Strong Roots Grow Strong Relationships I believe that life-giving relationships are forged by honesty and vulnerability. I believe that my community should go above and beyond to care for each other. I believe that true happiness is found by being my most authentic, confident self. I believe that I will grow by accepting failure and embracing mistakes. I believe that my purpose is to pursue knowledge and understanding of myself and others. I believe that faith plays a central role in my personal development. I believe that I am made to spread kindness and love to others. My first root belief, that life-giving relationships are forged by honesty and vulnerability, has been something that has been instilled in me from a young age. My parents have always stressed the importance of honesty, empathy, and the importance of embracing any imperfections that we perceive ourselves to have. One memory from my childhood that distinctly reminds me of the importance of being vulnerable is from a summer camp that I went to in elementary and middle school. One night our counselors had everyone in my cabin sit on the floor, and they played the song “Freckles” by Natasha Bedingfield. After the song ended, we were allowed to share how any part of the song spoke to us and any insecurities that we had. As corny as it sounds, that night brought everyone in my cabin closer, and I am still good friends with most of the girls almost 10 years later. Being vulnerable with each other allowed us to form a bond that will last a lifetime. I think this story speaks to the relevance of “having the courage to be imperfect.” (“ The Power of Vulnerability ” by Brené Brown - Moreau FYE Week One) By sharing our fears and insecurities with each other, we were brought so much closer to one another. I think it's important to keep this in mind throughout college as I search to create more friendships and bonds that will last a lifetime. My second root belief states that I believe that my community should go above and beyond to care for each other. During the week 6 Where I’m From poem, I reflected on the small town I grew up in, and the strong sense of community we had. Coming from such a small, close-knit community to a much larger area has certainly been overwhelming at times, but the sense of community on the Notre Dame campus has helped to make the transition much easier. It is evident how everyone truly cares for one another, and wants to see each other succeed. The videos we watched during week 4 of Moreau FYE emphasized the importance of looking out for one another and keeping each other safe. College is an extremely fun time, but many people also find themselves in potentially dangerous or uncomfortable situations. Being an active bystander plays an important role in keeping the community and campus safe. Just recently I was with someone who was making me uncomfortable, and my friends came by at just the right time to help me leave the situation. If they hadn't stepped in, the situation could’ve ended up much worse. I hope to use this experience to be able to recognize when other people may be uncomfortable in a situation and be able to help them before it is too late. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Qm9cGRub0&feature=youtu.be I believe that true happiness is found by being my most authentic, confident self. This value is important to me because we are so often influenced by societal standards and expectations, even though they often do much more harm mentally and physically than good. I have struggled with self confidence growing up, and my goal while at Notre Dame is to gain more confidence in myself and my actions. I think that this belief relates to the quote, “Our lives are not our resumes.” ( Two Notre Dames: Your Holy Cross Education by Fr. Kevin Grove, C.S.C. - Moreau FYE Week Six) Much of what I did in high school was focused on building the perfect resume or application for colleges, and not based on what I truly wanted to do. I hope to develop this belief further while at Notre Dame by exploring the many options and opportunities available, and finding what fuels my passion and brings me happiness. The content of week 5 also applies to my next root belief, that I will grow by accepting failure and embracing mistakes. Throughout my life, I have always strived to not make any mistakes and to aim for perfection. The pressure that I have placed on myself to do this has helped me in some aspects, but it has also instilled the idea that the only way to succeed is to avoid making any mistakes. I know that the challenges that I will face here at Notre Dame will force me to embrace mistakes and failures and use them as a learning opportunity to improve for the future. I am excited to further develop this belief and grow personally and academically to have a successful future. My fifth root belief is that my purpose is to pursue knowledge and understanding of myself and others. My parents, from a very young age, stressed the importance of inclusivity and treating others with respect to my siblings and me. While I always did my best to live by these words, growing up in a small, predominantly white town shielded me from the discrimination, hate, and violence in our country. The events of this past year have opened my eyes to the true racism and discrimination that people of color face in the US and throughout the world today. Attending protests and taking the time to educate myself on the realities that so many people face has certainly helped me gain a deeper understanding and be more aware of the realities of many people's lives. I hope to use my time at the University of Notre Dame to continue to learn about many diverse backgrounds and, like the video in Week 7 stated, avoid maintaining the narrative of a single story, and gain a deeper understanding of the many different backgrounds that we all come from. My sixth root belief is that faith plays a central role in my personal development. I was raised in a Catholic family, and I attended a Catholic elementary school through 6th grade. My family had always gone to the same church, but a new priest came in with several ideas that my family and I did not agree with, and going to church began to feel like a chore or obligation. We soon found a new church that reinvigorated a strong sense of community, and definitely strengthened my relationship with God. While at Notre Dame, I hope to continue to strengthen my faith and build a deeper relationship with God. One quote that stood out to me is, “ We don’t have to look elsewhere for God; we only need to look around.” ( "Faith Brings Light to a Dark World" by Professor David Fagerberg - Week 3 Moreau FYE) Walking around the lakes or stopping by the Grotto allow me to feel the presence of God on a much more personal and deeper https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=859bc1a8-0d0f-4eb4-a1c1-d0a45c429187 https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=859bc1a8-0d0f-4eb4-a1c1-d0a45c429187 https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=859bc1a8-0d0f-4eb4-a1c1-d0a45c429187 https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=859bc1a8-0d0f-4eb4-a1c1-d0a45c429187 https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=859bc1a8-0d0f-4eb4-a1c1-d0a45c429187 https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=859bc1a8-0d0f-4eb4-a1c1-d0a45c429187 https://grottonetwork.com/keep-the-faith/belief/faith-brings-light-to-dark-world/?utm_source=partner&utm_medium=promotion&utm_campaign=moreau https://grottonetwork.com/keep-the-faith/belief/faith-brings-light-to-dark-world/?utm_source=partner&utm_medium=promotion&utm_campaign=moreau level. This quote inspires me to use my time at Notre Dame to see God in everything that is around me, and appreciate the many blessings that I have received. My last root belief is that I believe that I am made to spread kindness and love to others. I have always believed that there is no better thing that we can do than to treat others with love and kindness, and it truly is such a simple task that can go such a long way. Being the person to say hi to people that you walk by or checking in on your friends can have a large impact on someone who might be having a rough day or week. I think that this root belief relates to the week 2 material, and living for your eulogy rather than your resume. People will always remember how they felt when they were around you and how you treated them, and treating people with love and kindness is the simplest way that we can show our care and concern for others. I hope to continue to spread kindness to others throughout my time at Notre Dame, and be the shoulder for my friends to cry on when times are tough, or be there to celebrate the good times and successes.