Semester 4 Integration Moreau Mr. Oswald 29 April 2022 Integration 4 My first year at Notre Dame has been a time of new transitions, minor setbacks, and tremendous growth. Coming from living at home with the safety of my family to help guide me through things, I’ve had to learn how to manage life on my own at Notre Dame and discover new things about myself. Being surrounded by so many new perspectives and loads of opportunities has shown me where my values align and where I want to head in life. Throughout this past semester, Moreau has especially aided me in this, as the assignments have helped me explore a variety of my personal beliefs and goals in life. The experience of developing these beliefs and goals has helped me form my personal mission statement; I believe my mission is to pursue a job that will fulfill me through helping others, to prioritize being empathetic and compassionate towards others, and to ensure the inclusion of people who are different. Various Moreau activities have helped me explore the career path I want to pursue, and I have found that I want to become an education lawyer so that I can help students reach their full potential. The “Navigating Your Career Journey” article explained, “Career satisfaction depended 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 Murelo Family Center for Career Development - Moreau FYE Week Four). The main experience that has contributed to my interest in becoming an education lawyer was working as a teaching assistant at a special education summer school every summer of high https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ school. My older brother, Aidan, had attended the school as a child, and it helped him develop communication skills, knowledge of reading and writing, and excitement about attending school. As a teaching assistant, I helped to promote each of these same skills, helping students communicate their desires and worries, reading stories to them, assisting them in writing creative narratives, and creating friendships between students and their peers. It was incredibly rewarding seeing the way they went from dreading the idea of coming back to school the next morning to looking forward to seeing their friends and learning new topics in the classroom. In a documentary about Fr. Hesburgh, it stated, “He recognized that we all had a duty to serve and give back to the greater global community” (“Hesburgh” by Jerry Barca and Christian O’Malley - Moreau FYE Week Two). This experience helped me discover my purpose of becoming an education lawyer, where I could defend students to ensure they’re gaining access to an equitable and fulfilling education. Being able to pursue a job that would not only fulfill me but also contribute to the betterment of society, helps bring meaning to my life. At Notre Dame, I’m working towards becoming an education lawyer by pursuing classes and activities that align with that career. For example, I took a class called the “School to Prison Pipeline” that educated me about the disparities in the education system. I hope to continue with classes such as these so I can excel as an education lawyer. During a conversation I had with my mom, my mom stated, “Things come naturally to you when you’re passionate about them” (Conversation With My Mother - Moreau FYE Week Five). I’m passionate about helping students reach their full potential, and doing this as a job would allow me to feel fulfilled in my career and life. However, I don’t just want to help others through my job, I also hope to exhibit empathy and compassion for people in my daily life. One of the lessons that my mom emphasized to me growing up is that “you never know what someone is going through until you put yourself in https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40299/modules/items/143021 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dpC4m1i0-iA4T7rknF0-bsgjlymtoaDjSIXcXV2x8h8/edit?usp=sharingfile:///Users/sophievalencia/Downloads/QQC%20Week%205%20(1).pdf https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dpC4m1i0-iA4T7rknF0-bsgjlymtoaDjSIXcXV2x8h8/edit?usp=sharingfile:///Users/sophievalencia/Downloads/QQC%20Week%205%20(1).pdf their shoes.” She has taught me that it’s always important to be compassionate towards others because every person has pain in their life. His Holiness Pope Francis explained, “People's paths are riddled with suffering, as everything is centered around money, and things, instead of people. And often there is this habit, by people who call themselves "respectable," of not taking care of the others, thus leaving behind thousands of human beings, or entire populations, on the side of the road” (“Why the Only Future Worth Building Includes Everyone” by His Holiness Pope Francis - Moreau FYE Week Seven). I believe it’s integral to prioritize people because that’s what ensures the well-being of society. Material things such as money and material items are never as valuable as the happiness of others. This is also why I believe it’s more important to donate than acquire money, as hoarding money will do nothing to help others. I agree with Fr. Michael Hilmes, “The crown and summit of the whole of ethical life is what he calls Caritas (charity), what the New Testament describes as agape (self-gift)” (“Three Key Questions” by Fr. Michael Himes - Moreau FYE Week Three). I want to be someone who shows this empathy through my little interactions with others. One way I’ve done this at Notre Dame is by singing at different prayer services and memorial masses that hold significance to people. Music often brings joy to people’s lives and helps them endure the pain they’re going through. Singing has been a way I’ve shown compassion to others. Additionally, many of my best memories are when people accompanied me through difficult times, and I want to do the same for others. Reifenburg recounted a memory, “Even though I had landed on their doorstep with plans to be “their helper,” they accompanied me, and during those first two years and the many intervening ones, I think I have learned – and am still learning– to accompany them as well” (“The Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey Together ” by Steve Reifenburg - Moreau FYE Week Nine). One of the memories that hold the most significance to Reifenburg from his mission trip https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-the-only-future-worth-building-includes-everyone-pope-francis https://www.studocu.com/en-us/document/university-of-san-diego/general-chemistry-i/three-key-questions-practice/22313725 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit?usp=sharing https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit?usp=sharing was a period when the citizens accompanied him through sickness. Helping a person never fails to leave an impact on them, and I believe this is what causes the progression of society. I want to show empathy and compassion to others like the citizens of the village did to ensure the well-being of my loved ones and community. To ensure the well-being of my community, I also believe it’s important to include everyone, especially those who are different. The Congregation of the Holy Cross believes, “All of us are involved in the mission… as a single brotherhood are joined in one communal response to the Lord’s mission” (“Constitutions of the Congregation of the Holy Cross” by The Congregation of the Holy Cross - Moreau FYE Week Twelve). No matter our differences, we are all still a single brotherhood and we have the moral obligation to ensure each person feels loved and valued in society. A good example of showing inclusiveness is being courteous when you disagree with someone. Paul Blaschko stated, “We are losing our sense of how someone might reasonably disagree which is accelerating political polarization” (“How to Avoid an Echo Chamber” by Paul Blaschko - Moreau FYE Week Eleven). It’s important to see how this political polarization is causing exclusion and to limit this exclusion by being respectful towards everyone. I believe it’s necessary to use the abilities that you have to promote this type of inclusion. After becoming paralyzed from an accident, J.D. Kim discussed, “I realize that what I (can) do (is) a blessing” (“5 Minutes” by Aria Swarr, Grotto Magazine - Moreau FYE Week Six). In my case, I feel included in society, and therefore, it’s a blessing that I can help others feel included. Additionally, I want to center myself by “observing an “Internet Sabbath” every week” (“Why We Need to Slow Down Our Lives” by Pico Eyer, TED - Moreau FYE Week One). I believe that if I’m not distracted by technology, I can center my focus on promoting inclusion. Notre Dame has helped ingrain this value in me as well, “The spirit of inclusion at Notre Dame https://holycrosscongregation.org/holy-cross-resources/constitutions/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaIVxQcqnLs&t=1s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaIVxQcqnLs&t=1s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JI3PYEMGGLw https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ flows from our character as a community of scholarship, teaching, learning, and service founded upon Jesus Christ.” (“The Spirit of Inclusion at Notre Dame” by The University of Notre Dame - Moreau FYE Week Ten). One way that I’ve done spread inclusivity at Notre Dame is by joining the Best Buddies club which works to create friendships between individuals with and without disabilities. I’ve formed many friendships through the club and have seen the impact that feeling included can have on a person’s happiness. As I stated in my Week 13 Mission Statement, “It is our responsibility to ensure that we cultivate a world that is loving and accepting of all people, and we can do this by educating ourselves and others about the blessing of inclusivity. ” ( (“Mission Statement” by - Moreau FYE Week Thirteen). Overall, to live a life well-lived, I believe my mission is to pursue a job that will fulfill me through helping others, to prioritize being empathetic and compassionate towards others, and to ensure the inclusion of people who are different. Pursuing education law will help me ensure students can reach their full potential, being empathetic and compassionate towards others will ensure the well-being of my loved ones and community, and encouraging inclusion will contribute to the betterment of society. My experiences during my first year at Notre Dame and in Moreau have helped me consolidate my beliefs and what I want to do with my life. I hope to continue striving toward these goals so that I can feel fulfilled in my life. https://dulac.nd.edu/university-mission-and-vision/spirit-of-inclusion/ https://docs.google.com/document/d/10tNhD5hhoT7af-CO8zsqRx36W9j3BwTwtbyRxpHrSls/edit?usp=sharing