Moreau FINAL Integration- “In search for Sunshine” My first year of college is over, and I simply don’t know how I’m supposed to move on from this point. Yes, I will be back in the fall again but it feels like things will be different then. I might be acting just a tiny bit dramatic but I don’t know what lies ahead in the future and that can sometimes be scary. This is why I appreciated our last Moreau assignment being to write our mission statement. “My mission in life is mainly to be happy, and to live as a child of God” (Mission Statement Activity by - Moreau FYE Week 13). To be happy includes putting myself first when I need to, just like my brother reminded me “deje tiempo para usted” (conversation with my brother, Emiliano Vaquero- Moreau FYE Week 5), roughly translating to “leave time for yourself”. This semester I haven’t done a great job at following this, with a lot of work to do and making sure I enjoyed my friends, my sleep got cut short most of the time. Now, at the end of the semester, I’m realizing that I’m truly exhausted and the break will be very much appreciated. Next year, I’ll try to incorporate a lay sabbath into my week, a day or a couple of hours when I can truly rest from working or hanging out and just enjoy my own company. As the Moreau reading said, “it’s like a retreat house that ensures we’ll have something bright and purposeful to carry back into the other six days.” (Why we need to slow down our lives, by Pico Iyer - Moreau FYE Week 1). The second part of my mission statement involves more action, it stands for me reacting to injustices around the world and myself, treating everyone with kindness, and trying to be a witness to the grace of God. “It is urgent that we recognize that human rights are under threat all around the world, including here in the United States. This reality must be acknowledged, and addressed” (Dean G. Marcus Cole: 'I am George Floyd. Except, I can breathe. And I can do something.' by Marcus Cole- Moreau FYE Week 12). Part of the solution is in being informed and recognizing others’ struggles that you may not encounter personally. “We should be intentional about the information we expose ourselves to, seeking out intelligent people with whom we disagree and attempting to fully understand their arguments” (How to Avoid an Eco Chamber by Dr. Paul Blaschko- Moreau FYE Week 11), this will allow us to understand others and engage in conversation more easily. I hope to be able to make an impact in the world, not necessarily by leading a groundbreaking project but by being fair and promoting healthy and welcoming environments wherever I am. Others will be able to see my mission lived out, hopefully by how I act. I admire how some people are just able to bring certain people together, they’re the glue of the group, gather people from different backgrounds, and have a great time. I want to be like this, creating new jurisdictions and breaking social barriers of who should be friends and who shouldn’t. “We have a chance, sometimes, to create a new jurisdiction, a place of astonishing mutuality, whenever we https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jbch_x5132o https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ur4b9oFy7Mh8adNrwRTIFcanUIJUAI6wnAczkxW-H3I/edit?usp=sharing https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ur4b9oFy7Mh8adNrwRTIFcanUIJUAI6wnAczkxW-H3I/edit?usp=sharing https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yZ7hqvx-u4EuW2nlK-fRbWFiurQm1mZv_KpoeeiN4So/edit?usp=sharing https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yZ7hqvx-u4EuW2nlK-fRbWFiurQm1mZv_KpoeeiN4So/edit?usp=sharing https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ 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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaIVxQcqnLs&t=1s&ab_channel=ThinkND https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaIVxQcqnLs&t=1s&ab_channel=ThinkND close both eyes of judgment and open the other eye to pay attention” (Chapter 8: Jurisdiction on tattoos on the Heart, by Gregory Boyle- Moreau FYE Week 7). Tied with this, I also want to be able to create true friendships with people that are very different from me and not just in superficial aspects like race or background, but also in terms of personality, interests, and life perspectives. This year I’ve enjoyed listening to different opinions and learning how people form them. I believe the next step is to go beyond just listening and establishing friendships because “Differences can coexist with friendship and even love” (Hesburgh, directed by Jerry Barca; Christine O'Malley- Moreau FYE Week 2). During my time here, I’ve learned a lot about what it means to be a good friend, mainly because I spend so much time with mine. While I wish I could say that I haven’t had any issues with them, that would be far from the truth. However, I find comfort in knowing that real friends will try to make things right even when I mess up, they will look for reasons to stay and make it work. They have been especially helpful in the exercise of accompaniment. “It is a reciprocal relationship. One cannot accompany without being accompanied, in the same way someone cannot be a good friend without being open to friendship” (Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey Together, by Steve Reifenberg- Moreau FYE Week 9). During one of the weeks, I came across this fact “In fact, the whiter our schools and neighborhoods are, the more likely they are to be seen as ‘good’ ” (Why It’s So Hard to Talk to White People About Racism, by Robin DiAngelo- Moreau FYE Week 10). This made me realize how many of the people around me often went to these whiter schools. At first, it made me feel out of place but everyone I’ve met hasn’t cared that I came from a not well-funded school with a large Black and Hispanic population. They see me for who I am at my core and appreciate my background and culture. Because of this, I can say that I’ve felt accompanied in my time at Notre Dame. “Every experience shapes you in some way, whether you realize it at the time or not! We know that life is busy and it’s hard to take the time to slow down and process. But if you give yourself that time you will gain so much” (Navigating Your Career Journey, by Meruelo Family Center for Career Development- Moreau FYE Week 4). Looking back to the start of freshman year, I can see how certain experiences have shaped me and my time here at Notre Dame. An interaction that led to a job at Carole Sandner Hall, playing games that led to friendship, struggling in a class that led to good memories, and a support system. I hope to remember this always along with my mission because things won’t always be as effortless. When things get tough I hope to remember that “Life isn’t just about overcoming suffering. Suffering is part of our lives, always there, it is about how to respond to suffering from God.” (5 minutes: A Grotto Short Film, by Dr. Jihoon Kim- Moreau FYE Week 6). Suffering can be especially hard if we see no purpose in it but “it’s actually in facing the darkest realities of life that we find light in them” (Meet the Nun Who Wants You to Remember You Will Die , by Ruth Graham- Week 3). https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/39639/files/523844/download?download_frd=1 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/39639/files/523844/download?download_frd=1 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/39639/modules/items/146760 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit?usp=sharing https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit?usp=sharing https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bdVnfLDrJUJhd-4UtYb_kfRpcFgOoOeY7O1WT8_d3iw/edit 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 https://grottonetwork.com/make-an-impact/transform/why-does-god-allow-suffering/?utm_source=moreau&utm_medium=class&utm_campaign=spring_2022 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html