Notre Dame and Me: The Next Chapter in my Life The University of Notre Dame. Before I came here, I assumed that it would be a university like any other, that I would simply be coming here to learn about the nuances of my major, to eventually become a great doctor. However, what actually awaited me was more interesting than that. Not only was I learning more about biochemistry, I was learning more about who I am. Who do I strive to be in the future? What are my core values? I don’t quite have the full answers to these questions yet, but I’ve made great strides towards answering them during my time here at Notre Dame. Throughout my life, I’ve struggled with my concept of self. Who should I be? Do I live up to those standards? What should I be doing differently? These questions have plagued me for years. I remember one particular moment during a math competition that I participated in when I was in middle school – it was my third year participating, and given that I had made the state level of competition every year before, I didn’t expect to run into any problems on the way there. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it, which absolutely crushed me. For my whole life, I believed that I was above average in math skill. To me, my defeat clearly meant that I had declined, and that I was no longer the math superstar that I thought I was. This realization devastated me, and thus began my journey to find out what I should try to be like. Eventually, I stumbled upon the realization that my “downfall” really only came about because of my expectations – I fully expected to reach the state level of competition, and I fully expected to dominate everyone else at the competition. As Julia Hogan puts it, “these expectations are all arbitrary and not definitive rules for the only way to live life” (“Why Letting Go of Expectations is a Freeing Habit” by Julia Hogan – Moreau FYE Week Nine). I continued to struggle with expectations throughout high https://grottonetwork.com/navigate-life/health-and-wellness/letting-go-of-expectations/?utm_source=fall_2021&utm_medium=class&utm_id=moreau school, whether it be about making it onto the varsity team for our Science Olympiad competitions, or keeping my GPA high enough. However, I’ve come to realize that rather than trying to be the perfect person, I should just focus on bettering myself little by little every day. Rather than trying to get so good at math that I can beat everyone else at competitions, I instead try to focus on learning new concepts and tackling challenging problems. This change in mindset transformed me for the better, and I hope to continue employing it in the future. In the summer of 2020, the killing of George Floyd sparked outrage and protest across the nation, under the rallying cry of “Black Lives Matter.” At the time, I was about to begin my senior year of high school, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. I had been stuck at home for a few months at that point, and I constantly felt that I was about to combust from all the pressure that I was going through, with my family, my college applications, and my schoolwork. The major news headlines of the time did nothing to soothe me – rather, I felt even more hopeless. How was I supposed to be able to help the world in any capacity, when I was struggling with all that was expected of me already? Over time, I’ve begun to formulate an answer to this question too. Rather than trying to help the world, I needed to help myself first. I realized that it was far more productive to try and do good for the world when I was in tip-top condition, rather than when I was suffering from stress and anxiety. Furthermore, it’s a daunting task to try and simply solve the world’s problems in one fell swoop. It’s simply impossible for one person to do. Rather, I’ve learned to focus on my own life – what can I do to better the lives of others in my own life? I think a large portion of the problems the world faces can be solved in one way or another simply by strengthening the bonds between people. As Father Jenkins put it, “A country whose citizens treat one another with scorn does not have a bright future” (“Wesley Theological Seminary 2012 Commencement Address” by Fr. John Jenkins, C.S.C. – Moreau https://president.nd.edu/homilies-writings-addresses/wesley-theological-seminary-commencement/ https://president.nd.edu/homilies-writings-addresses/wesley-theological-seminary-commencement/ FYE Week Ten). I believe that simply by treating others with respect, and trying to help others with their problems whenever I can, I can do my part to making this world a better place. When I get into a situation where I’m more able, perhaps I can even help tackle some of the bigger problems that the world faces. Throughout my life, I’ve been no stranger to community, and I’ve been thankful for that. The communities that I’ve been a part of have helped shape me, and have allowed me to achieve my full potential. Whether it be my friends from the Science Olympiad team in middle school, or the kids I played Minecraft with in high school, they always had my back when I needed it, and in return, I did my best to help them when they needed it. What I’ve learned throughout my life can be summarized in this quote by Parker Palmer: “Community is not a goal to be achieved but a gift to be received” (“Thirteen Ways of Looking at Community” by Parker J. Palmer – Moreau FYE Week Eleven). I’ve found that I tend to form the tightest bonds with people when I meet them by chance, when I’m just doing what I like doing. As the quote says, community isn’t something that can really be forced – it develops over time, as you grow closer to a group of people. Here at Notre Dame, I’ve also found that community can be very rewarding. My dorm recently put on a Mental Health Night, which I attended. I got to listen to the stories of some of the students, and after hearing from them I became acutely aware of the mental health struggles that my fellow students were going through. Hearing the perspectives of others is always important, and through the communities that we’re a part of, we can expose ourselves to the successes and struggles of the world. Hope can be a magical thing. All you need is a little bit to give you the strength you need to get out of a tough situation, or to accomplish a tricky goal. Whenever I help others who are struggling with something, I focus on trying to give them hope, so that they can attain their goals http://couragerenewal.org/parker/writings/13-ways-of-looking-at-community/ too. For example, when I tutored students in math during high school, rather than simply showing them the correct method to solve the problem, I focused on helping them understand why the methods we used to solve the problems worked, so that they could apply the methods in other problems much easier. This quote resonated with me in particular: “And, as in every work of our mission, we find that we ourselves stand to learn much from those whom we are called to teach” (“Hope – Holy Cross and Christian Education” by Fr. James B. King, C.S.C – Moreau FYE Week Twelve). Indeed, in spreading my knowledge to others, I gain hope at seeing them apply the concepts on their own and succeed. It’s a two-way exchange. Since arriving at Notre Dame, I’ve learned a lot about my beliefs, values, and motivations. With a more concrete sense of self, I hope to help change the world for the better using what I’ve learned here. https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/23733/files/192471?module_item_id=109281