final integration Wilcutt 1 Megan Wilcutt Michael Communiello Moreau First Year Experience 27 April 2022 The Mission to Constantly Evolve I believe that life is to be lived with the intent of forming meaningful relationships and experiences that exceed superficial success. Our society today typically defines success as economic progress. The more money you make, the more you have on your resume, the more you live a successful life. However, I believe that life is more than living to work. When you enter into this monotonous cycle of working to make more, you lose part of what it means to be human. You lose sight of the meaningful connections and experiences life offers you. In society and even on campus, there is a pressure to always be on top of things, and if you aren’t working or studying like a maniac, you’re doing it wrong. However, when looking at life through this lens, you lose sight of the human relationships that breed happiness. True happiness is formed by building and maintaining deep relationships with other people. To be in a relationship with each other, one must accompany others on their individual journey and accept the accompaniment of others. Every interaction has the potential to create a meaningful relationship. Not only is life meant to build social relationships with others, but to use those relationships and one’s own privilege to make a profound, positive impact in the world ( - MoreauMoreau FYE_Week Thirteen:Writing a Personal Mission Statement Activity_SP22 FYE Week 13). Over the next three years, this mission statement will hold me accountable in maintaining strength in suffering and pursuing my passions. First, I know that at Notre Dame, I am going to https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ur4b9oFy7Mh8adNrwRTIFcanUIJUAI6wnAczkxW-H3I/edit Wilcutt 2 be challenged beyond my wits. Even this year, I’ve stayed up all night, cried over grades, and been pushed to the point of almost giving up. Adjusting to not receiving straight A’s took the entire year. Yet, my mission statement and what I’ve learned this semester reflects how success to me is trying my best. The Hesburgh documentary we watched said, “In my faith you learn there’s meaning in suffering, but to truly understand that you have to first suffer yourself” ("Hesburgh" by Jerry Barca and Christine O'Malley - Moreau FYE Week 2). This quote reminded me how you need to experience both the highs and lows of life to fully understand who you are as a person, an important aspect of a life well-lived, and can be applied as I continue in my journey at Notre Dame. The lows in life and at Notre Dame, however unpleasant, must be embraced as they reveal parts of ourselves that we otherwise would never know existed. In those moments when I want to give up at Notre Dame, it might be hard to realize that suffering is part of the journey to a life well-lived. But, “It’s only by stepping farther back and standing still that we can begin to see what that canvas (which is our life) really means, and to take in the larger picture” ("Why We Need to Slow Down Our Lives" by Pico Iyer - Moreau FYE Week 1). To follow my mission, I must remember that there is always a larger picture than the current experience I am facing. Everything I will go through will mold me into a better person and help me realize what matters most, whether it be pursuits in the legal field or on a more personal level in relationships. For, “Every experience shapes you in some way, whether you realize it at the time or not!” ("Navigating Your Career Journey" by the Meruelo Career Center - Moreau FYE Week 4). With this mindset, a life well-lived includes seeing the silver lining in every situation and seeing the beauty in even the worst situations. During Week 6, we watched a video about Jihoon Kim who was paralayzed from a snowboarding accident. Yet instead of accepting a pessimistic https://okta.nd.edu/app/universityofnotredame_panopto_1/exk13lykiqNLbwS7H357/sso/saml?SAMLRequest=jZJNb9swDIb%2FiqG7LX8kcywkAbIGQwNkndFkO%2BwSyDaTCLFFVZTb5N9PTtquuxQ7iSD4ku9Dakqya41Y9O6oH%2BGpB3LBajljuyqbpHWcpWE1GY%2FCUV77qEhG4TiBcVzlX5K82LPgF1hSqGcsjWIWrIh6WGlyUjufitM0jNMwzbfJRGSxSIqoKIrfLFj6KUpLd1UenTMkOMeTk5FuImh6Lo3hvVbPQ3d3wb1GZ6GRHeyM1Ggc7hIO51OStZeTenpYVy%2Bb%2FD4b55wI%2BUDEgm9oa7hizdhetgSDvVIS%2Ba7vmdKiwxrbr0o3Sh9mrLdaoCRFQvtpJFwtNovva%2BHxRHUrInG%2F3ZZh%2BWOzZcGCCOzAcYea%2Bg7sBuyzquHn4%2Fov2bv76IjkoIleIaIaO17eYv8egPhgmK%2FxoHQkyZxZcO5aTeJ6pM%2FdmVcUNp8O1eJ6C%2FtB%2F7lcvoGw%2Bf%2FYnvIPQ24TjXjwtatlia2qL8GibfHlzoJ0ft3O9n7bfH6T%2Ffvd5n8A&RelayState=%2FPanopto%2FPages%2FViewer.aspx%3Fid%3D10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9&SigAlg=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2F09%2Fxmldsig%23rsa-sha1&Signature=gX27Z%2BYJRMfitNPm1P9amxf0VM%2FUHuqblPDrbqKRA3pV27A394R2r8vMLFOJails%2Fblp5D8DZfR3VUF9H6QBd9MRxasZMB676aYymuvL85AVRWo9Jw3EknUoAGhyme%2Ff6WFG3Lj6VdbfbLz2Cl8pSaeR8gzXZURpl%2FBD46szkbHAnBvkvZSBKQqmCEZiip7TZL1hAsKZHasOQPp8YelQxpvaLrxyc7XoFwAVnyAabGJPoNbb8DY2X9GbG%2FllnmrmpsnthnOX7vGkFCXUSq4w7Xtaos4RyIdjO5BCUBnVs%2F6Wb4%2BIFW7aRmTudNzDRd9wjz%2BNclpd6XqTSGDMMZonGg%3D%3D https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ Wilcutt 3 view of life and dwelling on his struggles, he realized that life is not about what you can’t do but what you can. He emphasized that his suffering taught him more than it ever hindered him (“5 Minutes” by Grotto - Moreau FYE Week 6). This reinforced in me that we have the choice in life to how we react to things. We can internalize our suffering, choose to stay stagnant in response, and foster resentment against life, or we can embrace it head on, accepting the opportunity to grow and learn. This mindset I now believe is essential to living a life well-lived. Above all else, my mission in life is centered around forming deep and meaningful relationships with others. For, as I’ve learned this semester, “Life is not time merely passing by, life is about interactions” ("Why the Only Future Worth Building Includes Everyone" by Pope Francis - Moreau FYE Week 7). To me, relationships are the biggest signifier of a life well-lived. Before this class, my initial definition of a life well-lived centered around the traditional version of success, but now it’s centered on having successful relationships. Life is about the people you meet along the way, those who change your life and those whose lives you change. It’s both the immensely deep conversations you have with your close friends losing track of all time and the tiny relationships you have with the dining hall workers. In my own life, however, I know I inherently put up walls and am hesitant to let people see the real me out of fear of rejection. In Week 10, we read an article that said, “You don’t believe you can be loved. You think if people knew the real you, they wouldn’t love you either” (“Growing up Gay and Catholic” by Jacob Walsh- Moreau FYE Week 10). It resonated with me because it’s exactly how I used to think. Coming into Notre Dame, I was terrified to make friends, and I let that fear hinder me from doing exactly that. This semester, with a more solid group of friends, I’ve been able to open up and meet more people than previously. I’ve never felt more community and love than I do now, so I plan on continuing this attitude in my coming years. Every year, I hope to get to know more 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.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone/transcript https://grottonetwork.com/keep-the-faith/community/reflective-narrative-about-being-gay-and-catholic/?utm_source=moreau&utm_medium=class&utm_campaign=spring_2022 Wilcutt 4 people deeply and look forward to the possibility of meeting someone new everyday. Everyday is a new opportunity to build a new relationship, and I plan on making everyone feel as though they are loved and appreciated the way they are. Alongside creating new relationships comes the concept of accompaniment, as described by Steve Reifenberg ( Teaching Accompaniment- A Learning Journey Together, Steve Reif… - Moreau FYE Week 9). Being a true friend means being there for someone in the ways they need it, not necessarily how you think they need it. When accompanying people, their voice, their dreams, and their needs are the ones prioritized, not your own. As humans we often lose sight of others in our own desires, but we must be able to walk with each other through life’s triumphs and struggles and also be able to accept the company of other people when we most need it in return. At Notre Dame, I’ve struggled with being a true friend in all honesty. First semester, there was so much going on at all times that I often only focused on my own problems and neglected some of my relationships. This semester, however, I’ve learned more so how to balance the idea of taking care of myself while also prioritizing accompanying my friends through their struggles. This balance is something I hope to carry throughout my three more years here and past. This outlook can further be applied to professional relationships in a life-well lived. For a life well-lived, it is important to find a passion in the professional field and hone in on it. Coming into Notre Dame, I looked around and saw all these brilliant people each with an incredibly impressive designated plan for their life. They knew what they wanted to do, how to get there, and how to be the absolute best at it. I lost sight of my own journey, constantly finding myself comparing my lives to their. When talking with my mom during Week 5, I realized I’m right where I need to be. Each person’s journey to and even definition of a life well-lived is different. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit Wilcutt 5 But, nobody has to have their whole life planned out to continue on their journey, rather as my mom explained it’s more about what’s in their heart that matters most ("Discernment Conversation Activity" - Moreau FYE Week 5). The discernment activities this semester have helped me realize that my mission in life encompasses a professional field where I can truly help and give back to others.. As I look to my life beyond Notre Dame, I hope to follow my mission as I pursue a career as a pro bono criminal defense attorney. In Week 12, we read a piece from Dean Cole which emphasized how we need to start using our privilege to make a positive difference in the world. Every minute of every day someone’s human rights are being horribly violated while others sit idly by and let it happen. I do not want to be one of those people. I want to use my Notre Dame education to advocate for the rights of others in some way (“'I am George Floyd. Except, I can breathe. And I can do something.'” by Dean G. Marcus Cole -Moreau FYE Week 12). With this in mind, that’s why I’ve been able to discern my future path. Everyone deserves somebody in their corner or a shoulder to cry on, but the most vulnerable tend to be the ones without that support system. In Week 11, similarly, the articles discussed how our society has become so polarized politically, yet it seems no one cares about it on a smaller scale ( by Dr. Paul Blaschko- MoreauBig Questions 2, Part 4: How to Avoid an Echo Chamber FYE Week 11). Today, people have become extremely polarized on large scale issues, but ignoring issues on a local scale. Real, substantial change, however, begins on a small scale. This message resonated with me specifically as I look at the disparities within my city of St. Louis. St. Louis is historically a very racist and segregated city. Minority groups experience so many more hardships than anyone else out of the systemic racism and exclusion that permeate our society. With this in mind, my mission is ultimately to be a pro bono lawyer in St. Louis specifically to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaIVxQcqnLs&t=1s https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yZ7hqvx-u4EuW2nlK-fRbWFiurQm1mZv_KpoeeiN4So/edit https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yZ7hqvx-u4EuW2nlK-fRbWFiurQm1mZv_KpoeeiN4So/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://law.nd.edu/news-events/news/dean-g-marcus-cole-i-am-george-floyd-except-i-can-breathe-and-i-can-do-something/ Wilcutt 6 both fulfill my passion and address the issues that are so often overlooked. I hope that by serving others in St. Louis I can not only change their personal life but spread the messages I’ve learned this semester as reflected in my mission statement. Ultimately, this semester in Moreau has helped me discern my definition of a life well-lived and how I can come to live it. My mission statement will forever be a work in progress, adapting alongside me growing up. As Sister Aletheia explained in the article we read in Week 3, nobody has an infinite amount of time on this earth, so we have to make the ones we have truly count (“Meet the Nun Who Wants You to Remember You Will Die - The New York Times” by Ruth Graham - Moreau FYE Week 3). We have to find the people and the things we truly love and hold them as tight as we can. In a way, death is what makes life worth living. With this in mind, I plan on making my years count. With every new situation I find myself in or person I meet, I’m positive that my mission in life will shift. My mission will be constantly evolving, as will I as a person. In a way, this ability to evolve each day until death comes into the person I want to be is my ultimate mission in life. At the end of my life, I hope to look back and be proud of who I have become and what I have accomplished. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html