David Michael Jefferson  
October 11, 2021
Moreau First-Year Experience 
Professor Hnatusko 
My Journey Through Self Reflection and Beliefs 
	The question we are supposed to answer in the paper is simply ‘What do I believe?’. For the first weeks of college we were able to take a break from the normal college class, and take a class simply based on self-knowledge and personal growth. Moreau First Year experience didn’t really follow the format of a class, as we often participated in group discussions about self-knowledge and recognition. Each week we looked at a different aspect of personal reflection and growth and reflected on this topic. The question ‘What do I believe?’ seems like a broad question, but when broken down into the eight weeks of reflection we did on different topics it gets simpler. 
	Personal beliefs stem from what is known as Root beliefs, which ask the question of why you believe something. I believe that root beliefs are essential to personal reflection and growth. A root belief statement that I dove deep into was me stating that I believe I grow from peer review and help. From my time at Notre Dame I have experienced the deep level of resources, Notre Dame provides for you to be successful. I think that those available resources workes perfectly for me because I feel I become a better learner from resource help. For example, I am taking a one-credit writing course that is focused on looking at my writing for other courses and helping me become a better writer. I also am taking full advantage of tutors and TA’s that are available to help me in times of need. In middle and high school it was easy for my pride to take over and to try and do everything myself solely on the belief of wanting to be independent. But after realizing that I grow from taking advantage of resources and help, I let myself take advantage of others trying to help me. Another root belief statement that I took interest in is I believe my purpose is to better myself as a student-athlete and to take advantage of Notre Dame as an experience. When I say that I mean my purpose at Notre Dame, not in life. The first aspect is to better myself as a student-athlete. I have never really been a true student before, meaning my high school experience was shaped by athletics. Part of the reason I chose Notre Dame was because I knew it would give me the opportunity to become a well-rounded Student-Athlete. Meaning I would not be too focused on academics or on Athletics. Going to a big SEC school I felt I would fall back into my old ways of not caring about school, but just on the athletic side of my life. The second part is my purpose to take advantage of Notre Dame as an experience. Coming from Washington Dc, I have never really experienced life outside of the East Coast. Also, Notre Dame is a very religious place, so taking in that experience to deepen my faith I feel will turn me into a well-rounded person. A challenge of that belief is taking the Notre Dame experience as a whole, not just bits and pieces. As an athlete, it is easy for me to close myself off to campus life, dorm activities, meeting new people, and/or taking the time to meet people outside of my dorm. But me knowing that my purpose in coming here is to take in the Notre Dame experience as a whole, I will not let any of those things slip by me. 
	Over the past eight weeks, each Moreau class has been a different aspect of identifying ways to self-evaluate, self-assess, and internally reflect. The first week we looked at the question "In what ways may courage, vulnerability, and belonging be a part of my search?"  We looked at a video on the topic and the video stated,  “That connection is why we are here, it's what gives purpose and meaning to our lives.” (“The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown - Moreau FYE Week One) Connections and Interactions with other people are what fuel our lives and our ability to live the way we do. No matter what aspect of life you focus on, there is some sort of human connection. In my opinion, developing relationships and connections and being able to develop technology is what differentiates us from the animal kingdom. These human connections have allowed us to grow and develop as a human race and are part of the reason why humans have evolved into the dominant species on the planet.  Dr. Brown also explains the role human connections play in our lives and the power of being vulnerable. Dr. Brown then goes on to highlight the importance of having the courage to be imperfect. In order to truly be yourself and to be vulnerable, you have to be able to fully embrace yourself and vulnerability. Loving yourself is the first step in human growth, and personally, I one hundred percent agree. For the first four weeks, we looked at each question that started with the phrase “searching for”. The Focus Question for the second session was "How can I grow as my most authentic self?". Because of this focus question I really tried to focus more on the survey than the video (VIA Character Strengths Survey- Moreau FYE Week Two). I think self-reflection and your own intuition would help one become their true self. It was interesting to do the self-reflection survey and see what areas I am stronger in and areas I was lacking in like knowledge, wisdom, and integrity. One thing that I did really like was when the speaker in the Ted Talk ( Video: “The Role of Faith in Our Story” (Fr. Pete McCormick, C.S.C., Moreau Week 2),  talked about how to build depth in character. He highlighted the importance of looking back into one's past and self-reflecting on a moment of shame. This allows for the personal growth of your true self and will help you build depth. The third and fourth weeks both dealt with building relationships and the framework of those relationships. In week three, the integration of faith and smart decision-making really struck home with me, because that is something that needs to play a factor in building relationships. The moral aspect of building relationships transitioned straight into week four in the discussion of bystanders and forming giving relationships. In the text, (Text: "5 Signs You’re in a Toxic Friendship" (Olivia T. Taylor, Grotto,  Moreau FYE Week 4), Grotto says “Friendships should make you feel positive and like you’re investing in something long-term. Think back to a time where you felt uplifted, hopeful, and happy after hanging out with a friend. The best kind of friendships are the ones where you leave with a smile on your face, knowing you’re both growing to be better people and that you’re helping each other get there.”  I agree with this statement fully and try to implement this when I judge if my friends are truly my friends. One thing I disagree with is leaving with a smile on your face. I disagree because with your true closest friends you should feel comfortable enough to feel uncomfortable. You should be able to challenge each other and call your friend out on their bs even if that makes one upset. But then at the end of the day be able to look back, smile, and realize that your friend had your best interest at heart. 
	For weeks 5-8, the discussion phrases all started with the word “Identifying”. Off the bat, you can tell these weeks are focused on reflection. The Focus Question for week 5 is: "In what ways do stories shape my journey?" I believe that this is a very good question and the amount stories that impact one’s life differs from person to person. Stories that directly relate to a person and how they would live their life, shape their journey and character immensely. For example stories on African American history directly relate to me and my viewpoints. I think it is very important to take stories into account when forming viewpoints and opinions. The next week we looked at a poetry assignment, that depicted where you were from and the influences that shaped you into the person you are today. On that assignment, the founder says “People have used it at their family reunions, teachers have used it with kids all over the United States, in Ecuador and China; they have taken it to girls in juvenile detention, to men in prison for life, and to refugees in a camp in Sudan.” (Text: "Where I'm From" (George Ella Lyon), Moreau FYE Week 6) I think this is a really cool and embracive movement. Hearing that a poem prompt has traveled all across the world is almost breathtaking. Also, it's just simple as where you are from, so people can put their own spin on it but it always relates back to your identity.  Lastly, in week 7, we looked at people’s ability to pursue truths and biases that would be formed when coming to those conclusions. In the text  (Text: “How to Think about ‘Implicit Bias’” (Keith Payne, Laura Niemi, John M. Doris, Scientific American), Moreau FYE Week 7), the author says Today managers are unlikely to announce that white job applicants should be chosen over Black applicants, and physicians don’t declare that Black people feel less pain than whites. Yet the widespread pattern of discrimination and disparities seen in field studies persists. It bears a much closer resemblance to the widespread stereotypical thoughts seen on implicit bias tests than to the survey studies in which most people present themselves as unbiased.” At the beginning of the text, it also states that biases don’t mean you have any sexist, racist, or “whateverist” implications. I would disagree with this statement partially. The direct person might not have any bad thoughts, but it has been implemented in their brain to think this way over years of oppression. Using race and the quotation above is a great example. In no way is that manager racist, but culturally over the years, they have been “trained” to think the way of the example. It sucks but that is just how society is. 
	Every module had one main thing in common, it was rooted in the premise of self-reflection. In college, I feel it is really easy to get sucked into just being a robot who is fixated on doing well in school and getting good grades. Moreau first experienced gives students the ability to take a step back from that, and self-reflect on items that will essentially help them in their college journey.