Integration Two Assignment 11/23/21 Professor Whittington A Life of New Encounters: My First Semester of College It was a long, ten hour drive from my home in Central Minnesota to the city of South Bend, Indiana. Usually in these situations one would try to take a nap or watch a movie on their phone, but I could only focus on one thing. The impending realization that college was only one day away had my heart racing with fear, sadness, excitement, and stress. Although I never said anything to my Mom, she repeated the same mantras including “You are going to be fine.” and “Everybody feels these emotions!” While I appreciated the support, I could not take my mind off of the experience ahead. In retrospect, my fears were justified. I was about to embark on the journey of individual life with new experiences at every social, physical, and emotional interaction. During my first semester at the University of Notre Dame, I have asked myself hundreds of questions about the importance of my current and developing relationships, moral perspectives, and core values. Throughout these encounters, I have realized that there are issues in my life that require more deliberation than I have previously given and other issues which I once stressed about but no longer view as confusing. Prior to my attendance at Notre Dame, my perception of the purpose of college was pretty simple. I thought that the idea was to cement knowledge in core topics to prepare for the workforce. No doubt this goal has significant value, but learning to ask critical questions and finding solutions to topics that are confusing and challenging are truly the type of problems that will be presented later in life. Unlike my calculus or chemistry classes, there is no set answer to the new experiences that I have faced. One main theme that is now more complex in the way that I encounter the world is through my perception of different races, religions, and cultures. Although it may seem absurd to some, the amount of different backgrounds that I have seen at the University of Notre Dame is shockingly more diverse than anything I have seen in my life. Meeting new friends and peers from fascinating places such as Guatemala, Nigeria, and Lebanon have opened my eyes to new ways of life that are much different from the way that I have learned to view the world. Taking interest in the wide array of cultural events and speakers with unique identities has given me some insight into the reasons that diversity is so cherished. Although there is a lot of controversy around many racial and cultural issues, I think that a vast majority of Americans cherish how differences in our souls feed the success of the nation as a whole. For this reason, a quote from a video called “With Voices True” from the Klau Center Archive on Race stood out to me because it stated that “Every story is a testament of personal truth (With Voices True Snapshot Summary by the Klau Center Archive on Race - Moreau FYE Week Eleven).” The excerpt is a perfect representation of how every unique story and background that I have encountered since my drive to South Bend has elements of value due to the unique identity of every individual. In order to look at society in the most accurate way possible, it is necessary to gather as many stories and perspectives as possible because they each represent different fundamental truths that may not be known by the rest of the population. For this reason, it is okay to be confused at the way others perceive their surroundings because their worldview is represented by experiences shared by no others. My observations of diversity have certainly been expanded in a more nuanced manner, but not everything in my life has become more complicated. I truly believe that my faith has become significantly more clear. When my parents got divorced this summer, my world was in shambles. It was incredibly hard to keep pushing towards my dreams and goals because it felt as https://voicestrue.nd.edu/ if everything was already falling apart. Throughout the summer, I tried to distract myself with hobbies such as fishing and playing videogames but these simply acted as a diversion from the sadness that I had been feeling. As a male, there is significant pressure to internalize emotions which made it impossible to bring up personal issues with my friends and family. This forced me to simply keep them hidden away from everybody. When I got to Notre Dame, the issue still resided in my mind but the constant exposure to the Catholic Church at the University helped me to turn my mind to reflection and feel more at ease with the issue. For me, a renewed faith in God was a solution to the brokenness that I felt in my heart. My encounter with the Church was similar to the way that others may use exercise or creative means, such as Kitsugi art, to heal their troubles in a more productive way (Women Find Healing Through Kintsugi Workshop by Grotto - Moreau FYE Week Ten). I have realized that consoling my misfortunes and heartaches does not always need to have a complex fix. Relieving stress and anxiety can be as easy as the recreation of a broken pottery or reflection time in a chapel. In a world full of complexities and over simplifications, there arises a desire to find a stable emotional state which leads to the growth of character. In one of my Moreau discussions, our class had a uniquely memorable conversation about imposter syndrome. It was amusing to see how many of my peers in the class expressed the effect of this psychological symptom on their own lives because I had also been feeling it. Throughout my time here, I have heard people mention that their résumés were filled with perfect ACT scores and incredible extracirriculurs. This has definitely caused some insecurity, but it was comforting to know that I was not alone in feeling like I didn’t deserve to be among the success of others. Elizabeth Cox’s TED Talk on the imposter syndrome gave me even more perspective into the complex issue and reflecting on some of the ways that psychology may have played a role in my previous life experiences has https://grottonetwork.com/make-an-impact/heal/find-healing-through-kintsugi-art/?utm_source=fall_2021&utm_medium=class&utm_id=moreau been fascinating (What is Imposter Syndrome by Elizabeth Cox - Moreau FYE Week Nine). In relation to imposter syndrome, it is important to remember that success should not be reflected by the values of others but instead in the fulfillment of personal goals. To model life after the influence of society will only lead to disappointment in the long run. I am going to try to ignore the pressure that society and others have put on me in order to focus on my own plan for the future and live a more fulfilling life. The implications of responding to challenges and encounters in our lives can have profound effects on our wellbeings. In life, everyone faces hardship, success, confusion, and clarity but responses to these interactions is what truly defines our characters. I think the notion that Father Moreau built this University without any real support from the government, the Catholic Church, or donors is a testament to the fact that personal grit and motivation is the most necessary trait to make change in the world (Holy Cross and a Christian Education by Father James B. King, C.S.C. - Moreau FYE Week Twelve). I am going to try to commit myself to personal goals and passions in a similar fashion as Father Moreau throughout the rest of my life. Furthermore, it will be my mission to find greater clarity in the world while accepting that some things are out of my control. Because of the great complexity in the world, I am going to use my interactions with others to create positive change rather than using narcissism to justify the idea that there is only one way to go about life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQUxL4Jm1Lo https://campusministry.nd.edu/assets/105621/