Martin - Intergration One Martin 1 Professor Helm FYS 10101 15 October 2021 Manifestations of a Notre Dame Student I believe that I do not have to fit into hustle culture in order to contribute to society...and I can promote a better society within the relationships I foster. Brené Brown, a self-identified, research-storyteller, describes her troubles with acknowledging the necessity of vulnerability in the journey to discover self-worthiness while simultaneously, very ironically, being vulnerable in front of an international audience. In the first lesson of Moreau, Brené Brown describes what can today be acknowledged as “hustle culture”—an environment in which everyone must strive for absolute excellence without ever being vulnerable to our insecurities and faults. I have struggled with hustle culture all throughout high school, and it is still something that I struggle with today; however, the difference is that today I can acknowledge that I am holding myself to too high of standards. Brené Brown stated, “They were willing to let go of who they thought they should be, in order to be who they were,” (“The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown - Moreau FYE Week One). When I let go of hiding behind a mask, I was able to become the best version of myself because I was no longer lying to others, or myself, about how I deal with the day-to-day experiences in life. In the article from the Grotto, the author stated,“Attention is one of the rarest forms of love,” (“5 Signs You’re in a Toxic Friendship” by Olivia T. Taylor - Moreau FYE Week Four)Many times students do not feel alienated in school environments, even if they are very involved academics, extracurriculars, or athletics, because hustle culture enforces a belief that an individual can always be doing more. However, by paying attention to my relationships with others, I can help mitigate their experiences with hustle culture by promoting vulnerability and acceptance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Qm9cGRub0&feature=youtu.be https://grottonetwork.com/navigate-life/relationships/signs-of-toxic-friendships/ Martin 2 I believe that I am the creator of my own self worth...by letting my passions drive my actions. “We live in perpetual self-confrontation between the external success and the internal value,” (“Should you live for your résumé...or your eulogy?” by David Brooks - Moreau FYE Week Two). This quote was read by David Brooks, but the statement was originally created by Joseph Soloveitchik, author of The Lonely Man of Faith, and this quote by Soloveitchik perfectly describes a problem still occurring in modern society—the struggle between public accomplishment and internal self-worth. In his presentation, Father Kevin Groves asserted, “Our lives are not our resumes, it’s just being who they are,” (“Two Notre Dames: Your Holy Cross Education ” by Fr. Kevin Grove - Moreau FYE Week Five). The college application process exposed the ways in which I valued my worth, and I had, essentially, equaled my entire existence to the length of my résumé, the number of connections I had on LinkedIn, and the prestidge of my accomplishments. However, after a lot of self evaluation over the summer, I have come to the conclusion that I, not my accomplishments, define my self-worth, and that has led me to also decide that I will let my passions drive my actions rather than external pressure to live up to an image of the “perfect student”. In the poem I crafted for class, I wrote, “I am from a place where no one gets into high-list colleges...From a city of middle class people with middle class dreams...But I am from a dream to break the cycle,” (“What Has Formed Me?” by - Moreau FYE Week Six). In Evansville, I was told I had too big of asspirations, that I spent too much time dreaming instead of facing reality. However, I know what I want to do with my life, and I know that my passions will lead me to where I am assposed to be—I know my self-worth. I believe that my searching for faith...one in which aligns with my morals. I grew up in a secular household, but my parents would never admit that. On documents or in front of friends, they would say we were Christian—even though they forgot to have my brother and I baptized. The fact that I didn’t go to church like my friends, didn’t known about the Bible’s origin and stories, and didn’t understand the basic concept of prayer weighed heavily on me while growing up in a very religious community. Novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie explained in her Ted Talk presentation, “The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story,” (“The Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - https://www.ted.com/talks/david_brooks_should_you_live_for_your_resume_or_your_eulogy/transcript?language=zh https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=859bc1a8-0d0f-4eb4-a1c1-d0a45c429187 https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=859bc1a8-0d0f-4eb4-a1c1-d0a45c429187 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IhNkS_NNBbORK8C65pg2TO8B9XQefgoZVPl8-W1vfuE/edit https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story Martin 3 Moreau FYE Week Seven). I had a single story of religion that made me believe I could not be considered faithful because my perception of faith was different from those around me. However, as I look back now, I think being separated from the restrictions of religions in my community was the best thing that could have happened to me because it allowed me to ask myself what my beliefs could be instead of being taught about what my beliefs should be. I have an unorthodox relationship with my parents, and a part of that also means I did not learn my morals from my parents; instead, I was taught my morals by various YMCA advisors—from people who did and did not practice religion. This separation allowed me to create my own values and association to faith without external influence, and it ultimately led to the person I am today. I am still searching for a definition or identification for my faith, but it will be one that aligns with my morals, not someone else’s morals that are pushed onto me to accept as truth. I take comfort in Father Pete’s statement, “The greatest journey you will ever go on, is one of self-discovery,” (“The Role of Faith in Our Story” by Fr. Pete McCormick - Moreau FYE Week Three). The journey, although light-years different from traditional student experiences, to find my faith is a part of who I am and how I interact with the world, and it is something that I will cherish. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcZMeqWWOIs