Capstone Integration



Moreau Capstone Integration
4/29/22

Finding Purpose and Exploring Life at Notre Dame

Throughout my time at Notre Dame so far, I’ve encountered many obstacles. Adapting to a new
environment, living independently, meeting countless new people, and balancing challenging
academic work has been stressful. I’ve become more aware of the importance of not comparing
myself to others. I look around at other people who seem to have their lives figured out
completely while I have no idea what I want to do with my own life. But that’s ok. I need to
remind myself that everyone has obstacles they face throughout their lives. I also need to
remind myself how blessed I am – I mean look where I am right now. Even when I feel the world
has something against me, I need to realize there are those that have it much worse than I do.
Dr. Jihoon Kim survived a snowboarding accident that left him paralyzed. He said “I was always
so focused on what I cannot do. I complained that I couldn’t move my fingers, I couldn’t move
my legs. But then I began to realize that some of the things that I can do, the movements that I
have already, can be a blessing for some others” (5 Minutes by Grotto/Dr. Jihoon Kim - Moreau
Week Six). I find myself focused on the bad grades, messy papers, and little annoyances, but
yet I can move my fingers, I can walk, talk, and breathe with no problem. Being at Notre Dame
for a year has already led me to see that I am extremely blessed. I can use my blessings and
my experiences at Notre Dame to bring about real change and improve the lives of those who
are less fortunate.

Sometimes it’s difficult to stay on a course of positivity. I’ve gotten raging episodes of imposter
syndrome, I’ve questioned my abilities and whether or not I deserve to be at Notre Dame
countless times. I don’t consider myself to be a very spiritual person, but I certainly didn’t think
God loved me at times. Jacob Walsh had a beautiful quote about God’s love and loving oneself,
“‘You can’t convince yourself God loves you, but you can ask Him to show you.’ At the time, I’d
thought this meant God loved me in spite of my being attracted to men. But I started to see He
was using my sexuality to reach me with His love.” (Growing up Gay and Catholic by Jacob
Walsh (Grotto) - Moreau Week Ten) It’s really difficult to love yourself when you think you’re
different or wrong in some way. You begin to question everything and fall into a cycle of
self-hatred. It’s important to have someone remind you that God loves you and he wants you to
love yourself and love those who surround you as well. The friends I’ve met have made me feel
wanted and loved. They may not even realize the service they’ve done me, but I will forever be
in their debt for pushing me on the path of self-love. The more support I’ve gotten, the stronger
I’ve become. When I talked with my mom about my strengths and weaknesses, I was reminded
just how special I am. I have plenty of areas to improve upon too, which will fuel my growth and
development over my remaining years at Notre Dame (Moreau Week Five). Because of all the
love and support I’ve received, I’ve had many opportunities to share my own love with others.
I’ve been able to show just how amazing each person is and just as others did for me, I’m now
able to push people to love themselves and accept their beauty and uniqueness.

https://grottonetwork.com/make-an-impact/transform/why-does-god-allow-suffering/?utm_source=moreau&utm_medium=class&utm_campaign=spring_2022
https://grottonetwork.com/keep-the-faith/community/reflective-narrative-about-being-gay-and-catholic/?utm_source=moreau&utm_medium=class&utm_campaign=spring_2022


Although I’m not really sure what I want to do with my life outside of college, I am constantly
searching for inspiration for a life well lived. Finding something I’m passionate about or
something I feel strongly about is a way to formulate a plan for the future. For example, Dr.
Rene Bermea pursued a career in medicine because his younger sister, “was diagnosed with a
rare and life-threatening brain tumor that required surgery and left her dependent on a slew of
medications to support her endocrine system. This served as his motivation to pursue a career
in medicine” (Domer Dozen by Notre Dame Alumni Association - Moreau Week Two). Bermea’s
selflessness and willingness to help others is something I found I want to share in common.
While I still don’t know exactly what I want to do in the future or how I want to accomplish it, the
courses I have taken this year, such biology and chemistry, I’ve found there is plenty of areas to
help others whether it be research to regulate blood sugar levels and reduce cases of obesity
and type II diabetes, or finding ways to reduce carbon emissions, or even teaching/tutoring.
Without a doubt, classes I will take in the future could help refine my interest and area of
expertise. Also it’s comforting when friends, family, teachers, etc. reassure me that I’ll find a path
in time. Dr. Super suggested, “career decision making is a developmental process that spans a
person’s entire lifetime” (Navigating Your Career Journey by MERUELO FAMILY CENTER FOR
CAREER DEVELOPMENT - Moreau Week Four). Who knows, I might not even find my calling
throughout my life. I have to remind myself that the more things I experience, the more
opportunities I’ll have to find a way to make an impact on a person, group, community, country,
or even the world.

While thinking about the future can have its benefits, it’s easy for me to get anxious and it’s led
me to ask questions about what I really want in life. What’s important to me? How can I achieve
success? What even is success? Over the year, I've come to appreciate the importance of living
in the moment. I believe a lot of people think success is fulfilling a plan or reaching a goal, and
to some extent it is, but to me success is being pleased with yourself in the present. Success is
enjoying the moment, continuously learning and changing. Success is taking pride in how far
you’ve come, looking at all the obstacles you’ve overcome even if you haven’t reached a
specific goal. A good (but also a little dark) way to remain appreciative of the present is to
remind yourself that one of the only unavoidable facts of life is that we all die. Theresa Aletheia
Noble explains the importance of reminding oneself about death, “The concept is to intentionally
think about your own death every day, as a means of appreciating the present” (Meet the Nun
Who Wants You to Remember You Will Die by Ruth Graham/Sister Theresa Aletheia Noble
(NYT) - Moreau Week Three). Death is a scary topic in modern society. Many people try to
avoid this fact because it brings them momentary happiness. However, understanding that
death awaits us all allows us to make the most of our time spent living. Considering we don’t
know what happens after death we have to appreciate what we know and what we have right in
front of us. Acknowledging and accepting this inevitable fact, has pushed me out of my comfort
zone. I’ve had the chance to meet wonderful people, make lasting memories laughing late into
the night or sprinting across Ricci Fields playing football with the dorm, going to all types of
sporting events, and so much more. Fully enjoying these moments is success. It’s contagious
and I hope that I will be able to help others find their way to their own versions of success as I
continue my journey at Notre Dame and onward.

https://domerdozen.nd.edu/
https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html


Another tactic I try to implement everyday is to take some time to go for a walk. It gives me time
to reflect upon what I’ve learned and what I want to do as well as instill a sense of inner peace.
These walks have led me to find a sense of belonging and gratefulness for the gifts that I have. I
take less time to dwell on what problems plague me or the seeming “perfections” of others. I’ve
found that practicing self-reflection allows the mind to relax. I become more efficient with my
work (I even started this after a walk), my interactions with others are more meaningful, and my
mood improves dramatically. Mahatma Gandhi understood the importance of practicing
self-reflection, “This is going to be a very busy day. I won’t be able to meditate for an hour.” His
friends were taken aback at this rare break from his discipline. “I’ll have to meditate for two”
(Why We Need to Slow Our Lives Down by Pico Lyer - Moreau Week One). It’s easy to get
caught up in the troubles and tribulations of day to day life, but giving myself time to self-reflect
has allowed me to thrive in this new chapter of my life.

This year I’ve encountered countless brilliant people who have the ability to be the cause of
helpful change in the world. I’ve seen so many clubs and classes full of passionate people who
have meaningful contributions and spread information and awareness for countless topics from
gender equality, sexual harrasment, climate change, an countless others. I am immersed in an
environment that radiates hope which stems from unique origins. Pope Francis elaborates on
the importance of hope when he said, “Hope is a humble, hidden seed of life that, with time, will
develop into a large tree. It is like some invisible yeast that allows the whole dough to grow, that
brings flavor to all aspects of life. And it can do so much, because a tiny flicker of light that feeds
on hope is enough to shatter the shield of darkness. A single individual is enough for hope to
exist, and that individual can be you. And then there will be another "you," and another ‘you,’
and it turns into an ‘us’” (Why the only future worth building includes everyone by His Holiness
Pope Francis (TED) - Moreau Week Seven).

I don’t know everything, nor do I claim to know everything, but I’ve found the importance of
accumulating as much knowledge on as many topics as I can. By further understanding the
problems that other people, groups, communities, etc. face, I can begin to understand why
people think the way they think. While I have learned about problems that certain people and/or
groups face, I might not necessarily represent them. Fr. Gustavo Gutiérrez had a memorable
quote with regards to responding to suffering, “Solidarity with the poor means not to try to be the
voice of the voiceless. This is NOT the goal. The goal should be that those who have no voice
today will have a voice and will be heard” (Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey by
Steve Reifenberg - Moreau Week Nine). I can use my knowledge to promote equality and
diversity through the spreading of information and awareness to people like me, who might
know nothing about a certain topic.

Additionally, I can help others acknowledge their implicit biases and help them break out of
potential echo chambers. People come from all different backgrounds and some might not be
exposed to varying viewpoints on certain topics. This can be dangerous if people continue to
surround themselves with others who believe in the same things and don’t bring in new
information that might challenge their views. As Eitan Hirsh puts it, “And if you're… only talking
about politics to the people who are exactly like you, there's no point of thinking of a person on

https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/
https://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone/transcript
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit


the other political party as someone you need to convince of anything. You don't. You don't need
to convince them of anything because you're not doing anything”(Passion Isn’t Enough by
Shankar Vedantam and Eitan Hersh (Hidden Brain) - Moreau Week Eleven). Acknowledging
biases and unchallenged beliefs is the start to creating a more inclusive environment. It’s easy
to shut out or be afraid of the opposition, Dean Cole used a quote from Dr. King Jr. which
explains why people hate each other, “I am convinced that men hate each other because they
fear each other. They fear each other because they don’t know each other, and they don’t know
each other because they don’t communicate with each other, and they don’t communicate with
each other because they are separated from each other” (Dean G. Marcus Cole: 'I am George
Floyd. Except, I can breathe. And I can do something. by Dean G. Marcus Cole - Moreau Week
Twelve). If I can bridge the gap between different groups with varying viewpoints, I will be able
to help create a safer, more accepting world. I believe it’s important for people to share their
problems with others. By doing this, people can form strong relationships to tackle big problems
by sharing ideas, experiences, and a common goal for good. This way, hope will shine like a
beacon to those who may be shrouded in darkness. (Mission Statement reworked - Moreau
Week Thirteen)

https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/passion-isnt-enough/
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/