Capstone Integration


 | Professor Taylor | Capstone Integration
My Mission to Heal a Broken World

I seek to learn as much as I can about this world as I move through it. Over the past few
months here at the University of Notre Dame, I have come to learn so many different things
about myself and others. When I came here in the fall I was sort of debating whether or not I
wanted to become a doctor. I met with my advisor several times to discuss the potential switch to
Computer Science and even met with the head of the College of Engineering to work out what
my schedule would look like. Since then, I have fully embraced the fact that I truly do want to
become a doctor. The past year has really been informative on who I want to become because I
believe that a little over a year ago I was probably at the lowest point in my life and now I can
proudly say that I am the happiest I have ever been. Notre Dame has really exposed me to
several different kinds of people and I have made tons of friends that all have the same goals as
me. I want to be able to connect with people on a personal level and be able to help guide them
through their journeys. I think that the more I come to learn in this world, the better off I will be,
and the better off my family will be. As I go through the rigorous path of trying to become a
doctor, I will experience several ups and downs along the way, and will be able to learn from
these experiences. I think that experience is the connective tissue between the questions we have
and the answers we seek. The harder we all work together to get through difficult times, the
better we will all turn out to be for the betterment of the world. My mission is to learn about the
best ways to help people, while also learning about the things that I actually care about. I love to
learn about the sciences and love learning about different groundbreaking research that will
eventually come to save the lives of millions (“University of Notre Dame Mission Statement” by
Notre Dame - Moreau FYE Week Thirteen).

At the beginning of the second semester, I could really start to see things coming together
in terms of my academic, social, and spiritual life here at Notre Dame. As the semester continued
I came to realize that the people I have been experiencing here at college are not only going to be
my friends here for the next three years, but for the rest of my life. Friends have been the center
of my life here at Notre Dame, and to quote Steven Reifenberg “Not only is it important to walk
together with somebody, but one must also learn how to be accompanied – to participate in the
reciprocity of accompaniment” (“Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey Together” by
Steven Reifenberg - Moreau FYE Week Nine). As I spend more time with others here, I have
come to learn the importance of walking with others to help them and learning how to let others
help me. This is central to my mission statement because as a doctor I am going to be constantly
helping people as well as looking for advice from others to help me.

By walking with others in our own individual journeys we also learn of the responsibility
we have to slow down. From Pico Iyer during the first half of Moreau, we learned that 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 One). Appreciating what you have when at the moment is so
integral to who you are and who you want to become. I have seen that some of the times that I

https://www.nd.edu/about/mission/
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit?usp=sharing
https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/


have been the happiest are when I am appreciating the little things that we possess. I have come
to appreciate my family more, my friends more, and the gifts that I have been given by God more
as a result of slowing down and learning what things I have. I think that over the next three years
I am going to have a significant number of moments that I know that I will appreciate for the rest
of my life.

As an aspiring physician, there is a significant emphasis on giving yourself to others. By
watching the Hesburgh film, I really came to realize that by giving myself to others actually
makes me not only a happier person but a better person. In the words of Father Hesburgh, the
“price of belonging to everybody is probably belonging to nobody” (“Hesburgh” by Jerry Barca
and Christine O’Malley - Moreau FYE Week Two). Although it is sad at times to not give
yourself to only a specific person, it is so much better to be able to be of service to all people. I
have found that a good career where I will be able to give myself to others for the rest of my life.
According to the “Navigating Your Career Journey” article, a good career is one that“is
comprised of your values, interests, personality, and skills” (“Navigating Your Career Journey -
Moreau First Year Experience Course” by Luzzo, D.A., & Severy, L.E. - Moreau FYE Week
Four). I am extremely interested in science, value my faith and helping others, and find that I am
super skillful in paying attention to detail. This is going to be the perfect career for me and is
going to fulfill my mission statement as I am going to be learning so much about science and
people in general.

In my mission statement, I also mentioned that in the darkest times of my life that I have
gone through I have actually come to love and appreciate the things and the people that surround
me. Sister Theresa Aletheia claims that some of the darkest times actually lead us to realize all of
the great things that come with this world and that without any sort of suffering the world would
actually be very bland. Sister Theresa Aletheia says, “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 - Moreau FYE Week Three). I have found light in the struggles that I have endured and
look forward to overcoming the things that stop me in the future.

In having conversations with some of my family members over the past couple of years I
have tried to learn about all the different types of things that I can do. This includes engineering,
law, and becoming a doctor. After having these conversations, it has become very apparent that
being a doctor is the thing that is right for me (“Week Five Discernment Conversation Activity”
by Moreau First Year Experience - Moreau FYE Week Five).

Although sometimes it does feel like I am limited to doing some things, and I have come
to realize that there are many things that I cannot do, I take pride in accepting all of the things
that I can do. In Week Six of the course, we heard the motivating story from Dr. Kim about
having to deal with not having the ability to move his legs. Despite having this knockback, Dr.
Kim takes pride in the simple things that he can do every day and how he can make a lasting
impact on this world. Dr. Kim says, “But then I began to realize that some of the things that I can
do, the movements that I have already, can be a blessing for some others” (“5 Minutes” by
Grotto - Moreau FYE Week Six).

https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9
https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/
https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yZ7hqvx-u4EuW2nlK-fRbWFiurQm1mZv_KpoeeiN4So/edit
https://grottonetwork.com/make-an-impact/transform/why-does-god-allow-suffering/?utm_source=moreau&utm_medium=class&utm_campaign=spring_2022


Not only are all of the things about helping others exciting to me over these next three
years, but I am grateful for the opportunity to build a community where everyone can be
included and simultaneously help each other. Pope Francis stresses the importance of building a
world that is related in love and one that is centered around helping each other. The more that we
build each other up, the happier we will be, and the more integrated into faith we will be (“Why
the only future worth building includes everyone” by TED - Moreau FYE Week Seven).

I think that over these next three years accepting who I truly am is going to be one of the
most important things that I can possibly do in order to find out who I am and to continue my
mission. In the story by Jacob Walsh about being gay and catholic, the man realized that once he
came to accept who he truly is, the better. I think that I will truly continue to embrace who I am
over the next three years and will be a happier person because of it. Jacob denied at first who he
was, then came to realize that he was in denial of his being. Jacob says, “It’s easy to see in
retrospect that I was in denial. I didn’t know many people who were gay,  let alone anyone who
was both gay and Catholic. It seemed to me that there was no future as a Catholic if I was gay,
but I did not want to walk away from the faith. This sexual orientation did not fit into any
possible image I had for how my life could play out. Being Catholic did. So denial made sense”
(“Growing up Gay and Catholic” by Jacob Walsh - Moreau FYE Week Ten). My mission will
allow me to be the genuine person that I am and continue to help others along the way.

In Dr. Paul Blaschko’s “How to Avoid an Echo Chamber”, he speaks about how
important it is to have conversations that don’t keep our thoughts trapped in a cycle. By being
open to other people’s ideas we are able to create a world that is better for all of us to live in.
Blaschko says, “These things obviously aren’t easy to do, but they’re well worth the effort both
for ourselves and our potential connection to the truth and for those around us” (“How to Avoid
an Echo Chamber” by Dr. Paul Blaschko - Moreau FYE Week Eleven). I will do my best to
always make sure people’s voices are heard no matter the circumstance. Similar to Dean G.
Marcus Cole, he is a black male who has experienced tragedies throughout his life. He says,
“Yes, I am alive, and George Floyd is dead. I can breathe; he cannot. But just because a police
officer did not murder me or my children does not mean that he did not harm us” (“Dean G.
Marcus Cole: ‘I am George Floyd. Except I can breathe. And I can do something’” by Dean G.
Marcus Cole - Moreau FYE Week Twelve). Cole explains that despite having been oppressed, he
still has the means to make a change and has tried his best to do so. Over the next three years, I
will strive to make a significant impact on Notre Dame and even the world through my mission
of learning and helping others that are in need.

I have really enjoyed my time here at Notre Dame thus far, and look forward to the things
that I can accomplish over my next three years here. I will really try to stick to my mission of
becoming a doctor, and cannot wait to see what the future holds.

https://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone/transcript
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
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaIVxQcqnLs&t=1s&ab_channel=ThinkND
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaIVxQcqnLs&t=1s&ab_channel=ThinkND
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/