Prest 24 April 2022 Prof. Espeseth Moreau My Mission: A Future of Service Thinking about myself at this time last year makes me realize how much I have developed just over the last eight and a half months. During Week 13 of Moreau this semester, I wrote in my mission statement: “I will trust in my mentors.” I am blessed with incredible upperclassmen who have guided me through the last two semesters and given me invaluable advice on life, faith, and academics. My biggest goal in life is to emulate the example of and love of Jesus and the kind people I encounter in everything that I do. Growing in my faith at Notre Dame, especially with studying theology as my minor, is one of my favorite parts of attending this university. I feel that nowhere in the world would better equip me for life as a Naval officer and citizen of the world, instilling me with qualities of trust in God, friendship, and hard work. Something important that I realized during Week 1 activity “Pause for Reflection Activity” was how important self-care was for me, and how poorly I prioritized it during the fall semester. In order to better myself and focus on my own character development, I needed to make myself my number one priority and concern, not a boy or a friend that I felt I needed to impress. Furthermore, as I was determining my priorities, I asked myself the question, “Is this a source of joy for me?” “What am I getting out of doing this activity?” I really pondered this during Week 3 of Moreau when I was deciding what kinds of questions I needed to ask to guide myself towards a better path of discernment in college. Since my time is so limited here, I have had to make hard cuts and choices when it comes to my schedule. Additionally, I really struggled with criticism of myself this year, which I really discovered during Week 11’s “Growing in Wisdom” module. College has been a humbling time for me; I am no longer the top of my class or the expert in the room. Prof. Blaschko’s video “How to Avoid an Echo Chamber” emphasized the importance of listening to others and giving everyone a chance to speak and voice their opinion. During Week 12 of Moreau, I read more about the suffering of others in Dean Marcus Cole’s recount of what happened to his father when Marcus was a young boy. I felt lucky, and very guilty, that I had never A) witnessed this type of violence first-hand and B) worried about the chances of it happening to me personally. This article woke me up and empowered me, making me determined to closely accompany those whose voices I can echo and support, even in a small fashion. All it takes is one single action to get the ball rolling and create good change in the world. Robin DiAngelo, in her article, “Why It’s So Hard to Talk to White People about Racism,” urges her audience to “let go of your racial certitude and reach for humility.” I believe college has exposed me to a plethora of different people from all over the world and all walks of life, and hearing their experiences and stories is inspiring and humbling. During Moreau Week 7, we touched on Chapter 8 of the memoir Tattoos on the Heart by Fr. Greg Boyle. I have read this book before for a seminar class, but saw it in a new light in the context of our discussion. The waitress in the story treated the ex-gang members in her restaurant with common kindness and courtesy, even though it was evident what kind of background they came from. I want to strive to be a small but positive force for good and have even just a little impact on the people that I encounter, hopefully making their day just a little better than before they met with me. My relationships are the thing I treasure most in this world, which I have definitely confirmed throughout the last few months of college. Despite focusing a lot of time and effort into those I care about most, there are some things out of my control. That is why I decided to do a mindfulness activity from McWell during Week 6. I elected to make my way to Como each night for a 10-15 minute devotion or quiet time in the chapel. I found this practice to be calming and centering for me, especially before beginning a long evening of homework or studying. Giving my problems to God this year has been an overwhelmingly positive experience for me, bringing me closer to Him and easing a little bit of the stress of crazy college life. One thing that has been solid, or not really in question for me this year, has been my future career plans. In Week 5 of Moreau, my professor had the class stand up while he read out short descriptions of a mystery career. If we were okay with the description, we stayed standing, and if it was a dealbreaker, we sat down. My two NROTC friends and I remained standing the entire time, even after everyone else sat down for the last question, which was, “some may consider your career immoral.” This led to a big examination of conscience for me and made me come to terms with the fact that many people might not agree with the fact that I want to serve in the military. However, I could not imagine doing anything else with my life. The Navy gives me a higher purpose and a way to give back to the nation that has blessed me with so many liberties. Despite this being a large part of my identity, I also realized while watching the movie “Hesburgh” during Week 2 was that I do not have to have one single thing label me, similar to Fr. Hesburgh. He was a philanthropist, a mediator in the political world, and just a regular, approachable University president. Something else that sparked my attention in the “Navigating Your Career Journey” article from the Meruelo Family Center for Career Development was the quote, “it’s not a one-step process.” I feel that most people would agree with this piece of wisdom, but I found myself disagreeing, because I have locked myself into my career for at least five years after college, which I am completely fine with. Since coming to Notre Dame, I have found my voice advocating for survivors of sexual assault through the Callisto program and my role in the Gender Relations Department of Student Government. Now that I have come to terms with what happened to me personally, I am ready to help others tell their stories, which is empowering on both ends. During Week 9, we read Prof. Reifenberg’s essay about accompaniment. One of my top takeaways from it was the importance of creating agency. Staying involved in this empathetic and strong group of people in StuGov is something I look forward to for the next three years and beyond. As my freshman year, and a quarter of my time at Notre Dame, comes to a close, I am feeling nostalgic and very grateful for my time here. I have improved my time management skills, challenged myself academically and physically, and made friends to last a lifetime. I can’t wait to see what the future holds, and I am excited for the journey ahead. Week Citations Week 1- “Pause for Reflection Activity,” https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SDVigBXg1KOCptB2vSYbFWFyLyX9xnCo/view Week 2- “Hesburgh” film, Jerry Barca and Christine O’Malley Week 3- “Three Key Questions” - Fr. Michael Himes, https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40250/modules/items/145929 Week 4- “Navigating Your Career Journey,” UND, https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ Week 5- In-class activity with the mystery career - Prof. Espeseth Week 6- “Ways to Practice Mindfulness” - McDonald Center for Student Well-being, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SEXhurkurERNVdy8sgNwZaAKTAr-385q/view Week 7- Tattoos on the Heart - Fr. Greg Boyle, https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40250/files/524003/download?download_frd=1 Week 8- Integration 1 (N/A) Week 9- “Teaching Accompaniment” - Prof. Reifenberg, https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit Week 10- “Why It’s So Hard to Talk to White People About Racism” - Robin DiAngelo, https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bdVnfLDrJUJhd-4UtYb_kfRpcFgOoOeY7O1WT8_d3iw/edit Week 11- “How to Avoid an Echo Chamber” - Prof. Blaschko, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaIVxQcqnLs&t=1s&ab_channel=ThinkND Week 12- “I am George Floyd. Except, I can breathe. And I can do something.” - Dean G. Marcus Cole, https://law.nd.edu/news-events/news/dean-g-marcus-cole-i-am-george-floyd-except-i-can-breathe-and-i-can-do-something/ Week 13- my own Moreau mission statement, https://docs.google.com/document/d/1juGZ5XJd29g0c5yxVTcvSSEVbfsYAUP_8xRBN2bYPBc/edit