, by satiating the human need for water, I am also helping to satiate the human need for love and affection. I hope that by helping to bring clean water to those in need of it, I can remind them that they do have a voice, and that they deserve basic dignity and respect just as much as the next person. 
	For a while towards the beginning of the semester, I was unsure if engineering was going to be the lever which I used to bring positive change to the world. I did not know if I was worthy of the mantle and obligation of being an engineering student. I worried if I was smart enough and whether I was simply wasting my time. Thankfully by fall break, those fears and worries mostly subsided, but I was reminded of my doubts wen we watched a TED-ED video titled “What is Imposter Syndrome?” in week 9 of Moreau. I had heard of imposter syndrome before, but never connected that what I was experiencing fell under its definition. The video ended with the statements “You have talent, you are capable, and you belong.” This reminded me that I can succeed in studying Environmental Engineering. Later, while at a career development presentation for my engineering class, the presenter said, “The hardest thing you will probably have to do in life is to get accepted to Notre Dame.” This reminded me that I had already done the hard work of building a foundation on which I can build more knowledge. This foundation is not just math and science, but also a human desire to love and improve the world.
	In week 12, we prepared a set of rules for life. These rules are to govern me and my actions so that I may act deliberately and with purpose towards my desired ends. Two of my rules were “Always be kind” and “Think before you act.” I hope that these rules help guide me to live a life in which I can help others. I consider kindness to be a precursor to the love which father Jenkins described in his commencement address. Without first being kind to everyone that we meet, we cannot truly come to love them. Additionally, I consider thinking before action to be essential to living a disciplined, contemplative life of action. We must first ensure that the goals which we set for ourselves are realistic and possible. Additionally, we must ensure that the causes which motivate us are worthwhile. By thinking before acting, we can ensure that our efforts will eventually bear fruit and we are not working for nothing
	Overall, I hope to use my education in environmental engineering from Notre Dame to help bring equity and sustainability to the world’s water crisis. This goal cannot be achieved through math and science alone. It requires a human desire to do good which only a diverse curriculum, like that of Notre Dame, can inspire. Additionally, Notre dame provides the resources which can help make my goals a reality. I hope to make my education from the University of Notre Dame the lever I use to help move the world by providing clean water to all those in need. This will not only improve the world, but also improve me by helping to give me meaning through working to benefit the lives of others. I feel that if everyone makes helping others a main aspect of their lives, the collective humanity can make the world better.