Keely McGlone
Father Kevin
Moreau First Year Experience
24 April 2022
A Mountain Pass Leading Towards Transcendence 
Growing up, I was always told Notre Dame was something special. My mom, who was a swimmer here, always described it as “the best, most beautiful, and most special place on Earth.” Notre Dame was completely foreign to me at this point in my life—I couldn’t remember if it was in Indiana or Illinois, and I didn’t make visits to campus, though I went to a few away football games. However, what Notre Dame stands for has never been a foreign idea to me, as I have grown up with. It has shaped the way I was raised by my mom and my relationships with my aunt and uncle who also went here, and now that I have the privilege of attending the school myself, I feel as though I truly understand the global impact Notre Dame has on individuals. Most importantly, I see the capacity I have for social change through reflective leadership because of these values and because of the lessons I have learned as a first-year student.

	A lot of what defines Notre Dame students is their leadership; if you talk to any student here, they can probably list multiple leadership positions they held in high school that they listed on their Notre Dame application. What differentiates leadership at Notre Dame from leadership at other top institutions is the use of reflective leadership to be a force for good. William Deresiewicz in his speech, “Solitude and Leadership,” shows the importance of reflective leadership (Week 7). While Deresiewicz stresses the importance of independent reflection in leadership, he also notes that good leaders practice introspection with others. When one steps back to consider Deresiewicz’s point, it makes sense that good leaders are comfortable alone because it often this time that allows them to observe and make quality decisions on the behalf of others. So, reflective leadership allows you to avoid being the tyrant, condescending leaders we all despise and allows you to embrace the selfless, caring, and loving leader we all hope to be. In my education at Notre Dame, I have many times been challenged to be a reflective leader by being but in difficult situations where my decision affects others, and it is enticing to make the selfish decision that only benefits yourself. But by practicing the reflective leadership Deresiewicz explains, I can be a force for good. I see this type of decision making in my peers here, and I truly believe it is because of the emphasis Notre Dame puts on the integrity of the person.

	Reflective leading isn’t black and white, though, and there are certain characteristics a reflective leader must embody. Among these characteristics that are necessary to become a reflective leader with the power to shape others are empathy and wisdom. This semester, I have learned that empathy is the trait I care about most in a leader. I do not find any leader to be effective if they are not willing to be empathetic. Louise Richardson in the 2018 Notre Dame Commencement speaks on empathy, noting that “to see the world from another’s perspective is a critical life skill, it is a hallmark of a vibrant democracy and a civilized society” (Week 9). In my reflection, I noted that “I am an extremely empathetic person, almost too empathetic at times.” I have come to learn from my first semester that this is specifically what makes me an effective leader, and it is not a weakness. Where others sometimes care more about themselves, I am able to take a step back, consider other people’s feelings, and decide the best course of action for the group. Empathy thus feeds into reflective leadership; one most reflect to be empathetic, and empathy makes someone a leader. Along with empathy, wisdom is crucial to practice reflective leadership effectively. Paul Blaschko says, “If you think about what separates us from all other animals, it’s—at least in part—our ability to consciously think, reflect on our lives, and intentionally direct those lives in accord with our vision of what’s good” (Week 12). These traits separate animal from human, but they also separate good leader from bad. Someone who embodies wisdom is someone who learns and reflects from experiences and shares that with others. Wisdom requires reflecting on experiences, so those who are wise embody a crucial characteristic needed for reflective leadership. My time so far at Notre Dame has challenged me, and I believe it is these challenges that ultimately help me embody wisdom, giving me the capacity to be a reflective leader who strives to make a difference. When I make a mistake or experience a shortcoming, I practice optimistic introspection, my modified take on Tasha Eurich’s “The Right Way to Be Intrsopective” (Week 6), and learn from that mistake, giving me wisdom that allows me to impact others around me.

	With this reflective leadership that Notre Dame has introduced me to, I have a certain hope for transcendence. Everyone hopes to use their career or knowledge for the greater social good, and I am no different, but I have specific desires for this social good that Notre Dame has helped me recognize. My hope for transcendence begins with the idea that I want to be a force for good, which directly aligns with Notre Dame’s values as an institution. As Dillard (Week 13) suggests, we all have a mountain pass that we are on in life. At this point in time, I believe my mountain pass surrounds my educational pursuits at Notre Dame and seeing as my hope for transcendence directly aligns with Notre Dame’s goals, I feel as though I am in the best place I can be. More specifically, this desired idea of being a force for good is centered in helping others find truth, and I hope to do that through my major of Applied and Computational Math and Statistics. It is hard to imagine how this hope for transcendence can be properly executed, though, as it is rather abstract, but I think the answers lies in accompaniment. 

	Accompaniment is a mutually beneficial relationship that allows us to broaden our perspective on the world by “walking alongside” someone else. When having such an abstract goal as social change centered in helping others find truth, it seems best to seek accompaniment to learn from someone else who has experiences surrounding your specific goals. Through that, you may even learn more about yourself and others and get a better grasp on those goals. Steve Reifenberg writes on the benefits of accompaniment in his life, noting that people who desperately needed his help in Santiago, Chile were his saviors in a severe time of need when he was ill. This relationship fostered accompaniment, and it has impacted his life desires and teachings and has become an unforgettable, life-changing experience (Week 10). So, I believe accompaniment is the best possible way for me to learn something about my goals and my desires in life and to fulfill a specific hope for transcendence. While it is unclear who I might accompany, it is not a decision that needs to be made now. If I acknowledge my hope for transcendence and need for accompaniment, I have a goal for myself.

	My time as a first year at Notre Dame has inspired me and grounded me in values needed to fulfill my life goals. It is clear to me that this experience is not fully centered around education; rather, Notre Dame seeks to develop good people who thrive as reflective leaders with the capacity to make a difference in the world. With this, I have no doubt that I will reach my hope for transcendence, as I am privileged to be part of a community that is so special.