Capstone


Labrador 1


Professor Harrington
Moreau First-Year Experience
4/29/2022

Sophia’s Guide to a Life Well Lived

PART 1
Mission Statement (Moreau FYE Week Thirteen):
My mission is to be an anchor to others in my life, both in times of need and in times of joy.
My strengths lie in forming close and meaningful relationships with the ones I love, and I seek to
foster those relationships so that I may serve my loved ones to my best ability. I seek to bring
happiness in little ways rather than through grand gestures.
I hope to be there for my friends and family in celebrations and in mourning. I want to be an
anchor so that they always feel grounded in me and know that they can rely on me.
I work to balance my independence with my service to others so that I remain faithful to my own
passions without becoming lost in the missions of those around me.
Beyond my close relationships, I seek to be an anchor to those in my community and around
the world through my work endeavors and personal projects.
I act with integrity and ambition, with clarity and determination, and with grit and enthusiasm.
While I continue to move forward, I acknowledge that I was formed from my experiences, and I
embrace all of them, both good and bad.
I am a daughter. I am a learner. I am loyal to my friends and loyal to myself. I am an anchor.

PART 2
One important lesson I’ve learned in freshman year is that rest is required to optimize efficiency
in a busy life. This year has pushed me to my limits and I’ve been more burnt out than I ever
have before. In an article about technology Sabbath, Pico Iyer noted that “the need for an empty
space, a pause, is something we have all felt in our bones; it’s the rest in a piece of music that
gives it resonance and shape” (“Why we need to slow down our lives” by Pico Iyer - Moreau
FYE Week One). If I want to help others as I stated in my mission statement, I need to first take
care of myself and listen to my needs, and one important way to do so is through rest and
distance from technology. Thus, a life well lived is one lived with “pause” and reflection.

One example of an anchor at Notre Dame was Fr. Hesburgh––a man who was grounded in his
faith and mission to bring all kinds of people together. In the Hesburgh film, President Barack
Obama wrote that “Father Hesburgh has long spoken of his institution as both a lighthouse and
a crossroads. A lighthouse that stands apart, shining with the wisdom of the Catholic tradition,
while the crossroads is where 'differences of culture and religion and conviction can co-exist
with friendship, civility, hospitality, and especially love'” (Hesburgh Film - Moreau FYE Week
Two). Fr. Hesburgh’s work (especially the admission of women to ND!) to transform Notre Dame
into a place that would promote good for all inspires me to follow his example and use my
career to serve others. He taught me that a life well lived is one in which you work to spread
love and compassion to your community through values of inclusion and understanding.

https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/
https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9


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I’ve also learned that a life well lived does not ignore death. The second semester was the
fastest four months of my life and while I am reminded that my time at the university is fleeting, I
recall Sister Aletheia. In her work with memento mori, Sister Aletheia noticed that
“‘Remembering death keeps us awake, focused, and ready for whatever might happen — both
the excruciatingly difficult and the breathtakingly beautiful’” (“Meet the Nun Who Wants You to
Remember You Will Die” by Ruth Graham - Moreau WYE Week Three). As I move further in life,
I need to embrace the bad and the good without fear, especially when my goals do not go
according to plan. Thus, a life well lived pushes through the highs and lows, accepting that each
moment is sacred.

My career is one of the ways I can primarily be an anchor to others outside of the close circle of
my family and friends. Through my freshman courses, I’ve been exposed to the career center,
which has helped me begin to discern how I can combine my skills and want to serve others. An
article on discernment from the CCD references Dr. Donald Super: “He contended that…the
best career choices for a person are those that allow him/her to implement as many parts of
his/her self-concept as possible” (“Navigating Your Career Journey” - Moreau FYE Week Four).
Because one’s career takes up an immense amount of one’s time and therefore plays a large
role in defining one’s life, I want to find a job that serves as a source of fulfillment while allowing
me to obtain financial independence. Thus, a life well lived includes work that aligns with one’s
purpose and therefore promotes happiness and the ability to participate in their community.

This semester was the longest I’ve ever been away from home. I last saw my parents and sister
in January. Thus, it was very nice to have a conversation with my mother for Moreau in Week
Five of the semester. I’ve found that she always knows how to give the best advice, especially
when I am struggling. During the time that I talked to her, I had a lot of schoolwork and was
slightly homesick because of the rough weather. One of her pieces of advice to be was to
remember my goals and focus on the larger picture. At that moment, I was living with tunnel
vision, focusing on the problems right in front of me and losing sight of the purpose behind my
work. Thus, my mom helped me realize that a life well lived is one in which we can step back
and realize that our goals are threaded through each experience, both good and bad. That is
the larger picture.

Leaving home and coming to Notre Dame has made me so much more grateful for my
education and family. When work piles up (or finals roll around) and I am tired and busy, I often
lose sight of how fortunate I am. Dr. Jihoon Kim’s recovery taught him how to appreciate his
body and ability despite his injury. He says, “I encourage all of us to just focus on what we can
do for others or what we can do already instead of what we cannot do and what we do not have
yet.” (“5 Minutes” - Moreau FYE Week Six). Being thankful encourages mindfulness and makes
life so much sweeter. Thus, a life well lived is one lived with appreciation, gratitude, and love for
every single day.

Being an anchor requires me to know and understand the relationships around me with
empathy and an open heart. Fr. Greg Boyle wrote that a crucial part of humanity is to “seek to
create loving communities of kinship precisely to counteract mounting lovelessness, racism, and

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html
https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/
https://grottonetwork.com/make-an-impact/transform/why-does-god-allow-suffering/?utm_source=moreau&utm_medium=class&utm_campaign=spring_2022


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the cultural disparagement that keeps us apart” (“Tattoos on the Heart” by Fr. Greg Boyle -
Moreau FYE Week Seven). He claims that at the heart of all fractures in our society lies
“lovelessness.” I find this description interesting because he implies that we cannot erase our
wounds but rather patch them together with love without forgetting the mistakes of our past.
Thus, a life well lived spreads love, especially in the brokenness that persists in our society.

Additionally, being an anchor requires active, attentive, and intentional listening. At Notre Dame,
I’ve been lucky enough to listen to a multitude of various stories by meeting new people in
classes and clubs. I’ve learned that part of being a listener is accompaniment and
companionship. Professor Steve Reifenberg notes, “In teaching about and sharing experiences
of accompaniment, we can chart a path that, walking together, we can make real those great
and amazing dreams” (“Teaching Accompaniment” by Professor Steve Reifenberg). I believe
that we were created to live in community to enrich and better each other’s lives. Thus,
according to Professor Reifenberg, a life well lived is one lived together, with others, through
accompaniment.

During the admission process, I wanted to attend a college that would promote diversity
because I wanted to learn from all types of people, especially those different from the people in
my hometown. Because of Notre Dame’s status as a very well-known university, I knew that the
school attracted people from everywhere around the world. The Notre Dame statement on
inclusion describes “the law of love of God and..the Holy Spirit that we might live lives of love
and receive the gift of eternal life” (“The Spirit of Inclusion at Notre Dame” - Moreau FYE Week
Ten). I admire the fact that ND’s philosophy on inclusion is guided by love, which in turn, helps
us learn about others different from ourselves. Being here, surrounded by people with many
different backgrounds, has shown me that a life well lived is one in which I am constantly
learning and growing in my beliefs and outlook on life while I am informed by the diverse voices
around me.

The course registration process in college was something completely new to me. I’ve learned
that every class counts as every class is an investment of time, energy, and money. Thus, even
if I am not fully enjoying a class, I should nevertheless try my best to soak up all the information
presented to me. Similarly, the Hidden Brain podcast we listened to in Week Eleven discusses
the importance of intention in politics: “So in short-cut politics, in hobbyism, emotion is the goal.
It makes you feel connected to something without doing anything yourself” (“Passion Isn’t
Enough” by Hidden Brain - Moreau FYE Week Eleven). Here, the podcast asserts that many
people interested in politics treat it as entertainment rather than a means to better the world;
intentions are skewed. Carrying this observation into college, I want to treat each course as an
opportunity to learn as much as I can rather than a credit I must complete. Thus, a life well lived
is one lived with the perspective that challenges, and every other experience, are chances to
grow and not just tasks to complete.

Finally, being an anchor means living with love for the people around me. ND Law Dean G.
Marcus Cole said that “One thing that each and every one of us can do is to end the cycle of
hate by ending the separation that leads to it…We must all make a conscious decision and

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit
https://dulac.nd.edu/university-mission-and-vision/spirit-of-inclusion/
https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/passion-isnt-enough/
https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/passion-isnt-enough/


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effort to expand our circles” (“Dean G. Marcus Cole: 'I am George Floyd. Except, I can breathe.
And I can do something.'” by Dean G. Marcus Cole - Moreau FYE Week Twelve). I hope to use
my time at ND as a stepping stone to meet all sorts of people, everywhere. By doing so, I think
that I can learn more about how love takes shape in all forms, in all sorts of relationships. A life
well lived means a life shared with all sorts of people in a circle that keeps expanding.

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/