Microsoft Word - integration final natalia soto.docx


  

Moreau FYE Integration 

December 3rd, 2021  

My journey through Notre Dame 

Throughout the semester, I’ve encountered several experiences, people, and lessons. But, 

more importantly, I’ve encountered my true goals, and expectations for my life. I feel this is key 

for my success since this way, I can work to achieve the person I aspire to be, and in doing so, I 

can get closer to encountering my true self. Fortunately, I have an excellent place to start this 

self-journey, my new home, Notre Dame. 

Since I arrived at Notre Dame, I've tried to focus on getting better academically and 

spiritually. However, in the beginning, the process wasn't so easy. My first lectures were 

challenging since I felt I was behind everyone else, and often, I couldn't participate in class 

because I felt I wasn't at the same level as my classmates. This started getting to me because I 

was convinced that if I got the opportunity to attend a prestigious university like Notre Dame is, I 

needed to be perfect. Here I encountered something called Impostor Syndrome, which made it 

really hard for me to keep up. I just wanted to quit my classes, and I couldn't even see the 

positive side of these opportunities. Some weeks went by, and I started talking to my advisor and 

some friends who helped me realize that it is okay not to be perfect and that I should not put that 

kind of pressure on myself because it would not lead me to anything good. Moreover, they told 

me that of course, the process of starting in a new place would be challenging, but I should look 

at it with a positive mindset instead of with that feeling of being less prepared or capable. I can 



relate this experience with the content we saw in week number nine about impostor syndrome 

and imperfections. As Julia Hogan stated in ((Why Letting Go of Expectations is a Freeing Habit 

- Moreau FYE Week Nine), "Remember that none of us is perfect. We all make mistakes. We 

will disappoint people. We'll disappoint ourselves. But the world doesn't have to end when that 

happens". This goes accordingly with what happened to me; I got frustrated for not being 

"perfect," which isn't even the point of being here. However, thanks to the community Notre 

Dame offers as well as the resources and constant reminder that we should work hard while 

accepting ourselves the way we are, after some weeks, I understood how this obsession with 

pleasing expectations and being 'perfect' could get in the way of my own authenticity and 

character and changed my mindset to a more positive one. Now that the semester is ending, I can 

proudly say it worked; the feeling of being behind disappeared, and now I feel I can take 

advantage of all the university's fantastic opportunities and do my best job to succeed. 

Furthermore, I feel I can relate the topic mentioned above with being broken. Just like it 

is okay to be imperfect, sometimes it’s also okay to feel broken. This is because by being broken, 

we are growing and becoming stronger than before. As Grotto said in (Women Find Healing 

Through Kintsugi Workshop – Moreau FYE Week Ten), “I want people to also know that their 

hearts are breakable, and it’s a very good thing, that it’s worth celebrating because it allows you 

to grow and expand. And you get to put your heart back together.” This quote stood out to me 

because I feel that understanding how brokenness is a part of living is vital for our growth. 

Sometimes people think that because they feel broke, everything is ruined, and there’s no hope 

for them. However, that’s not true, and that’s why I feel this quote is so important because it 

recalls how even though we feel hurt when we are broken, we need to understand that in the end, 

it is brokenness what it’s going to help us become a better and stronger person. I’m grateful that 



I’ve encountered this topic of brokenness throughout my journey at Notre Dame because it 

seems very relevant for my personal growth. Moreover, it helped me realize something 

significant about happiness: if we haven’t experienced real brokenness, it’s harder to feel 

genuine happiness. I think we won’t appreciate joy that much if we don’t know how it feels 

when we don’t have it. I’ve felt brokenness before, and I used to be ashamed of those moments, 

but now I know all those moments have helped me grow and become more resilient and stronger. 

Now I can appreciate more the wholesome moments and be grateful for the good times. 

Another aspect of great importance that I’ve encountered during this semester is 

diversity. I feel diversity is significant for our lives because it makes us more open-minded and it 

expands our knowledge, as stated in (Diversity Matters by Prof. Agustin Fuentes – Moreau FYE 

Week Eleven), “So exposure and access to different types of people, to different life experiences, 

to different ways of seeing the world offers insight and allows us to be in a position to make a 

change.” Additionally, it helps us grow and progress in different ways and see things from a 

different perspective, which is sometimes necessary for our growth. Thus, I feel that by rejecting 

others’ perspectives, we are closing ourselves to new possibilities and ideas; we are getting stuck 

with the same things as always instead of learning and accepting new and maybe even better 

things. Since I arrived at Notre Dame, I can say I’ve given the opportunity to meet new people, 

from different places, with different cultures, perspectives, and religions. I feel this has 

strengthened my acceptance of diversity as well as expanded my knowledge and mind. I’ve 

come to like this experience very much since I feel I’ve grown so much from the first day I got 

here. Furthermore, I feel every day I learn something new, and with the community that Notre 

Dame offers me, I feel I’ll be able to keep growing in many ways. That is why I’m grateful I’m 



attending a university that recognizes the importance of diversity and encourages us to keep 

embracing it. 

Finally, I would like to talk about hope and faith, which I believe are two essential 

components for our path towards God. “We must be men with hope to bring. There is no failure 

the Lord’s love cannot reverse, no humiliation he cannot exchange for blessing, no anger He 

cannot dissolve, no routine He cannot transfigure. All is swallowed up in victory. He has nothing 

but gifts to offer. It remains only for us to nd how even the cross can be borne as a gift.” (Hope - 

Holy Cross and Christian Education by James B. King, C.S.C. – Moreau FYE Week Twelve). I 

chose this quote because it represents the kindhearted image of God. This God, which I follow 

and base my life upon his ideas and beliefs. Believing that darkness can be transformed into light 

and that all the “bad things” that happen have a solution or at least a reason for happening brings 

hope to my life and opens my eyes to different possibilities. It makes me each day more certain 

of my faith in God. Moreover, knowing that through God’s path and guidance, I’ll be able to be 

closer to him and become the person I’ve always wanted, fills my heart with so much faith and 

hope. After all the topics we’ve encountered, I feel this has been one of the most powerful.  It 

reminds me of how faith and hope give us strength and, in the end, are what provide real 

meaning to life. Thus, knowing I’m attending a religious institution as Notre Dame, makes me 

feel safer and reminds me that I can turn to religion and faith in the worse times and that it’s 

hope what will eventually allow me to keep going forward. As the Holy Cross text mentions, 

adversity makes us stronger, and even though sometimes hardships may arise, through hope and 

faith, we’ll make it out stronger than we’ve ever been. Recognizing the importance of living a 

life based on hope and faith will lead us to a reality full of endless possibilities for joy, love, and 

improvement. 



After everything I've encountered during my days at Notre Dame, I'm proud to say I 

believe I'm following the correct path towards the life I seek. I'm grateful I understood the 

importance of accepting we don't need to be perfect and that it is okay to feel broken at times. 

Furthermore, I'm thankful to attend such a prestigious university in which diversity thrives. With 

that kind of community surrounding me, I can understand the beauty of diversity and work on 

getting better at it each day. Moreover, by the hand of hope and faith, which are vital 

components of this University, I can educate my mind as well as my heart. Thus, the journey I've 

encountered since the first day I arrived here has made me grow in many aspects. The different 

experiences, qualities and lessons, I've gained from the university have made me realize the 

person I want to be.  And with the Notre Dame education, I'm confident I'll continue this journey 

spiritually and academically, educating my mind as well as my heart. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Bibliography 

 

(Why Letting Go of Expectations is a Freeing Habit  By Julia Hogan - Moreau FYE Week Nine) 

(Women Find Healing Through Kintsugi Workshop by Grotto - Moreau FYE Week Ten) 

(Diversity Matters by Prof. Agustin Fuentes – Moreau FYE Week Eleven) 

(Hope - Holy Cross and Christian Education by James B. King, C.S.C. – Moreau FYE Week 

Twelve)