Integration One


 Mikolay 1
October 11, 2021
Moreau Integration 1

I believe that I can pursue real truth by always being open to other beliefs and intently
listening to the ideas and opinions of others. In this world of heightened political concern, “we
make everything that’s uncertain certain.” In the recent political sphere, America as a whole has
become so polarized and stubborn in their one predestined view. People don’t like to be
vulnerable and allow their ideas to be challenged. In reality, in almost every problem, the real
truth lies somewhere between the polarized ends of the issue. I hope to become vulnerable and
understand the perspectives of others to possibly alter my own view. Being vulnerable is not just
taking an outward step, but it is also looking inward. Vulnerability can act as an opening to joy,
happiness, and love. Self confidence doesn’t come from ignoring others’ ideas and collapsing to
your own comfort, it comes from allowing yourself to be vulnerable and understand the entire
picture.

I believe that I cannot reach true happiness without being aware of the beauty of my
surroundings. Personally, my favorite things on earth to do in my free time are snowboarding and
going to the beach. Which might make it seem unsurprising that on a survey my strongest trait
came out as “appreciation of beauty and excellence.” At first I was surprised, the survey really
made me second guess how much I truly knew my own self, but after some reflection it made
sense. I find the most happiness when I feel comfortable and appreciative of the area that I’m in,
feeling a strong sense of belonging. I hope to not only recognize beauty in nature throughout my
life, but also beauty in others and in their actions. I wish to always show my appreciation for
others and show them that I acknowledge their efforts. That little action will go a long way to
make a positive impact for my own happiness and the happiness of others.

I believe that spirituality gives my life a deeper, more significant meaning. No one said it
better than Father McCormick: “Spiritual life alters the cockeyed lighting that makes us the
center of the universe.” To be spiritual requires selflessness in order to view the world as not
yours, but Gods. It also continually takes an effort for me to understand that the best decision
might not always maximize my pleasure, but rather work towards the good of God’s creation and
His people. At Notre Dame, I am surrounded by high achieving students in what is sometimes
seen as a fight for successful roles in future life, so it may be hard to take a look at the outside
world and have faith and great spirituality. Faith has been pushed on me hard for my whole life,
but here at Notre Dame, faith is encouraged, but not forced. I am excited to have the opportunity
to pursue my own faith in God coming from me, not being forced upon me.

I believe that I can build life giving relationships simply from giving effort and having
common understanding. I’ve been surprised at how far just giving an effort goes in building
friendships. My very first true friendships that I can recall thoroughly were my neighbors back
home. As a kindergartener, I remember my mom telling me to go outside and make friends,
seeing them together on the sidewalk, approaching them, and simply asking “Can we be



 Mikolay 2
October 11, 2021
Moreau Integration 1

friends?” After that, the rest is history, and we are still good friends to this day. A simple wave
and short discussion can commonly blossom into a loving friendship. Once the friendship gets
closer, all it takes is understanding and conversations to “mutually grow on a path toward
becoming better people.” All it takes is listening to the ideas of a friend and having fun
experiences with them to grow as an individual and as a pair.

I believe that failure will be a crucial step towards my success. Father Kevin Grove once
said: “There is no failure that grace cannot transfigure into a blessing.” Failure has such a
negative connotation. In reality, failure is inevitable in everyone’s life. The important thing for
me to do is not just recognize occurrences of failure, it is to recognize how I can react and act
differently as a result of my failure. The emphasis and accepting failure and using God in my
everyday life is a lesson taught at Notre Dame that cannot be found nowhere else in the world.
The message is clearly represented here: don’t lose the importance of morality and personality in
an effort to reach success.

I believe that I am made from my home environment and will never forget where I’m
from. As I wrote my “Where I’m From Poem,” I learned that on the surface level, I may not
seem all that special or different from any other suburban Midwestern guy, but only I can recall
my experiences and remember my feelings in that small neighborhood and my little Catholic
school. I hope to always keep these places close to my heart and continue to take the lessons I
learned there on in my life as I develop and change from being a little boy running around the
yard into a man providing for a family.

I believe that I can grow by seeing through the status quo and working towards removing
any implicit biases I have. At this time period in my life, I am finally leaving my suburban,
mostly white Midwestern neighborhood and immersing myself in another area with a variety of
cultures, races, and backgrounds. I hope to remove my implicit bias and take this chance in my
life to understand the perspectives of other races and understand how they are affected by
prejudice and bias in ways that I am not. I want to be able to see these cultures without a
stereotypical view portrayed by the media that is not always true.



 Mikolay 3
October 11, 2021
Moreau Integration 1

Works Cited

(“The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown - Moreau FYE Week 1)

(“Character Strength Survey” by VIA Institute on Character- Moreau FYE Week 2)

(“The Role of Faith in Our Story” by Fr. Pete McCormick - Moreau FYE Week 3)

(“5 Signs You're in a Toxic Friendship” by Olivia T. Taylor - Moreau FYE Week 4)

(“Two Notre Dames: Your Holy Cross Education” by Fr. Kevin Grove - Moreau FYE Week 5)

(“Where I'm From” by George Ella Lyon - Moreau FYE Week 6)

(“The Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Moreau FYE Week 7)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Qm9cGRub0&list=PLmiPsabET-W_hjesjTZaITh2s1WbM-Kd0&index=3
https://www.viacharacter.org/survey/account/register?registerPageType=popup
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcZMeqWWOIs&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=UniversityofNotreDameCampusMinistry
https://grottonetwork.com/navigate-life/relationships/signs-of-toxic-friendships/
https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=859bc1a8-0d0f-4eb4-a1c1-d0a45c429187
http://www.georgeellalyon.com/where.html
https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story