Capstone Integration




Prof. Whittington

Moreau First-Year Experience

28 April 2022

Pursuit of Fulfillment

To answer the question “How do I pursue a life well-lived?” one must analyze the

components of what a well-lived life truly is. For me, there are three aspects to a well-lived life:

connections (relationships, etc), purpose/fulfillment, and a positive impact. In week one I

attempted to understand purpose and fulfillment in my life. Pico Iyer discusses self-reflection

and its importance in finding purpose. “It’s easy to feel as if we’re standing two inches away

from a huge canvas that’s noisy and crowded and changing with every microsecond. It’s only by

stepping farther back and standing still that we can begin to see what that canvas (which is our

life) really means, and to take in the larger picture.” ("Why we need to slow down our lives" by

Pico Lyer - Moreau FYE Week One). Throughout the first semester, I found myself getting

caught up in minuscule things that simply didn’t affect my life past that very day. Taking a step

back and really analyzing what I wanted with my life and what I can do to achieve it is

something that I found extremely useful this semester. This strategy allows me to hammer down

what I really want to do and what I care about most in my life.

In week two, I looked at someone who found purpose in their life specifically in their

career, which I am actively searching for. “As a commissioned officer in the United States Air

Force, Captain Michael Hillmer ’17 has dedicated his life to the defense of his country. But his

duty extends far beyond America’s borders. Though his exceptional work ethic has served him

well as a cyber operations officer, Hillmer’s service also includes work to preserve local

https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/


landmarks near his home on Oahu, Hawaii, and to support the families of his fellow military

members.” ("Domer Dozen" by the Young Alumni Recognition Initiative - Moreau FYE Week

Two). When looking at the career and life of Captain Michael Hillmer I have found to understand

that a fulfilling career path is simply not linear. There are many branches that develop from your

careers which make it even more worthwhile. In the Captain’s case, he was able to live near his

home and support families and his communities whilst concurrently serving and defending the

country.  For me, going into a computer science career seems like the best opportunity. Similar to

the captain, this career has infinite possibilities from service to the preservation, there really is no

limit to its use cases. I feel that as I continue to move towards my degree I will be able to find a

fulfilling application of computer science to the point that he has and an impactful change.

Week three continues with the idea of fulfillment, however, it offers a unique perspective

on why we need to find it. Sister Alethei argues that we should embrace the idea of death and

that it forces us to find purpose. “Sister Aletheia rejects any suggestion that the practice is

morbid. Suffering and death are facts of life; focusing only on the “bright and shiny” is

superficial and inauthentic. ‘We try to suppress the thought of death, or escape it, or run away

from it because we think that’s where we’ll find happiness,’ she said. ‘But it’s actually in facing

the darkest realities of life that we find light in them.’” (“Meet the Nun Who Wants You to

Remember You Will Die” by Sister Alethia - Moreau FYE Week Three ). We should not distract

ourselves with falsehoods. In these falsehoods, we lose the authenticity that life brings and the

most profound human ability of adaptation. Sister Aletheia has decided to live her life with the

perspective that she will die someday whereas many believe that life simply keeps continuing.

So far I have been living my life in the present, but as I grow older I am sensing a shift in

worrying about the future more. I have reached a point where I am not thinking about death,

https://domerdozen.nd.edu
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html


rather the next stage of my life. But I understand the importance of death as a catalyst for finding

purpose.

Week four looks lastly at finding a major and how this moves one to find a purpose.

“There is no “best major” out there - but there is a “best major for you."  We also view studying

what you love as highly practical.  If you are in a major you enjoy, you will be more motivated to

go to class, get better grades, and overall be happier - all of that leads to better post-graduate

outcomes.  That sounds pretty good, right? I’m sure you’ve all done things that you really

haven’t enjoyed - maybe it was something a friend for family member wanted you to do or a

required course in high school.” ("Navigating Your Career Journey" by Undergraduate Career

Services - Moreau FYE Week Four). I have found this to be extremely true. The computer

science major is located in the engineering school, so it is required that I take generic

engineering courses such as chemistry and physics. Going through these courses this year really

has demotivated me, however, this semester I was able to take two computer science classes that

have reenergized my passion and allowed me to be overall happier. Happiness is most important

and one cannot thrive without it.

In week five we swiveled to an interview with a friend. In this interview, I talked with

someone who I would say knows me extremely well, or so I thought. After the discussion, I

came out of it with these thoughts: “When discussing the issues that were important to me I

realized that this side of me had not really been highlighted here. Usually, when hanging around

these friends we stay on a more positive level and rarely talk about politics etc. I had the feeling

that they would simply know my views and stances on specific issues but that was farthest from

the truth.” (Discernment Conversation Activity - Moreau FYE Week Five). Relationships are a

huge part of my life and I would argue the most important. This exercise made me realize that I

https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yZ7hqvx-u4EuW2nlK-fRbWFiurQm1mZv_KpoeeiN4So/edit?usp=sharing


want to connect with these people even further which I believe would put me on a good

trajectory to achieving a life well-lived.

In week six I continued on the idea of being introspective. Before I thought that all

introspective thoughts were productive in some way, however, I was extremely wrong. “So if

asking why isn’t so helpful, what should we ask? A study by psychologists J. Gregory Hixon and

William Swann arrived at a simple answer… The lesson here: Asking what could keep us open

to discovering new information about ourselves, even if that information is negative or in

conflict with our existing beliefs. Asking why might have the opposite effect.” ("The Right Way

To Be Introspective" by Tasha Eurich - Moreau FYE Week Six ). Asking why causes you to

fixate on the issue in a negative way. We begin to enter a rabbit hole that compounds on itself

towards an even more negative self-reflection. Thinking about what you are compared to why

you are who you present itself with an increasingly more positive way to understand yourself.

This lesson helped me in all three of the attributes of a life well-lived.

Week seven took a look at your relationship with yourself with is one might say more

important than your relationship with others. “Solidarity is a term that many wish to erase from

the dictionary. Solidarity, however, is not an automatic mechanism. It cannot be programmed or

controlled. It is a free response born from the heart of each and everyone. Yes, a free response!

When one realizes that life, even in the middle of so many contradictions, is a gift, that love is

the source and the meaning of life, how can they withhold their urge to do good to another fellow

being?” (Tattoos On the Heart by Fr. Boyle - Moreau FYE Week Seven). Rather than looking at

our life as something that we simply inherit, looking at it as a gift grants us a more retrospective

outlook on its meaning. This realization prompts you to appreciate all life around you and even

be there for it which I believe is a key trait to living a good life and one of the fundamental

https://ideas.ted.com/the-right-way-to-be-introspective-yes-theres-a-wrong-way/
https://ideas.ted.com/the-right-way-to-be-introspective-yes-theres-a-wrong-way/
https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40337/files/523777/download?download_frd=1


relationships we must make.

Week nine discusses the thought of being alone and the significance of having someone

there for you. “...when challenges occur, as they always do, walking together, you’re less likely

to be arrogant and think you have all the solutions. You’re also more likely to be connected with

the real lives of real people, and motivated to figure out together something that moves the

relationship forward. Accompaniment inverts the impulse of ‘how do we help them?’ into an

assertion—’we’re in this together.’ We are connected, tied, and bound together. We need to walk

together and learn together, and maybe, together, envision and create something better.”

("Teaching Accompaniment" by Steve Reifenberg - Moreau FYE Week Nine). Having someone

there to make decisions is extremely important. One could draw a similarity between this and

reading your paper out loud to someone. You begin to sense the mistakes you made or perhaps

even your flawed thinking. This is especially true when making decisions, we need someone to

humble us. This is another key example of the power of relationships and how we must take

purpose into account when finding them.

Week ten dives into impact and how I can make a difference in the communities I am in,

specifically Notre Dame. The du Lac states “[w]e welcome all people, regardless of color,

gender, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, social or economic class, and nationality, for

example, precisely because of Christ’s calling to treat others as we desire to be treated. We value

gay and lesbian members of this community as we value all members of this community. We

condemn harassment of any kind, and University policies proscribe it. We consciously create an

environment of mutual respect, hospitality and warmth in which none are strangers and all may

flourish.” (The Spirit of Inclusion at Notre Dame" du Lac - Moreau FYE Week Ten). This quote

is directly from the University’s du Lac. Even though the University explicitly states all are

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit?usp=sharing
https://dulac.nd.edu/university-mission-and-vision/spirit-of-inclusion/


“welcomed” it doesn't necessarily mean that is occurring on the campus. In the du Lac the

University should highlight how they are making Notre Dame inclusive rather than simply

saying “Notre Dame is inclusive” because I can guarantee some would share a different opinion.

I pondered on this and thought what I could do to make some sort of impact, so I talked with my

roommate who is a minority on campus. Hearing his perspective and thoughts allowed me to

better understand a way to be impactful. These type of conservations I believe are pivotal in

living a good life, understanding how those around you are feeling garners you a unique outlook.

Week eleven brings a different approach to relationships, specifically in avoiding echo

chambers. “Bubbles become echo chambers when groups give up on tolerating diversity of

opinion. We should be intentional about the information we expose ourselves to. Seeking out

intelligent people who you disagree with and figure out why you disagree with them and taking a

step back when we see this not happening.” ("How to Avoid an Echo Chamber" by Paul Blascho

- Moreau FYE Week Eleven ). Both bubbles and echo chambers are extremely dangerous. We

tend to surround ourselves with people who share similar opinions and interests, leading to the

absence of diverse opinions. This lack of differing opinions creates this superiority factor where

once you do hear an opposing opinion, it is completely discredited because you have only been

reinforced by others with similar opinions. The importance of stepping back and analyzing the

groups and ideas we surround ourselves with is necessary to avoid getting caught up in these

echo chambers as described in the video. Similar to how we must take time to reflect on

ourselves, we must do the same with the people we surround ourselves with.

Week twelve describes impact and having the courage to consistently do good. A

professor here at Notre Dame describes his thought process on the very subject. “Yes, I am alive,

and George Floyd is dead. I can breathe; he cannot. But just because a police officer did not

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaIVxQcqnLs&t=217s


murder me or my children does not mean that he did not harm us. I can do something.” ("I am

George Floyd. Except I Can Breathe. And I Can Do Something." by Dean Cole - Moreau FYE

Week Twelve). Dean G. Marcus Cole discusses the fact that even though he is alive and well, he

needs to be an active voice against negativity. We cannot stand by. It is selfish to standby on

issues when they are not directly affecting you. George Floyd’s death should be a wake-up call to

act on issues before they occur. This is the montra I should live my life on. I need to act

purposefully at all times. In doing so I will be setting a good example for those around me

For the last week we were tasked with writing a personal mission statement which

basically was a collection of our thoughts from the previous weeks. In this reflection I continued

on the attributes of what I believe a life well-lived is, specifically relationships. “I have found a

deep personal connection with quite a few people here during my time and no matter how the

rest of my years here go keeping them around me and in my life is a success. This is truly the

highest good in life, relationships. My mission is to worry less about monetary aspects of my life

and live in the moment with people I truly love because money comes and goes at the end of the

day, but true friends remain regardless.” I appreciate what Moreau has taught me throughout this

year. I have never so critically thought about my life and what I truly want to achieve in it. Thank

you for a great semester Prof. Whittington, I wish we were able to spend more time together, but

I enjoyed the time we had nevertheless.

https://law.nd.edu/news-events/news/dean-g-marcus-cole-i-am-george-floyd-except-i-can-breathe-and-i-can-do-something/
https://law.nd.edu/news-events/news/dean-g-marcus-cole-i-am-george-floyd-except-i-can-breathe-and-i-can-do-something/