Integration Four - A Future with A Mission A Future with A Mission As my freshman year here at Notre Dame draws to a close, I want to take the time here to reevaluate what my mission is and how I will drive forward my mission in the next three years at the university and beyond. My time here at the university has challenged me to rethink and reflect on who I am as a person. Previously, I have been focused on college decisions, with scarcely any thought on my personal being. I didn’t really understand who I am, what I wanted, and what I value. This caused me to become overwhelmed as I came to campus fall semester because there were so many classes and programs that I felt pressured to explore. Like Pyoter said, “the more facts come streaming in on us, the less time we have to process any one of them” (“Why we need to slow down our lives'” by Pico Iyer - Moreau FYE Week One). I began to ask the question: why? Why is it that I still haven’t figured out what I want to do in life? Why are all my friends so set on their career goals when I’m still trying to figure out who I am? However, like Tasha says, “At times, asking what instead of why can force us to name our emotions” ("The Right Way to be Introspective (Yes, There's a Wrong Way)” by Tasha Eurich - Moreau FYE Week Six). Now, whenever I am challenged to feel overwhelmed with the future, I think of WHAT I want to explore and how that aligns with interests in different future careers. Similarly, in my journey of self reflection I also ponder the question, “What brings me joy?” (“”Three Key Questions” by Fr. Michael Himes - Moreau FYE Week Three). And I think as this year went along, the asnwer to that question has started to become clearer. Specifically, in my conversation with my parents, I found that “truth and liberty are ideas that give me joy.” (Conversation Moreau FYE Week 5). Moving forward, I hope to translate that into values that I can cultivate in my future career, whether that be working with non profit human rights organizations over this summer, or conducting labor economic research as an upperclassman. With such a variety of careers available for me, I am confident I can find a path while also holding on to the values that bring me joy. Beyond challenging me to reflect on questions about the self, Notre Dame has also helped cultivate in me the value of inclusivity. Specifically, I got the impression that although many diverse and divisive ideas and opinions exist on this campus, “we are partners, walking together, towards a better future.” (“Teaching Accompainment: A Learning Journey Together” by Prof Steve Reifenberg - Moreau FYE Week 9). That future, grounded in the traditions and values of the Catholic faith, challenges all people on campus to genuinely care and love one another, as well as work together to address some of the most pressing issues in our world. Throughout my time here, I have seen this play out in action. I saw that “Instead of hating the other side… they would say, hmm, is this a neighbor that I can convince to move in my direction?” (“Passion Isn’t Enough” by Hidden Brain Media - Moreau FYE Week 11). I saw that my friends who have diverse political opinions learned to not shout over one another, but instead show each other different perspectives. Through that, I felt I gained a better sense of understanding and passion for inclusivity than I had before, because anybody can show and teach https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ 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/40336/files/475884/download?download_frd=1 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit?usp=sharing https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/passion-isnt-enough/ me something that I have never thought of before. Oftentimes, that comes up most often when we discuss our racial backgrounds. Like D’Angelo said, “White people can represent all of humanity, people of color can only represent their racial selves.” (“Why It’s So Hard to Talk to White People About Racism” by Dr. Robin D’Angelo - Moreau FYE Week 10). That comes out when people assume I like a certain type of person, music, or hobby because of my race. However, by welcoming people’s opinions, even if they are different from mine, I want to form more meaningful relationships that connect me and others on a personal level beyond the imaginings of race and background. Just like what Dean Cole said, “We must all make a conscious decision and effort to expand our circles.” (“Dean G. Marcus Cole: 'I am George Floyd. Except, I can breathe. And I can do something.’” by Dean Cole - Moreau FYE Week 12). As I move forward in my time here at ND, I will look to Ted Hesburgh, a “bridge builder and pontifex,” as inspiration for change (“Hesburgh” by Jerry Barca and Christine O’Malley - Moreau FYE Week Two). As one of the major figures of the university, his vision for inclusivity expanded the college from an all male, white college to the one that we see today. I hope I can carry out that vision by reaching out to others on campus, even though they are different from me. Lastly, my time here at Notre Dame has challenged me to become more open minded. I remember coming to ND in the fall with a lot of biases and stereotypes. However, by taking different classes like theology and philosophy, and learning from others their opinions and thoughts, I felt like those walls filled with biases are being torn down. Like what Father Boyle said, “We have a chance, sometimes, to create a new jurisdiction, a place of astonishing mutuality, whenever we close both eyes of judgment and open the other eye to pay attention.” (“Chapter 8: Jurisdiction” by Fr. Greg Boyle - Moreau Week FYE 7). Notice that closing the eyes of judgement is the first step towards cultivating mutual understanding. In my Integration 3 assignment, I talked about how I wanted to be remembered upon my death as a man who counciled others, who understood others (Integration 3- Week 8). And right now, I feel more compelled to do so than ever. With that closing of the judgement, I feel that I can explore more opportunities for growth. “The only way to know about yourself is to test the waters - just get out and experience life!” (“Navigating Your Career Journey” by Meruelo Family Center for Career Development - Moreau FYE Week Four). For the summer, I purposefully learned to let go of my judgement and biases towards certain jobs. I learned to be more open minded about the career process, and because of that I feel now I have even more opportunities than I would have ever thought of before! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bdVnfLDrJUJhd-4UtYb_kfRpcFgOoOeY7O1WT8_d3iw/edit https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bdVnfLDrJUJhd-4UtYb_kfRpcFgOoOeY7O1WT8_d3iw/edit 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/ https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40336/modules/items/149229 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40336/files/523775/download?download_frd=1 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PLXQuVBDe3RyHaslef3f-nZstdQn80UoFP30yez1nE4/edit https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/