Integration 1 Moreau FYE 10/15/2021 My Leap of Faith For me, choosing to attend the University of Notre Dame has been a jump over the edge or–as I like to call it– a leap of faith. Taking such a leap, I could never have been sure of what would catch me over the edge, but little did I realize it would quickly sprout into something so wonderful. Over the summer, I had many worries about attending college. Having gone to a large, public high school, I was already pretty used to a populated school environment, yet my mind was still plagued with many anxieties. Knowing that the school was much smaller and more prestigious than some of my other choices, I was worried about not fitting in academically and socially. However, within the first week I already foresaw the amazing experiences that await me at Notre Dame. Continuing on my journey, I’d like to reflect on my beliefs and experiences to help me to maximize my appreciation for these next steps of my life. I believe that I am meant to be where I am. One of my biggest concerns about attending Notre Dame had been whether or not I would fit in. Being from the suburbs of Chicago, I personally had no affiliation with Notre Dame, but I knew many people who did. I was under the impression that the school had primarily legacy students. Although I applied, I wasn’t entirely convinced this is a school I would’ve found friends at. However, being here now I have grown to realize that this school is the most ideal place I could have found these friends. Coming into the school I began to develop a better mentality that relates to a video that we watched for our Moreau Course. In the video, Dr. Brené Brown states, “there was only one variable that separated the people who have a strong sense of love and belonging and really struggle for it. And that was that the people who have a strong sense of belonging believe they’re worthy of love and belonging” (“The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown - Moreau FYE Week Two). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Qm9cGRub0&list=PLmiPsabET-W_hjesjTZaITh2s1WbM-Kd0&index=4 Here at Notre Dame, I realize that I deserve to be here and I deserve the sense of community the school provides. I no longer doubt the reasons I was brought here and feel that I truly am in the right place. As it was said in a handout we read, “people in healthy relationships respect each other. They can talk honestly and freely to each other and share power and control over decisions” (“Healthy Vs. Unhealthy Relationships” by The Red Flag Campaign - Moreau FYE Week Four). I feel that I’ve already fostered friendships I can genuinely qualify as healthy. There exists lots of mutual respect and support, despite coming from very different lives and places and I look forward to seeing how those relationships blossom in the future. These friendships have helped me to see my place in this university and have given me a sense of belonging. I believe that I pursue truth through being different. One quote I particularly liked from Dr. Brené Brown was that, “they believed what made them vulnerable made them beautiful” (“The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown - Moreau FYE Week One). I feel that vulnerability can be characterized by our differences. When I choose not to act like everyone else, I am choosing to be my authentic self and that puts me vulnerable to judgement. However, I’ve learned that it’s important to embrace this vulnerability because it is essential to discovering who I truly am as a person. To find my truths, I believe that I need to stay true to my story and who I am regardless of any judgement and biases people may hold. Similar to this, in a video we watched by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, she discusses some of the implicit biases she faced in her lifetime. For this reason she emphasizes that, “Stories matter. Many stories matter. Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign, but stories can also be used to empower and to humanize. Stories can break the dignity of a people, but stories can also repair that broken dignity” (“Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Moreau FYE Week Seven). Although stories can be twisted, they can also be used to empower. When others are allowed to tell our stories for us, that is when they misrepresent us; when we tell our own, we are able to https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B93cIKOnINCLS1JpUzZ5Q1JseGs/view?resourcekey=0-CnuZpCgZqMkHDyQAjvac_A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Qm9cGRub0&list=PLmiPsabET-W_hjesjTZaITh2s1WbM-Kd0&index=4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Qm9cGRub0&list=PLmiPsabET-W_hjesjTZaITh2s1WbM-Kd0&index=4 https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story/up-next speak truths. I believe that by living my life and telling my own authentic story, I can pursue who I truly am meant to be. I believe that finding myself will help me to maximize my potential. According to Fr. Pete, “The greatest journey you will ever go on is one of self-discovery. On this journey, success, productivity, and failure are an afterthought. What truly matters is responding to the best of your ability as the person you know yourself to be” (“The Role of Faith in Our Story” by Fr Pete McCormick, C.S.C - Moreau FYE Week Three). I believe that my journey of self discovery has truly begun at Notre Dame, where I am given more freedom than ever before. Living away from my family while in control of all of my free time and habits, I am left to make my own decisions. The choices that I make have already helped me to learn a lot about myself since I’ve been at school. However, I believe that Fr. Pete’s words are essential to this path. I should not make decisions based on whether or not I think it will have a good or bad outcome, instead I need to choose what feels the most true to myself. By choosing what feels right for myself, my potential will be maximized because I can live out the life I truly was meant to live, rather than trying to be someone I am not. I believe that my faith will carry me toward success. As said by Fr. Kevin Grove, “Our lives are not our resumes… It’s letting faith and reason, both in their fullness, be applied to every part of life” (“Two Notre Dames: Your Holy Cross Education'' by Fr. Kevin Grove, C.S.C. - Moreau FYE Week Five). My actions and involvement throughout my life are undoubtedly a significant part of who I am. However, my mentality and mindset compose my entire identity. By maintaining my faith and reason, I am using my best ability to do what is right and allowing God to control the rest. I will always remember that “man proposes, but God disposes” (“Fr. Sorin Letter to Bl. Basil Moreau, December 5, 1842” by Fr. Sorin - Moreau FYE Five). I am intended to act as my true self, and through faith I know that God will assure that the correct outcomes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcZMeqWWOIs https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=859bc1a8-0d0f-4eb4-a1c1-d0a45c429187 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1o56woQDq3QrRkziT8eYrvYly5CQaP2Vb/view https://drive.google.com/file/d/1o56woQDq3QrRkziT8eYrvYly5CQaP2Vb/view come out of my life. At Notre Dame, I am “from a new lifestyle with new doors open... [but I am] looking forward to God, and a wonderful future ahead” (“Where I’m From” By - Moreau FYE Week Six). I realize that Notre Dame is one of the most significant successes that my faith has matched me with. By continuing this faith with God, I look forward to the wonderful new opportunities, perspectives and experiences I will continue to develop as life goes on. I firmly believe that I have found the place where I am meant to grow: the University of Notre Dame. In 8 quick weeks, this school has brought me kindness, faith and a sense of belonging; it inspires me to fulfill my potential and give back someday. Through my faith, I am learning to define myself and am already seeing how my mentality has improved since arriving on campus. By staying kind and true to myself, while maintaining faith, I have the perfect recipe to make the most of my life and experiences. It would be impossible to express the amount of gratitude I have to be where I am now, but I look forward to my future with God and Notre Dame. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xVI5QzYBqjxQwE4VhXliW0N73rwjuYiROlTC8A1I1nM/edit