Microsoft Word - Integration 3


’s Life: In Review 

I write and speak today with the unfortunate news of the passing of Zach. He lived a great and 
long life, with many successes. We realize today that it is times like these where we must take a 
moment and think, and take a break from our very busy lives, and remember the legacy he left on 
the world. Many times, he would be able to connect with the idea that “It’s easy to feel as if 
we’re standing two inches away from a huge canvas that’s noisy and crowded and changing with 
every microsecond. 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). Zach was very good at doing 
such a thing, as he would always take breaks from the world around him and realize how he must 
continue to think about the state of the world, without being in a rush.  

One of the best ways he was able to do this was by thinking outside the box, and on his own, not 
conforming to what people wanted from him, but instead attempting to change people around 
him in order to better their lives in ways which people never thought of. As a Notre Dame 
student and graduate, he was able to learn the teachings from Father Hesburgh, who “spoke 
extensively about breaking barriers, and overcoming the expectations that people have of you in 
order to improve the world around you.” (“Hesburgh” - by Jerry Barca and Christine O'Malley – 
Moreau FYE Week 2). Continuing to live with this phrase in mind was something Zach always 
tried to do, as it would be a benefit to the people he was with in bringing them joy whenever he 
could.  

One of the biggest things that drove him to do his best to fill those around him with joy was the 
idea that it was more important to him that other people were happy than that he was happy 
himself. He believed that it was worth a little bit of self sacrifice in order to get other people to 
experience a greater joy. He believed that “Satisfaction is a lowly thing. How pure a thing is 
joy.” (“Meet the nun who wants you to remember that you will die” by Ruth Graham – Moreau 
FYE Week 3). This phrase was so important to him, as it really was accurate to his beliefs. 
Satisfaction is something you merely see from having material things, from having a lot of 
money, to feeling like you reached your goals. Joy comes from achieving beyond your goals, 
from doing more in life than what was just for yourself. The purest form of joy is seeing the joy 
of your own work causing and bringing other people joy. This is at the core of what Zach 
believed.  

It was always crucial to him that he would be able to take a step back and grow this joy from 
others, but letting himself see the world from afar, and see the needs of the people around him. 
As the pope once said, “How wonderful would it be, while we discover faraway planets, to 
rediscover the needs of the brothers and sisters orbiting around us.” (“Why the only future worth 
building includes everyone” by His Holiness Pope Francis – Moreau FYE Week 7). Despite 
being a great engineer, he always worked to help those around him. Service was always 
something he held close to his heart.  

One way in which he was able to demonstrate his love for service even at a young age was 
through his experience in Boy Scouts, as he was an Eagle Scout. His mom would describe how 



“One time when he demonstrated exceptional leadership was he was running my Eagle Scout 
project. At that time, he was managing the adults, even those who were off-task. he was leading 
everyone, including kids and adults. Despite it being complicated and difficult, he was 
respectful, This episode showed that he was still a good leader despite the obstacles that came at 
my way, and that he was still able to demonstrate my best self. – (Reflection done with my mom 
– Moreau FYE Week 5). His work as an Eagle Scout taught him from a very young age the 
benefits and importance of service in the lives of others. He would need to have exceptional 
leadership, which was something that he would be able to demonstrate throughout his live, as 
something that be able to use for his benefit throughout his life, especially during his career as an 
engineer.  

As for his life in the workforce, he was a dedicated engineer. Entering the field because he 
wanted to use his skills in order to benefit others, with skills in math and physics. One thing he 
always dedicated his time to was helping younger engineering students. Whether this was giving 
speeches or personally recommending student, he always stuck to the phrase “Planning your 
career is much like planning for a trip.”  (“Navigating Your Career Journey” by Meruelo Family 
Center for Career Development – Moreau FYE Week 4). Many times planning a career is 
daunting, but he was always ready to help and give kind words.  

As we ponder the reality of death, and the reality of Zach’s death in particular, we must think 
about how death is a natural thing. We must realize that “Introspection can cloud and confuse 
our self-perceptions, unleashing a host of unintended consequences.” (“The Right Way to be 
Introspective (Yes, There's a Wrong Way)” by Tasha Eurich – Moreau FYE Week 6). Zach 
would not have wanted us to dwell too much on his death, as it was one of his philosophies in 
life to not dwell on anything in the past too much, for that can create more problems for you in 
the future than what problems you may have already had. All in all, we must understand the 
reality, but still appreciate the good life he lived. A life full of service, helpfulness, and 
compassion, he lived his life using his talents to live for others.