Capstone Integration Nhat Nyugen Moreau First Year Studies 26 April 2022 Finding Myself and Helping Build Others When sitting down to complete my final assignment during Week 13 of the Moreau First Year Studies Course, I would have never thought that a 200 word mission statement written simply to complete the assignment would create such introspective depth for me as a result (Mission Statement - Moreau FYE Week 13). During Week 6, we learned the dangers of introspection: “In truth, introspection can cloud our self-perceptions and unleash a host of unintended consequences” (“The right way to be introspective (yes, there’s a wrong way)” by Tasha Eurich - Moreau FYE Week 6). However, at this point in time, it had created a sense of self that, quite truthfully, I had yet to feel before. Being able to define myself through a mission statement, which is admittedly a hard task, can be aided by accompaniment and relationships, as defined in my mission statement. Accompaniment can, “facilitate a return to the core purpose of the educational endeavor, aligning with the joy and pursuit of life-long learning, as part of a learning journey together” (“Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey Together” by Steve Reifenberg - Moreau FYE Week 9). Being able to find purpose through education, and then subsequently applying those skills to a meaningful vocation in society can help further the sense of self I established when first creating my mission statement. When trying to find this useful skill set, it is important to ask myself the questions: “1) Do you get a kick out of it? 2) Are you any good at it? 3) Does anyone want you to do it?” As a means of deciphering what it is I can best contribute to my own and society’s https://ideas.ted.com/the-right-way-to-be-introspective-yes-theres-a-wrong-way/ https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit benefit (“Three Key Questions” by Father Michael Himes - Moreau FYE Week 3). Using these questions, I can find the “best major for me” not just “the best major” (Navigating Your Career Journey - Moreau FYE Week 4). Just because one major has a higher starting average salary, that does not mean it will put me on the most fulfilling path in life. Navigating through a career journey, for anyone, is a highly stressful environment. While it is stressful, we must be able to embrace our uniqueness and utilize it to our advantage. We can draw from world renowned Father Hesburgh who, as a priest, “did a lot of things that were not very priestly, he was an entrepreneur” (Hesburgh Documentary - Moreau FYE Week 2). In a similar fashion, we can set ourselves apart from the pack. In my case, as an Economics major, it can mean embracing a different type of education in order to broaden my intellectual horizons outside of just one field of learning. Through accompaniment, we often find ourselves creating meaningful relationships; “I value holding strong relationships with others, and I sometimes place what it takes to build those relationships above my own personal values” (Moreau FYE Week 5). By examining the relationships of a person, we can find revealing information about a person as people, almost always, find themselves in social circles where people are similar to them. Going forward, in order to implement my mission statement into my life and education at Notre Dame for the next three years, I can start with creating different and new relationships. The best place to start is bursting a bubble that has encased me throughout the entirety of my life. This is important because, “Bubbles become echo chambers when groups give up on tolerating diversity of opinion” (“How to Avoid an Echo Chamber” by Dr. Paul Blaschko - Moreau FYE Week 11). This can mean finding new clubs at Notre Dame and establishing myself as an active and vocal member within those micro-communities. While I have attempted to do so already, I https://www.studocu.com/en-us/document/university-of-san-diego/general-chemistry-i/three-key-questions-practice/22313725 https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey/ https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey/ https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaIVxQcqnLs&t=1s feel as if there is work still to be done; with a year of college experience and an established comfort at Notre Dame, it should be easier than ever to create new relationships. As a white male student at Notre Dame, it is my responsibility to recognize that, “socialized into a deeply internalized sense of superiority and entitlement we are either not consciously aware of or can never admit to ourselves, we become highly fragile in conversations about race” (“Why It’s so Hard to Talk to White People About Race” by Dr. Robin D’Angelo - Moreau FYE Week 10). So, while immersing myself into new and diverse communities, I must find a way to escape this fragility so I can best build relationships. Also, common to every Notre Dame Student, we are now in a position of privilege by being able to receive a prestigious higher education and having a vast alumni network in our hands. So, we (those around my age) must do something to promote and uplift under-resourced communities who, “Over the last century, the US has tried repeatedly and with little success to address the question of helping” (MSCA Symposium Abstracts - Moreau FYE Week 12). One avenue in pursuing this goal can be found from the “Parable of the Good Samaritan: Seeing the injured man lying on the ground...he paid out of his pocket for him to be assisted” (“Why the Only Future Worth Building Includes Everyone” by His Holiness Pope Francis). While, as broke college students, we do not have money to give out of our pocket, we do have the ability to give the knowledge we receive at Notre Dame, spreading it to those who, given an equal opportunity, can accomplish the same achievements. All of these changes, which are presumably to be made in the next three years, will happen if I live in the moment with those around me. In Week 1, we learned that “Many in Silicon Valley observe an “Internet Sabbath” every week, during which they turn off most of their devices from, say, Friday night to Monday morning” (“Why We Need to Slow Down our https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-its-so-hard-to-talk-to-white-people-about-racism_b_7183710 https://provost.nd.edu/about/provosts-initiatives/moment-to-see-courage-to-act/ https://provost.nd.edu/about/provosts-initiatives/moment-to-see-courage-to-act/ https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-the-only-future-worth-building-includes-everyone-pope-francis https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-the-only-future-worth-building-includes-everyone-pope-francis https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ Lives” by Pico Iyer - Moreau FYE Week 1). In an ever-progressing technological world, observing some form of this sabbath can help us find accompaniment, build relationships with friends and God, and help us establish a future in which everyone is involved, not just those who are born into privilege and wealth. Word Count: 1029 https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/