Leshak 
 

Michael Comuniello 

FYS-10101 15 

15 October 2021

From Beliefs to Belonging 

In an 1842 letter addressed to Father Moreau, Father Edward Sorin described the mission of Notre Dame for the first time, claiming, “This college will be one of the most powerful means of doing good in this country” (Fr. Sorin Letter to Bl. Basil Moreau, December 5, 1842 (Pages 1-6) - Moreau FYE Week Five). Father Sorin knew nothing of what this university would become, but he had a vision, a hope for its future. It is not without reason that Notre Dame’s fame is as golden as her dome, as my first two months here have proven that Father Sorin was exactly right in his characterization of the future of the university he founded. Notre Dame certainly did not know who I would become in my four years on her campus but accepted me in the hope that I would contribute to her crusade for good in some way. Every award and test grade I received in high school was earned in anxious anticipation of the day my acceptance letter would finally arrive. After eighteen years of awaiting my first walk past the dome, my dorm assignment, and of course my ticket to the student section, I was overjoyed upon my arrival at this place. I knew that Notre Dame was special, full of tradition and opportunity, but I had no idea how much this school would strengthen the core beliefs I had built before arriving here. However, there is one new core belief I have developed as the result of a combination of my preexisting beliefs since my arrival at Notre Dame: I belong here. 
My first core belief is this: I believe that I am responsible for making positive change in the world. For as long as I can remember, when asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I responded confidently, “an engineer”. While this response was first prompted by the fact that I was a promising student in science and math as a child, the thing that made me truly long for a career in engineering was the fact that it would allow me to pursue my greatest passion in life - serving others. In reflecting on David Brooks’ TED talk from week two of this course, I wish not to work towards resume virtues with my engineering degree, but I instead want to build eulogy virtues, becoming the best version of myself by helping others through my work. To me, no career is worthwhile if it is not impacting someone for the better (“Should You Live for Your Resume or Your Eulogy?” by David Brooks - Moreau FYE Week Two). Luckily, this belief is supported by every aspect of student life at Notre Dame, both inside and outside of the classroom setting. After only a month here, I joined a club called e-NABLE, which has allowed me to design and manufacture a prosthetic arm for a little girl who received the news that she had been selected with a grin that I will never forget on her face. Outside of engineering, I am involved in Notre Dame’s Make-A-Wish club, which is currently fundraising to make this year’s wishkid’s dream trip come true. I plan to continue this trend of service throughout my college experience and for the rest of my life, as I aspire to a career in the field of prosthetics or artificial organs. I plan to take advantage of every research opportunity and course I can in my remaining time at Notre Dame in order to make this dream a reality. 
In order to make positive change in the world, one must acquire the knowledge necessary to do so. As such, I believe that knowledge is power. In my eyes, there are two types of knowledge: academic knowledge, knowledge of anatomy, engineering design, and biology, and social knowledge, knowledge of other people’s stories. I came to Notre Dame with the intent of gaining academic knowledge, learning how to design models in CAD and finally understanding the inner workings of a prosthetic hand, but I have found that I am gaining just as much knowledge from the different people and perspectives I have been introduced to as I am from my engineering classes. In her TED talk that served as the material for the discussion during week seven, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie warns her audience of the danger of a single story. She says, “We are impressionable in the face of a story, particularly as children,” (“Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Moreau FYE Week Seven). For me, college has been my first time away from home, the first time I have been exposed to stories different than my own, the stories that I have been told by the people around me who I have known all my life. I have gained so much knowledge from this Moreau class alone, learning from the differences between myself and my classmates and opening myself up to people who were strangers to me at the beginning of the school year. One experience regarding learning from others that stands out to me is learning about the cultures of Korea and Brazil from my friend Yuna who lives on my floor. Yuna  has taught me a few phrases in Portuguese, and I even got to try some of her favorite Korean snacks while talking about how competitive the school system was when she was a child in Korea.  The very first module material of the semester, the TED talk by Brené Brown, explained the power of vulnerability, the way that we can build up community by breaking down our own personal walls. Brown says, “In order for connection to happen, we have to allow ourselves to be seen, really seen,” (“The Power of Vulnerability” by Brene Brown - Moreau FYE Week One). By telling me all about her childhood, Yuna allowed me to see into her past, and it brought us much closer as friends. Vulnerability is something that I have always feared, but it is easy to see that it is the very thing that leads to the supportive, family-like community here at Notre Dame. I fully expected that Notre Dame would strengthen my idea that knowledge is power, but I never would have expected the tweak in my definition of knowledge that this university has caused. In order to continue growing in this social knowledge, I plan to study abroad and to travel in the future in order to gain as many new perspectives and hear as many stories as I can. 
While my academic knowledge and desire to make change are the qualities that most people would determine to be the ones that led to my acceptance to Notre Dame, I like to think otherwise. Although I worked hard to ensure that my grades and extracurricular activities were near-perfect in high school, the values that the people I love instilled in me were far more important in making me stand out as an applicant who demonstrated the mission of Notre Dame. As such, I truly believe that the important relationships in my life have shaped me into the person I am today. During week six of this course, we were asked to ponder what formed us. When I thought about this question, I instantaneously thought of my parents, my friends at home, my great, big, Notre Dame football-loving, Irish family. In listening to my classmates' poems, I realized that no one reflected much on the places they were from themselves, but rather the people who made those places home. However, there were also a few mentions of relationships that shaped my classmates in a negative way. As was discussed in week four, some relationships in our lives are unhealthy, relying on intimidation, dishonesty, and dependence to stay alive (“Healthy Vs. Unhealthy Relationships” by The Red Flag Campaign - Moreau FYE Week Four). Fortunately, I have seen exactly the opposite in the relationships I’ve formed here at Notre Dame. Everybody is willing to help me to succeed, cheering me on, never competing but rather collaborating. This is a wonderful environment that I lacked with my friends in high school, and I have already had these healthy, beneficial relationships make a change in my values, such as allowing me to appreciate vulnerability and let my authenticity shine through. One such relationship is the one with my roommate, Lauren. As the oldest child, I have never had to share a room before, and I quickly learned that there is not enough space to be closed off when you share a twelve-by-fourteen foot room with another person. Lauren and I started off as complete strangers, randomly assigned roommates who lived twenty hours apart, but I am now happy to call her my best friend. She has seen me laugh and cry, stress over exams, and has to deal with my constant singing in our dorm room, but most importantly, Lauren has gotten to know the most authentic version of me, and I think that that is a very powerful part of the dorm community at Notre Dame.
In addition to human relationships, there is one important relationship discussed in class that has shaped me more than any other: my faith. In the video from the week three module, Father Pete McCormick emphasizes the phrase, “Faith is the framework for our lives,” (“The Role of Faith in Our Story” by Father Pete McCormick, C.S.C - Moreau FYE Week Three). Faith has certainly served as my framework, and the faith life at Notre Dame fully supports this ideal. As a Catholic institution, Notre Dame shifts our view as students from ourselves to the rest of the world, to the people around us, creating a campus community that allows each member to be shaped into a more well-rounded, virtuous person. I plan on continuing to allow Notre Dame to shape me by seeking out new healthy relationships and engaging in campus ministry events, such as the Discover Retreat and Mercy Works, that will allow me to share in my faith with my classmates. 
In just eight weeks at Notre Dame, the three most important core beliefs in my life have been adjusted for the better through new experiences and strengthened more than I could have ever imagined. I have already found ways to make positive change in the world in my career field through e-NABLE, an act of service I never would have thought myself capable of freshman year. I have gained the knowledge of perspective that I have learned is just as powerful as the academic knowledge that I am acquiring for my career. I have realized that the important people in my life prior to Notre Dame have shaped me into the person standing on this campus today.  Father Sorin was correct in his prediction that Notre Dame was to be a place where good was inspired, and I am so blessed to be a contributor to his mission. My core beliefs make me a perfect fit for this university, and as a result, I know one final belief to be true: I belong here.