Moreau Integration


Moreau Integration

The beliefs we have have a big affect on how we perceive things and act upon them. These
beliefs are always changing in proportionality with the part of our journey. Coming to Notre
Dame has made me realize the beliefs that I stick onto to narrate my experience here. I was able
to do this after getting to meet new people, studying in a new system, and learning lessons from
different courses. In Moreau, we got to talk about some aspects that define us as social people
and how these aspects affect our journey. Some of the most important things I believe in are
growth through faith and narration, the search for relationship and the self, and lastly finding
truth by vulnerability and the elimination of a single story.

I believe that I grow by relating to a narrative in my new journey and combining this story with
faith. I think that everyone always has some kind of narrative that makes them unique. This
narrative defines who they are and guides them in their way. We have seen this in (“Where I’m
From” by Georrge Ella Lyon -Moreau FYE Week 6), and during the first week of college, where
everyone got to realize that every one of us comes from a different and special background. I
also believe that faith also plays a role with that specific narrative in affecting our experiences. I
have always held this root belief in my life. I wanted to focus on it when I came to the university.
Although, it was a bit challenging for me at first. It was hard to start a new beginning and start
building up a new narrative. It was also a different experience for me to be in a catholic school,
where most of the students here are catholic or of different religion. This new environment
challenged me to write my journey in different colors, and grow through the faith and beliefs that
I always have while writing a new chapter. These two aspects were seen both in two weeks of
Moreau where we talked about how everyone will have a different narrative that will shape their
journey. This is affected by the belief of Notre Dame to create a conclusive community that holds
onto faith and the love of god that result from self love and the love of others. This is seen in
(“The Role of Faith in Our Story” by Fr. Pete McCormick, C.S.C. -Moreau FYE Week 3), and in
week 5 where a quote that stuck in my head “There is no failure that grace cannot transfigure
into a blessing” (“Two Notre Dames: Your Holy Cross Education” by Fr. Kevin Grove, C.S.C.
-Moreau FYE Week 5), which shows that every challenge and failure in our journey is a blessing
and a step towards growth. Lastly, growth is related to our narratives and faith combined
together.

I believe that I am searching for my authentic self and true friendships. This is a new stage in my
life, and it is time to focus on my new goals and make new friends. Relationships are a
fundamental part of our life, and it is important to know how to be healthy ones. I believe that
when I get to know myself more and realize the authentic part of me, I will be able to create
healthier relationships. During the first weeks in college I was trying to adapt to the new system
and the different things here. I have met a lot of people from different backgrounds. I was aiming



to have my first weeks more to discover rather than creating these long lasting relationships. I
wanted to focus more on myself and be true to myself so that I won’t get overwhelmed. “In order
to find yourself, you have to lose yourself” is a quote from (“Should You Live for your Resume
or Your Eulogy” By David Brooks, TED -Moreau FYE Week 2). This quote stuck in my head
because I saw myself relating to it in a way. I didn't lose myself but I did feel lost the first month
in Notre Dame, and I realized that I have to change into a better version of me here. I also
believe that searching for healthy relationships takes time, and we have to understand first the
toxic one from the healthy ones, which is shown in (“Because I Love You, Double Whiskey” By
One Love Foundation -Moreau FYE Week 4). Lastly, in order to find these healthy relationships
we have to find your authentic selves first.

I believe that I pursue truth by being vulnerable and getting away from the judgement of a single
story. I realized that we share a need for spiritual awakening. I believe that one of the first steps
to vulnerability is to be grateful and thankful as it was said in (“The Power of Vulnerability” By
Brene Brown, TedxHouston -Moreau FYE Week 1). Sometimes we tend to forget the little things
in life, it’s those things that matter the most. I always hold a big importance for the small things.
The small things that our dorms provide us, our RA, our rector, our professors, and our
classmates make the experience in Notre Dame a wholesome. Everyone here is so nice and
welcoming. Everyone wants to help you and provide the best for you. I realized this month how
fortunate I am to be here. I also believe that to find truth in my journey, I should pay attention
and look into the different perspectives of a situation. This is what the quote “It is impossible to
engage properly with a place or person without engaging with all the stories of that place and
that person” elaborates on from (“Danger of a Single Story” By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie,
TED -Moreau FYE Week 7). When we take all of the sides in perspective, we start to recognize
the truth and the root behind every story. Finally, we are able to pursue truth by choosing
vulnerability and avoiding the single story.

In conclusion, these are some of the beliefs that I encountered during my first weeks in Notre
Dame. I had some experiences that portrayed these beliefs and challenged me to think more
about them. I am looking forward to what the next steps in this journey will lead me to. I would
like to build new beliefs and deepen my older ones. I believe that finding the growth, searching
for myself, and pursuing truth have more levels and challenges, but through the beliefs and faith
I can manage to learn more about what awaits.