Unanue 1 

Redefining Who I am to Myself: Who I know I am know 

I believe that I am responsible for more than just my own actions and wellbeing because how 

much I achieve benefits not only myself but those I care most as well.  

I believe that I am growing stronger everyday by completing the challenges I set myself and not 

just telling myself that I’ll get it done one day (that might never come).  

I believe that I pursue relationship only with those I view I share common interest and traits with 

so that I can truly trust those I surround myself with.  

I believe that I am actively striving to help improve my community. Whether it is my native 

community back home in Puerto Rico, or the new one I have joined here in Notre Dame, I am 

ensuring I only give it my best self.  

The Root Beliefs written above are what I deem to be the essence of my character. They 

are beliefs I had not realized or acknowledge I had until I sat down at my first class of Moreau 

First Year Experience. With each class that followed, week after week, I began to better 

understand not only my Root Beliefs but more importantly how those beliefs interact with my 

daily life. After roughly two months of self-analyzing through open discussion among peers in 

classes and typing away at Moreau work, I feel confident I am able to completely describe the 

origins, development, challenges, and implications of each Root Belief.  

The first Root Belief that came to my mind was about how my actions (and even 

mentality) affect more than just myself. That Root Belief that I have to do my best not only for 

myself, but for those close to me can be traced back to as early as seventh grade when I first 

started to be an active member of my Model United Nations team with my best friends.  I 

realized that I was no longer just studying for competitions just so that I wouldn’t fail, I was 

studying because I realized that the more I achieved, the more I helped the very people I had 

joined Model United Nations in the first place for. Even today I still use think of that Root Belief 

at least twice a week as I recall I didn’t leave Puerto Rico to study in the states out of selfish 

intentions. With every assignment I am struggling with to find motivation to finish, I just recall 

everyone I want to help back in my home island. The quote We have been swimming in waters 

that feel bottomless, but on such occasions our toes just touch the bedrock. And as love dawns, 



Unanue 2 

so does our sight” (“Faith Brings Light to a Dark World” by David Fagerberg – Moreau FYE 

Week 3) really resonates with how I feel about my first Root Belief. 

In a similar fashion, my second Root Belief focuses on completing goals and actions; 

however, what differentiates my second Root Belief would be its focus on internal motivation to 

achieve goals. At the beginning of the semester, this Root Belief was epitomized by my lack of 

motivation to workout. Although I had followed a workout routine this whole summer, I had 

struggled to continue with it for a few weeks in September as I always put off working out for 

later after I studied and, to be completely honest, wasted my time online afterwards instead of 

going to the gym. It was around the later end of September that a Moreau class where the focus 

was the immunity map worksheet that I got back on track. I realized my issue was that relaxing 

was my competing commitment to working out and that my then current behavior of getting 

work done leisurely but on time was affecting my goals to workout.  Since then, I started to 

implement a general schedule of trying to get as much work done between classes so that I can 

workout and relax at night. After that, I began to realize that my Root Belief of setting a 

challenge, in this case it was reincorporating working out to my new life as a college student, and 

prioritizing achieving that goal was something I had in me all along which truly made me feel 

both physically and mentally healthier and also brought me joy.  

My third Root Belief defined the actions anyone around me experienced throughout any 

initial social interactions I ventured through as the semester began. The origin of my third Root 

Belief of ensuring quality friends over a quantity of friends is stems from my fear of accepting 

fake friends which I first experienced during high school. Although fear might be an extreme 

word, I view the basis of a friendship or relationship to be trust and for that both sides have to 

respect each other equally. This belief was only further cemented as I read the Moreau modules 

for week 4 in which the unhealthy friendships were outlined (“5 Signs you’re in a toxic 

Relationship” by Olivia T. Taylor -Moreau FYE Week 4). The Root Belief that I shouldn’t feel 

forced to make friends I don’t have that much in common with is what helped connect me with 

the Latino community here at Notre Dame which helped me get through the first few weeks of 

college life.  

The fourth Root Belief is one that was taught to me by the culture that I group up in. The 

idea that one helps serve those around him is what, especially during tough times, cannot hit any 



Unanue 3 

closure to home for me as I quite literally lived through multiple natural disasters that required 

neighbors, acquaintances, friends, and family to all work together to recuperate. This sense of 

community was one of reasons I chose to come to Notre Dame as I the close sense of community 

on campus to be similar to the one I know in Puerto Rico. The Root Belief of giving your best to 

the community around you was challenging to act upon when first arriving to Notre Dame as I 

felt I was not yet truly one with the campus culture yet, but ironically it was the Notre Dame 

community itself that helped me quickly feel as if I was back home. The idea that even as a 

bystander here at Notre Dame, you intervene to help any victim (“It’s on Us ND- the Three D’s 

of Being an Active Bystander – Moreau FYE Week 4) helped make me understand the depth at 

which I should go with my Root Belief of serving the community, that no matter what the 

situation is, Domers protect one another.