Integration 2 Laura Diaz Moreau Integration #2 Friday, November 3 2021 A New Beginning A year ago from today, as I anxiously waited for Notre Dame’s admission decision, I never imagined myself as the person I am nowadays. Now, as the end of my first semester approaches, I am thankful for the opportunity to be part of the Notre Dame community, and I am proud to say that coming here has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. Throughout my journey in Notre Dame, I have encountered several challenges, experiences and lessons I would not have found in any other place. When I got to Notre Dame, what I first encountered was the feeling of “Imposter Syndrome”, especially during my first classes. I started to feel very overwhelmed and felt like I did not belong here. However, as weeks went by I started to feel more confident about myself because I realized that I should not push myself too hard and that I should live to please myself, and not to reach other’s standards. As Julia Hogan says, “. Don’t look to others for approval or for directions for how to live your life. Look at all of the options out there for living life and pick the ones that you feel called to.” ( "Why Letting Go of Expectations is a Freeing Habit", by Julia Hogan, Grotto - Moreau FYE Week Nine). It is very normal for a person to create high standards for themselves just because they want to make everyone around them proud, instead of actually doing what they really desire. Every person should live only for themselves, doing what makes them happy and not by doing what society expects them to do. We should live for our own standards and the only person we should please is ourselves, at the end it is our life and we are the ones who should control it. As weeks passed, I encountered a community that challenged me to open up my mind in many aspects.I might share some similarities with some students here at Notre Dame, but differences composed the bigger part all the time when meeting new students. Despite my differences with most of the other college students, there is something about the Notre Dame community that makes you always feel at home. As one of the texts of this week says, “each human person is created in the likeness and image of God and is therefore deserving of dignity and respect”. Being part of a community is understanding that you are surrounded by different people with different backgrounds and it’s important to accept everyone just the way they are, specially here in Notre Dame, where we can find a very diverse community. As said in the video of "Women Find Healing Through Kintsugi Workshop", “Everybody, I hope, walks away with this greater connection to who they are. That they learn that the things that they’ve https://grottonetwork.com/navigate-life/career-and-finance/how-to-find-your-calling/ https://grottonetwork.com/navigate-life/health-and-wellness/letting-go-of-expectations/?utm_source=fall_2021&utm_medium=class&utm_id=moreau https://grottonetwork.com/navigate-life/health-and-wellness/letting-go-of-expectations/?utm_source=fall_2021&utm_medium=class&utm_id=moreau https://grottonetwork.com/make-an-impact/heal/find-healing-through-kintsugi-art/?utm_source=fall_2021&utm_medium=class&utm_id=moreau experienced — the good, the bad, the ugly, all of that — it has made them this beautiful, dynamic, interesting person that they are today. And that that person is worth celebrating and honoring.” ( "Women Find Healing Through Kintsugi Workshop" , Grotto - Moreau FYE Week Ten). I feel it is very important to learn how to make the best of our experiences, it does not matter if they are good or bad, and this is what the video shows. In the end, what shapes a person and makes them who they are today are their past experiences, and people should always keep in mind that there is no bad experience that will not make you a stronger person in the end. At Notre Dame, I have also encountered a diverse, special community of people. As Prof. Agustin Fuentes says, “If we are really serious, about trying to make this world a better place, then diversity matters for all of us.” ( "Diversity Matters” by Prof. Agustin Fuentes - Moreau FYE Week Eleven). Society tends to be very biased regarding race and in his talk, Prof. Agustin explains why diversity matters for all of us. What I liked about his talk is that he emphasizes that living in a diverse community is important because we should learn to live around other people who are not the same as us, and we should learn to understand that everyone is different, and we should respect that. In other words, in order to stop being biased we should surround ourselves with diverse communities that will teach us to see and treat everyone the same even though we are different. One of my favorite things here in Notre Dame is that students are allowed to have a strong sense of community, and not just any community. What I have learned here is that the Notre Dame community is one filled with diversity and that will be with me and support me throughout my entire life. As the end of the semester approaches, I have encountered many challenges in which I have found myself relying on hope and faith. As written by Fr. James B. King in “Hope - Holy Cross and Christian Education”, “We must be men with hope to bring. There is no failure the Lord’s love cannot reverse, no humiliation he cannot exchange for blessing, no anger He cannot dissolve, no routine He cannot transfigure. All is swallowed up in victory. He has nothing but gifts to offer. It remains only for us to find how even the cross can be borne as a gift. (8:118)” (“Hope - Holy Cross and Christian Education”, pages 14 - 16 by Fr. James B. King, C.S.C. - Moreau Week Twelve). What leads me to move on and stay strong during difficult situations is this belief that God is looking out for me and that he has a plan for me. This belief and the ability to hold on to hope is what bring a person to live in peace and with confidence that everything gets better at the end. As this quote says, God has nothing but gifts to offer and we must remain hopeful that he will guide us through the best path for each one of us.I believe in God’s plan for me and that I am right where I need to be right now, even if I don’t feel like this all the time. Even https://grottonetwork.com/make-an-impact/heal/find-healing-through-kintsugi-art/?utm_source=fall_2021&utm_medium=class&utm_id=moreau https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=d14a0472-9c0e-44ea-bd39-53c67ee1d436 https://campusministry.nd.edu/assets/105621/ https://campusministry.nd.edu/assets/105621/ https://campusministry.nd.edu/assets/105621/ though I have encountered many obstacles, I am hopeful that it is all for a reason and that they will only make me stronger and a better person. After all, I dare to say that even though I have encountered difficult situations here in Notre Dame, I have also encountered situations that have shaped me into a better and stronger person. Notre Dame has challenged me in so many ways and I am grateful for this. I am sure that I will continue to face each challenge with determination and hope. I could not have chosen a better place to spend the next four years and I am proud to be able to call Notre Dame my new home, a home that has given me the opportunity of a new beginning.