Miller 1 Professor Pruitt FYS 10102 29 April 2022 Capstone Integration: How Do I Pursue a Life Well-Lived? Mission statement: I strive to remain connected with myself, my family and friends, and my community at large, and I seek to develop wisdom through experience (“Writing a Personal Mission Statement Activity” - Moreau FYE Week Thirteen). Throughout Moreau classes this semester, I have been able to identify qualities and practices that I believe will allow me to lead a fulfilling life. My mission statement reflects the importance of building and maintaining healthy relationships with myself, other people, and my community and being open to new experiences to gain wisdom and maintain balance in my life. Throughout the next three years at Notre Dame, I can put my mission into action by practicing self-reflection consistently, nurturing relationships with friends and family, playing an active role in my community by advocating for change, and listening to viewpoints that differ from mine. I understand that it will be difficult at times to stay true to my mission, especially as life gets busy, and sustaining balance in my life may not be possible due to different circumstances and responsibilities. Still, I believe that my mission will be strengthened during my remaining time as a Notre Dame student since I will have numerous opportunities for reflection and community involvement, allowing me to achieve the balance that I cherish and the experience that is critical to accruing wisdom. Practicing introspection is a valuable method to remain connected with myself and uphold the first tenet of my mission statement. Asking questions such as those contained within the “Pause for Reflection Activity” during Week One (e.g., “What successes did you have? What strengths did you use to achieve them?”) will be critical to evaluating the experiences that I have at Notre Dame and beyond–whether those experiences occur within classes, extracurricular activities, or personal relationships–and recognizing how I have grown and changed (“Pause for https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ur4b9oFy7Mh8adNrwRTIFcanUIJUAI6wnAczkxW-H3I/edit https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ur4b9oFy7Mh8adNrwRTIFcanUIJUAI6wnAczkxW-H3I/edit https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SDVigBXg1KOCptB2vSYbFWFyLyX9xnCo/view Miller 2 Reflection” by the McDonald Center for Wellbeing – Moreau FYE Week One). For me, going forward, it will be especially important to make a conscious effort to acknowledge the positive aspects of my different life experiences. I have noticed that when a certain period in my life comes to an end (e.g., my freshman year), I dwell too much on the opportunities I missed, the people I wish I had met or grown closer to, etc. Though it is beneficial to devote time to realizing regrets in order to avoid making those mistakes again in the future, it is equally important to see the positives by celebrating the challenges I successfully overcame, the relationships I developed, and the lessons I learned about myself. I know that I can reap many benefits from engaging in self-reflection consistently throughout my life, as “people who possess greater insight — an intuitive understanding of ourselves — enjoy stronger relationships, a clearer sense of purpose and greater well-being, self-acceptance and happiness” (“The Right Way to be Introspective (Yes, There’s a Wrong Way)” by Tasha Eurich - Moreau FYE Week Six). Introspection will enable me to remain in touch with my core values and appreciate my personal growth, which is necessary to maintain a strong sense of self-esteem and purpose in the different situations I will encounter. Practicing self-reflection will also allow me to cultivate a stronger sense of gratitude for myself, my abilities, and the various gifts in my life. Beyond enabling me to evaluate my values, recognize how I have changed, and assess opportunities to improve myself, introspection and the connection it will allow me to maintain with myself will also influence my career journey. Essentially, by honestly acknowledging my talents, passions, and goals, I can pursue a path to a fulfilling professional life: “Career satisfaction/success depends in part on how well a person can identify and implement his/her career self-concept, which is comprised of your values, interests, personality, and skills” (“Navigating Your Career Journey” by the Meruelo Family Center for Career Development - Moreau FYE Week Four). The modules for this semester’s Moreau seminars have already enabled me to consider my essential values, skills, interest in current local and societal issues, and most gratifying life experiences. For example, during Week Four, I identified the continuous seeking of knowledge, the desire to help others, a flexible schedule, and collaboration as some of the features that I would like my future career to include (“Career Development Reflection Activity” by the Meruelo Family Center for Career Development - Moreau FYE Week Four), and during Week Five, conversation with my mom showed me that I feel most “in the zone” when I am working through a challenging math problem or trying to understand a complex topic https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SDVigBXg1KOCptB2vSYbFWFyLyX9xnCo/view 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://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://nd.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0AGRyH4SWX0bz38 https://nd.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0AGRyH4SWX0bz38 Miller 3 in science classes (“Discernment Conversation Activity” - Moreau FYE Week Five)–I thus recognized that I thrive off of intellectual stimulation and am looking for a career that often presents changes and new challenges. Though I have narrowed down the career options I am most eager to pursue as either a career in medicine or a career in academia and scientific research, I am still in the process of debating which career path best suits me, and I know that this ongoing reflection will benefit from continuous analysis of my natural skills, topics that excite me, and ways in which I can connect my interests to serving other people. My mission statement also expresses my desire to remain connected to a strong support system, which is my family and close friends. I can work to strengthen and expand this support system in different ways while at Notre Dame by always remaining open to new people and allowing myself to be vulnerable to other people. I consider myself a good listener to other people and their stories, but I want to cultivate the skill of sharing my own stories and, in turn, allow people to truly get to know me. To do so, I know I have to let go of some of the embarrassment I feel when I allow myself to be vulnerable, and I must not avoid opening up out of a desire to appear perfect and “put together,” as “Allowing folks into my jurisdiction requires that I dismantle what I have set up to keep them out” (“Chapter 8: Jurisdiction” by Father Greg Boyle - Moreau FYE Week Seven). I also want to work on cultivating the spirit of accompaniment that will enable me to support and learn from the people that I encounter at ND and after graduation. Professor Steve Reifenberg describes the meaning of accompaniment as wholly immersing ourselves in another person’s life and letting them become immersed in ours: “In the accompaniment model, we’re in this together; we’re implicated as partners in the mix, sharing in the complexity and chaos of each other’s lives” (“Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey Together” by Professor Steve Reifenberg - Moreau FYE Week Nine). I seek to accompany my family and friends by constantly being open to listening to them, whether it be about the best parts of their day or their current struggles. In response, I want to give good advice and authentically share the details of my own life. I hope to exemplify what accompaniment means by always being present with other people, such as my family members, ND friends, and home friends, so that they know I am there for them in their best and worst moments as a source of love and support. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yZ7hqvx-u4EuW2nlK-fRbWFiurQm1mZv_KpoeeiN4So/edit file:///C:/Users/21_bm/Downloads/_Tattoos%20on%20the%20Heart_%20-%20Chapter%208_%20Jurisdiction%20(1)%20(2).pdf https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit Miller 4 Playing an active role in my school and home community will also be a primary focus for me during the next three years. I aim to uphold this portion of my mission statement by getting involved in the clubs that pertain to issues that interest me and in different volunteer opportunities in South Bend. This year, I have already begun to discover some of these activities and have been able to go into downtown South Bend to volunteer on different occasions this semester. I want to further this involvement and remember that I cannot be content with always living in the “Notre Dame bubble”—I want to educate myself on the issues facing the South Bend community as well as different communities in our country and other parts of the world. For example, I recognize the importance of learning about how American institutions perpetuate racism and benefit white people: “The distinction — between individual prejudice and a system of unequal institutionalized racial power — is fundamental. One cannot understand how racism functions in the US today if one ignores group power relations” (“Why It’s So Hard to Talk to White People About Racism” by Dr. Robin D’Angelo - Moreau FYE Week Ten). I aim to embrace the discomfort that I may feel having conversations about topics such as racism in America and learn how I can better support black students and members of my hometown community by reading up on current race relations and expanding my circle to include people of different backgrounds, as “Racial separation and violence will not end until we stop waiting for African Americans to enter our circles. Each of us needs to get to know people who differ from us” (“I am George Floyd. Except, I can breathe. And I can do something” by Dean G. Marcus Cole - Moreau FYE Week Twelve). In my hometown, I have seen members of my community express hateful language about and towards people of color; I know it is not enough to work on eliminating my own racist tendencies and educating myself about racism–I must also be unafraid to speak out when I see other people being overtly racist or voicing microaggressions. As Father Hesburgh advocated during his life, “It’s your country, it’s your problem” (“Hesburgh” by Jerry Barca and Christine O’Malley - Moreau FYE Week Two). Though my life situation is not harmed by, and is often benefitted by, current political and economic structures in the US, I cannot ignore the minority groups that are oppressed and even put in danger by this structural violence. While at Notre Dame, I aim to learn more about how people of color are marginalized within the US–a topic I have begun to explore through anthropology classes and want to continue to study in other courses–and participate in volunteer work that specifically seeks to support people of color in South Bend, an activity I have started by volunteering weekly at AIDS 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://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9 Miller 5 Assist, which works to improve the lives of HIV-positive people, a population group primarily comprised of black and Hispanic individuals. I want to continue my involvement in these activities and, in turn, create a positive impact on my community. I believe that wisdom is gained through experience, and I want to embrace different experiences at Notre Dame and throughout my life. To do so, I must appreciate all that there is to celebrate in the present moment, a practice encouraged by memento mori (“Meet the Nun Who Wants You to Remember You Will Die” by Ruth Graham - Moreau FYE Week Three). Though reflecting too heavily on death can be morbid, having a healthy awareness that my life is finite motivates me to experience as much of the world and its people as I can. There is a lesson that I can learn from every person I interact with and place I go; thus, I believe that it is crucial to actively seek out people who think differently from me. As a result, I will be able to avoid creating echo chambers in my life and better understand a broader range of human experience, evaluating how I can find middle ground with people of different backgrounds and viewpoints, a goal I cannot accomplish if I only aim to interact with like-minded people: “In surrounding ourselves with people who agree with us, we are losing our sense of how someone might reasonably disagree” (“How to Avoid an Echo Chamber” by Dr. Paul Blaschko - Moreau FYE Week Eleven). Taking in new experiences–motivated by an awareness that it is necessary to be present in the moment and embrace unfamiliar situations and diverse groups–will help me to work towards becoming a wise person who is capable of making the most out of opportunities and empathizing with many different types of people. 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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaIVxQcqnLs&t=1s