Capstone Integration



4/29/22

Capstone Integration

The Best Version of Myself

I view my responsibilities to others as being kind, respectful, and uplifting. I strive to
respond to the suffering of others with compassion and to be of help to others when they need it.
I never want to be close-minded toward others, and I will always strive to be joyful and grateful
in every aspect of my life ( Writing a Personal Mission Statement Activity - Moreau FYE Week
Thirteen)

As a part of my mission statement,  I strive to be someone who can enjoy the present
moment. Week one’s Ted Talk, “Why we need to slow down our lives” by Pico Iyer gave me a
moment of reflection in which I realized that I need to allow myself more time to relax and not
be so stressed out ("Why we need to slow down our lives" by Pico Iyer - Moreau FYE Week
One). Oftentimes when I am in the present moment, I find myself overthinking about other
things instead of enjoying the moment. I have often struggled with allowing myself to be in the
moment without overthinking what I should be doing instead, so this Ted Talk helped me realize
how important it is to allow myself to be in the moment. In relation to this goal, in Week four of
this class, the quote “The only way to know more about yourself is to test the waters - just get
out and experience life!” really resonated with me ("Navigating Your Career Journey” Meruelo
Family Center for Career Development - Moreau FYE Week Four). This quote emphasized to me
the importance of living in the moment and being open to new experiences. Especially at a place
like Notre Dame with countless opportunities, I have tried my best to make the most of every
moment.

Another aspect of my mission statement is that I strive to be someone that builds
everyone around me up and brings joy into my life as well as others. I never want to be someone
who is envious of others or brings others down through my negative attitude. As Hesburgh said,
“We don’t prove anything by burning something down, we prove something by building it up”
("Hesburgh" Produced by Jerry Barca and Christine O'Malley - Moreau FYE Week Two).
Furthermore, in Week 3 of this Moreau Course, we discussed key questions that help to discern
whether we are headed in the right direction in life. The questions asked were: “Is this a source
of joy? Is this something that taps into your talents and gifts—engages all of your abilities—and
uses them in the fullest way possible? Is this a genuine service to those around you?” ("Three
Key Questions" adapted from Fr. Michael Himes - Moreau FYE Week Three). Thinking about
these questions made me realize that what I value most about where I end up in life is how much
it positively impacts not only me but also those around me. I hope that I use the opportunities
that I have been given to help others and make a difference, which we discussed the importance
of in week twelve of this course (“Constitutions of the Congregation of Holy Cross” - 2:
Mission, paragraphs 9-14 - Moreau FYE Week Twelve).

Another aspect of my mission statement is that I strive to be someone that strays away
from judgment and treats everyone with kindness and inclusion. In the interview assigned for
Week 5 of this course, I asked my mom  “What do you think I value and desire in life? Why?”,

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ur4b9oFy7Mh8adNrwRTIFcanUIJUAI6wnAczkxW-H3I/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ur4b9oFy7Mh8adNrwRTIFcanUIJUAI6wnAczkxW-H3I/edit?usp=sharing
https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40250/modules/items/145911
https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40250/modules/items/145911
https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/
https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/
https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/
https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/
https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/
https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40250/modules/items/145919
https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40250/modules/items/145929
https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40250/modules/items/145929
https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40250/modules/items/146055
https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40250/modules/items/146055



4/29/22

Capstone Integration

and my mom told me that I value being kind to others and treating others with respect ("Week
Five Discernment Conversation Activity" - Moreau FYE Week Five). In Week 7 of this Moreau
course, we were assigned a reading that further emphasized to me the importance of not being
judgmental towards others. As written, “We have a chance, sometimes, to create a new
jurisdiction, a place of astonishing mutuality, whenever we close both eyes of judgment and open
the other eye to pay attention” ("Chapter 8: Jurisdiction" Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J., Tattoos on the
Heart - Moreau FYE Week Seven).  One aspect of my life that has clearly emphasized inclusion
is my time spent at Notre Dame. While at Notre Dame, the community has been so inclusive and
welcoming. In “The Spirit of Inclusion at Notre Dame”, inclusion on our campus was
highlighted in the diversity and inclusion that Notre Dame uplifts (“The Spirit of Inclusion at
Notre Dame” - Moreau FYE Week Ten). Everyone on our campus is unique in their own way,
and we all have something to offer and give to the larger community, therefore inclusiveness is
always a priority. I never want to be someone that is close-minded towards others because of
differing opinions, so it is important to me to strive to be as open-minded and welcoming as
possible. As discussed in week eleven of this course,   if we refuse to surround ourselves with
people who differ from us in various ways, we will never grow as individuals (“How to Avoid an
Echo Chamber” Dr. Paul Blaschko, ThinkND - Moreau FYE Week Eleven).

In addition to this, a large part of how I pursue a life well-lived is by trying my best to
have a positive outlook on life.  In Week 6 of this Moreau course, I was prompted to reflect on
all of the things that I am grateful for in my life. In the article titled “The right way to be
introspective”, I learned about ways to self-reflect with a positive mindset and not be so
entrapped in negative thoughts. The article talked about how asking yourself “what” questions
are more productive than asking yourself “why” questions because “what” questions force us to
name our emotions and “why” questions lend themselves more to negative responses in our
minds (“The Right Way to be Introspective (Yes, There’s a Wrong Way)” Tasha Eurich, TED
Conferences - Moreau FYE Week Six). In addition to this, I was able to reflect on how I strive to
pursue a life well lived through defining a life well-lived in my Integration Three for this course
(Integration Three - Moreau FYE Week Eight). In writing this reflection, I was able to clearly
organize my thoughts on how I want to live a life that I am proud of. Ultimately, my conclusion
from reflecting on this topic was that pursuing a life well-lived for me is about impacting others
in a positive way and using my abilities to help others.

One reading and quote regarding this topic that specifically resonated with me was from
an article by Professor Steve Reifenburg. In the article he wrote about his service trip to Chile,
and discussed how when he arrived in Chile, he assumed he was the one helping through his
service projects with the kids in the community, when in actuality, the kids ended up helping him
and accompanying him just as much.“It is a reciprocal relationship. One cannot accompany
without being accompanied, in the same way someone cannot be a good friend without being
open to friendship” wrote Professor Steve Reifenburg (“Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning
Journey Together” Professor Steve Reifenberg - Moreau FYE Week Nine). I really enjoyed Steve

https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40250/modules/items/145958
https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40250/modules/items/145958
https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40250/modules/items/145929
https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40250/modules/items/168041
https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40250/modules/items/168041
https://dulac.nd.edu/university-mission-and-vision/spirit-of-inclusion/
https://dulac.nd.edu/university-mission-and-vision/spirit-of-inclusion/
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://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40250/modules/items/145974
https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40250/modules/items/145974
https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40250/modules/items/146007
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit?usp=sharing



4/29/22

Capstone Integration

Reifenburg’s outlook that to accompany is to be accompanied. I liked the perspective that
helping someone is never a one-sided task, which we often tend to view it as.