Moreau integration assignment Donata Carinato Moreau First year Experience What shapes me and how am I actively aware of it Since coming to Notre Dame, I have had to very much reflect on. Being in a new place, surrounded by new people who don't know me, has been a good opportunity to think about who I am, and who I want to be. Before getting here, someone gave me the advice, “In college you can be who you want to be, you can change yourself if you want!”. My time in Moreau so far has allowed me to have an organized way to analyze who I am and who I want to be in this new environment, and through this experience I feel I have learned a lot. I did learn some of my root beliefs and I feel I have a better idea of what values I find most important to follow in my life. I believe that one of the most important root beliefs in my life is that I believe I am searching for kindness and looking to spread kindness and gratitude. I believe I am searching for kindness in many aspects of my life. Kindness, gratitude, and humor were my top three virtues in the online quiz we took, and when I reflected, I found that those values are ones I want to exemplify and that I am attracted to in my life. One quote I found very important regarding values was, “You wrestle with that sin and out of that wrestling, that suffering, then a depth of character is constructed” (“Should you Live for your Resume of your Eulogy” By David Brooks, Moreau FYE Week 2). Through being uncomfortable at school and analyzing who I am, I had to face some struggles, but I was also able to discover my key values and begin to realize what I want my character to be. Learning about myself was difficult, but it paid off, as we learned in week 1,“They didn't talk about vulnerability being comfortable… they just talked about it being necessary” (“The Power of Vulnerability”- Brene Brown, Moreau FYE Week 1). I believe that living my life with those ideas and values in mind will help me to live my best life and be the most happy with the person I am. I believe that acting in ways that are most virtuous and respectable in my eyes will help me to best love myself, which will also open me up to loving others and creating more meaningful relationships. Kindness and respect also transfer to meaningful relationships this way. One key value that has been said multiple times to me on Notre Dame's campus and that I also think is very important is, “It’s on us to be our brothers and sisters keeper” (“It’s On Us ND-The Three D’s of Being an Active Bystander, Moreau FYE Week 4). Treating others with kindness and respect are what I believe to be the basis of meaningful relationships. Again, Kindness, gratitude, and respect are values that I believe are most important for me to follow in my life and look for in others. I believe my best and most meaningful relationships will stem mostly from leading with kindness and respect, and looking for others who treat me the same. I also believe that putting forward the values I believe to be most important, I will respect and love myself which will then also open myself up to love others as best I can. Week 7 assignment also showed how respect is needed for others, and part of that kindness and respect is being aware of stereotypes and biases. As the video said, “show a people as one thing as only one thing over and over again and that is what they become”(“The Danger of a Single Story”- Chimamanda Adichie, Moreau FYE Week 7). In order to truly treat people with respect and kindness, I have to treat them fairly and take the steps to not stereotype them and be aware of my own biases. When I reflected on narratives and self- knowledge I again learned that I believe kindness and respect are two virtues that I should make an effort to always put forward in order to then be remembered for them. When watching the video, “Should you Live for your Resume of your Eulogy”, I realized that one of the biggest things I want to be remembered for is kindness and respect towards others. When everything boils down and I reflect on my life as a whole, I was to see that I was someone who displayed traits I am proud of. I believe that kindness and respect are the best virtues that will make me proud of myself down the line, and hopefully make people proud of me even after I am gone. Reflecting on self knowledge also made me think about my faults and where I could improve. I believe being aware of my faults, however painful it is, is something that will ultimately help me to be the best version of myself. In this situation, suffering and troubling facts is a necessary pain that will help for me to reach my best potential and live a great life. I also believe that presenting kindness and love outward will help me to live my best life and take notice of the wonderful things around me, helping me“sharpen your vision on the good and great things that are right in front of you and that are in store for you.” (“Letare Medalist Address” - Carla Harris, Moreau FYE Week 5). My poem, one of our most recent assignments, was again a chance to reflect on who I am, and what made me that way. I started my poem by talking about my family, the physical places I grew up or the tangible memories I have. As the poem went on, I started naturally flowing into talking about the feelings, values, and morals that have shaped me, and again I found myself coming to kindness and love. My parents, especially my mom, have always made known the importance of being kind, taking care of others, and spreading love, and in reality those beliefs and ways of life have been some of what has shaped me the most in my life, and I am grateful for it. To quote my own poem, “I am from my mothers love/ Her universal kindness… I am from a place of love”(Moreau FYE Week 6). I believe that time and time again, when I looked in on myself- however uncomfortable and difficult it was to do- I have found that kindness, love, and respect are the most important things in my life. They are the values I will continue trying to emulate, the values I will look for in other people I want in my life, and the values that have made me who I am. I also know that I need to continue taking care of myself, and “First, be patient” (“The Role of Faith in our Story- Fr. Pete, Moreau FYE Week 3). I know that I will continue to face struggles in my life and that things will continue to challenge me or make me uncomfortable, but through it all I hope that I keep learning about myself, and I believe that I will be able to handle it with the values and virtues that I hold most dear, and the people that support me here at Notre Dame.