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Encounters: A Moreau First Year Project

Encounters: A Moreau First Year Project

Encounters is a public archive of personal narratives from first-year students at Notre Dame. The project, born from the Moreau First Year Experience course, seeks to give voice to the first-year student experience, reflecting both the diversity and commonality within this year of transitions. The narratives offer life-giving responses to the challenges often cited by first-year university students, including experiences of imposter syndrome, loneliness, and unmet or inaccurate expectations of the transition to college life. In doing so, it celebrates students' vulnerability, courage, and authenticity in encountering the realities of brokenness, community, and hope.

Read first-year students' reflection on Encounters below!

Zora Rodgers

Class Year: 2026
Hometown: Falls Church, Virginia

Zora Rodgers

Class Year: 2026
Hometown: Falls Church, Virginia

Metamorphosis

During the months preceding college, I was so excited to start my new life in South Bend that it was all that I could think about. I hated high school, and was elated to leave it behind. I watched countless Youtube videos, stalked ND’s social media daily, and even made a Spotify playlist for move-in day.

Driving down Notre Dame Avenue, my face pressed against the window (in part because there was no space in the car given how much I had packed), I was bursting with anticipation. The warm, welcoming rays illuminating the Golden Dome, and my playlist blasting in my ears, I knew that I was home. I couldn’t wait to get out of the car and move into my humid, stuffy dorm. But, upon walking around campus, uncertainty began to creep in. I felt like an alien in the environment that I had idolized for almost a year. The next day, when it was time to bid our parents farewell at the Grotto, I got sick and missed Domerfest. I remember walking back from my parents’ hotel room that rainy night, seeing people already traveling in packs as if they were old friends, and feeling loneliness settle into my heart. Had I made a mistake? I spent the following morning in Urgent Care, missing the remainder of Welcome Weekend, my parents leaving shortly after taking me back to campus. Now I was sick and alone, at a new school, in a new city.

Classes had begun, and my workload seemed like far more than I could manage. I was overwhelmed, felt guilty when I wasn’t doing homework, and consequently had a very restrained social life. As time progressed, I found the process of making quality friends to be frustratingly difficult, and thus, a permacloud of depression settled in. I resonate a lot with Emery Bergmann’s Advice From a Lonely College Student article, as I had gone from being a social butterfly to somehow burrowing back into my cocoon. Much to my dismay, the brokenness that I had encountered in high school had followed me to Notre Dame.

This transitory period has been painfully slow, and feeling lonely while being thousands of miles from home is terrifying. But there is beauty in struggle, and I emerged from my first semester stronger and wiser. I learned that it is okay when things don’t work out the way you want them to. With pain comes growth, and I knew that my current disposition was temporary. Despite encountering brokenness, I embraced it, because this is what makes me human and it is a part of my story. I like to think of myself as a piece of Kintsugi Art, knowing that I, just like the pottery, am more beautiful for having been broken. It is our healed scars that define us, and I am excited for the person that I am becoming as I fully overcome these challenges and spread my wings here at Notre Dame.
Jimena Ramazzini

Class Year: 2026
Hometown: Idaho Falls, ID

Jimena Ramazzini

Class Year: 2026
Hometown: Idaho Falls, ID

Growing and Adapting to a New Life

Dear first-year students and future first-year students,

It is with great pleasure to welcome you all to your new home, to the University of Notre Dame.

As you enter the life of a college student you will face new challenges and sometimes these challenges can make you lose sight of the amazing community that one has around them. While the University of Notre Dame emphasizes community building, it can still be challenging at times to not feel out of place, hopeless, or imperfect. Nevertheless, I have seen how the community at Notre Dame does a very good job of handling and minimizing this feeling for students. The unique thing about Moreau First-Year Experience is that it helps students learn how to manage this and view things with a clearer mind and a new lens. During the first half of the semester, Moreau helped me grow as a person within my faith. During the second half, I have grown in the way that I see situations with clarity and optimism.

Most importantly through the Moreau Course First-Year Experience I have found myself. At Notre Dame, we are in a community where people are open to expressing their weaknesses. This has allowed me to stop comparing myself to others because I know everyone struggles here at different times. Being at a prestigious university can be a life-changing experience, but it can also be difficult to maintain hope when things do not turn out the way one expects them to. As a first-generation Latina woman in STEM, there are several stereotypes that society has placed which I have to overcome. As any college student, there are amazing days and terrible days. Sometimes, bad news can completely change the way one goes throughout their day and this has happened to me several times while being a student here. We can’t help but feel disappointed in ourselves when we are not able to meet the expectations we set for ourselves. Father Kevin Grove shared something that stood out to me and helped me view failures in a positive light. He wrote, “Let us not allow ourselves, then, to be discouraged by trials, no matter how numerous or bitter they may be. Afflictions, reverses, loss of friends, privations of every kind, sickness, even death itself, ‘the evil of each day,’ and the sufferings of each hour–all these are but so many relics of the sacred wood of the true cross that we must love and venerate” ("Excerpt from 'Basil Moreau: essential Writings' pp. 47-49" by Fr. Kevin Grove, C.S.C. and Fr. Andrew Gawrych, C.S.C - Moreau FYE Week Eleven).

The amazing thing about encountering this challenge at the University of Notre Dame is that the community revolves around love for oneself and love for others. Encountering failures and unexpected circumstances has been a part of my Notre Dame journey, but this has all led me to grow as a person, find myself and develop a new way of looking at the challenges I have to face.
Joseph Tunney

Class Year: 2026
Hometown: Saginaw, Michigan

Joseph Tunney

Class Year: 2026
Hometown: Saginaw, Michigan

To Know, Love, and Follow

Notre Dame has afforded me so many blessings. I have met so many people with entirely different experiences, upbringings, and beliefs than mine. In addition, Notre Dame has prompted me to take a hard look inward on my root beliefs that make up the core of who I am. This has allowed me to grow in knowledge, faith, and love during my first semester. I hope to continue this growth through sharing formative experiences with friends and classmates.

The Congregation of the Holy Cross’s founder, Blessed Basil Moreau, called education “a work of the Resurrection,” in that we go through hardship in study and our duties in order to emerge as more knowledgeable, loving, and empathetic people. At Notre Dame, my education is most certainly a work of the Resurrection. My classes are challenging, and the questions they raise go past the surface and challenge you to your core beliefs. One of the first questions you answer in Foundations of Theology is the question of “What does it mean to be human?”

These beliefs are also frequently challenged outside of the classroom. Growing up, I went to a small Catholic school to which I credit my foundation in faith and education. However, I did not have many opportunities to engage with many people who were different from me. When I showed up to classes on the first day, I was in shock of how people came to Notre Dame from all over the world. I realized that Notre Dame was going to allow me to grow in ways I hadn’t envisioned. This has helped to introduce and define a new root belief in my life, that we all have much more in common compared to what separates us. This belief helps illuminate my interactions with everyone during a key transitional period in my life. These interactions have given me the knowledge that I can get along with anyone.

During my time at Notre Dame, I’ve had times where I feel inadequate or alone. Paradoxically, in those moments I realize that we all need others to help us. For me, just talking with someone I trust often makes me feel a lot better. I also have begun to take time out of each day for prayer. This has been a centering experience for my day and has allowed me to build deeper relationships with God and others. Whether it is prayerful reading, participating in the Mass, or silent reflection, prayer allows me to take a step back from the frantic pace of college life and appreciate where I am. It strengthens my faith, which I strive to let illuminate all of my decisions. At Notre Dame I want to continue to develop as a student, deepen my relationships with others through enriching conversation and to know, love, and follow God through my faith. Notre Dame has transformed me personally, spiritually and academically.
Juliette Ajeneza

Class Year: 2026
Hometown: Kigali, Rwanda

Juliette Ajeneza

Class Year: 2026
Hometown: Kigali, Rwanda

Let It Flow, You are in the Right Place!

There is something about college that I was never told before I arrived on campus: that regardless of how much you might learn about the school or college life, the experience remains uniquely yours! It is all about how you make it. Before I came to Notre Dame, I spent an entire year in a college preparatory program, Bridge2Rwanda, where I learnt how to get the most out of my college experience. As a first-generation student raised up from rural Rwanda, I didn’t know what to expect attending one of the top colleges in the United States. Thus, I did all I could to make sure I was informed enough before I reached campus. I had planned every part of it and was motivated to make my story a success; after all, everyone expected me to pave the way for the next generation. The first week seemed like a dream come true as I had talked to enough people, to whom we were already sharing memories of high school despite being from a totally different background. All classes were going well, and I had already learnt about a lot of opportunities that I wanted to do out of schoolwork. Hence, I was convinced that it was easy to have the kind of experiences I longed for.

However, it was as soon as the third week that things turned around; midterms grades weren’t any close to what I expected, and the workload became so intense that I could barely stand for a two-minute conversation with a friend or participate in any extracurriculars. I was especially haunted by the fear of having to lose things that I would never have again: the chance to do an exam I failed or to talk to friends that I had left for weeks. Most of all, for the very first time in my life, I became aware of the difficulties that set me apart, particularly the fact that none in my family could relate to my experience. I was all alone and had to figure out ways.

Here is where Notre Dame makes a difference! The Morea Class allowed me to reflect on important questions like how to build a life well lived, or whether it is better for me to live for a resume than for virtue. Although this might sound simple, all the insecurities and pressure that I faced during my first weeks were because I wanted to create a perfect resume and set an example. In other words, I didn't have time to simply live, or to even enjoy the company of my friends. The beauty of attending a Christian community like ND, is that you get to live with people who enrich your virtuous life, people who inspire you to be better not only in academics, but in virtue, as a whole person. Until today, I realize that my best moments have always been the time I stepped back to volunteer during Mass, join my dorm for social justice events, or take a walk with my friends across the lakes on campus. None of these will be on my resume or is part of what I was told to do, yet, they have become a central part of my life and have reformed my values.
Kate Drab

Class Year: 2026
Hometown: Dublin, Ohio

Kate Drab

Class Year: 2026
Hometown: Dublin, Ohio

Watching the Snow Fall from the Hayes-Healy Skywalk

Over Thanksgiving break, I read a novel, Anxious People by Fredrik Backman, that almost perfectly summed up the philosophies I have been attempting to verbalize this semester. In Moreau and in my God and the Good Life class, I have been challenged to reflect on my view of life. What do I want? What am I looking for? What do I think it means to live a good life? It has been a lot harder than I expected.

I have isolated some of my beliefs. I believe that failure is not the end. I believe that humans are called to serve each other. I believe that we all can make a difference in the world. But there were moments where that did not feel like enough. In the face of philosophers like Socrates and Aristotle, my simple belief that the purpose of life is to help others did not seem complicated or impressive enough. After reading Anxious People, however, I realized that my philosophies do not have to be grandiose to be true and meaningful. Backman gets that, in the end, we are all idiots who want to love and be loved, and that, while we might not be able to save everyone, we do need to save the ones we can. It is as simple as that.

Readings and discussions in Moreau have complemented this realization. My belief that failure is not the end has strengthened and expanded to a realization that the thing about failure not being the end is that, for it to really not be the end, there needs to be a second chance. There has to be an opportunity for redemption. We can sometimes find those second chances ourselves, but part of loving others means giving them second chances. It means seeing that shared humanity in them and saying, “Hey, I get it. You messed up, but we all do. It’s going to be okay.” Just as we are loved and forgiven in spite of our failures and imperfections, we need to love and forgive. At Notre Dame, as silly as it sounds, I succeed and fail in community. Our parents are no longer as easily accessible, so, when we need a shoulder to cry on, my friends and I turn to each other. It is through love and service that we work together to make sure that no failure is the end.

While my previous beliefs have been solidified this semester, a new one has emerged. I firmly believe that, while life might be sad and hard and so, so confusing, it is beautiful. It is beautiful that someone on the third floor of Jordan plays a concerto on the piano when I walk into my chem lecture on Fridays. It is beautiful that there is an ivy-covered courtyard in the middle of Hayes-Healy and a glass-enclosed walkway above it that is the best place to watch snow fall at night. In Anxious People, it is beautiful that, despite the imperfections and miscommunications, people keep trying and loving. So yes, life is hard. Yes, life sucks sometimes, but those moments of beauty make it worthwhile, and those moments of beauty need to be shared. I cannot wait for the next snow, so I can drag my friends to Hayes-Healy’s walkway and watch the flurries fall.

I am writing my own story with my own cast of characters, but I hope it has a similar ending to Fredrik Backman’s. I hope to apply what I have learned about failure and love, so that my failures and my friends’ failures can lead to something beautiful. I hope to continue to see the beauty in life in things both broken and intact. Most importantly, I hope to serve everyone that I can by giving second chances, supporting my friends and family, and sharing the beauty that makes life so wonderful.
Sean Paul Martin

Class Year: 2026
Hometown: New Orleans, LA

Sean Paul Martin

Class Year: 2026
Hometown: New Orleans, LA

Transition From New Orleans to South Bend

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor.” -Mark Twain. Coming to Notre Dame was a step I did not necessarily want to take; one that Mark Twain is speaking of in this excerpt. Upon arrival, I was elated to be present on campus but frightened at the uncertainty of what was to come. Coming from New Orleans, a city hundreds of miles away, a seamless personal transition of such great magnitude held much ambiguity, and unfortunately, is oftentimes unlikely. Nonetheless, I am fortunate to state that my first college semester at Notre Dame has been nothing short of special and magical. Throughout these initial four months, I have encountered much good and bad, which all, in turn, promoted personal growth. It was, in fact, magical, but not in the sense of a college life serenading me with pixie dust as I lollygagged around campus. Rather, it has been extraordinarily special as it pertains to how drastically I have developed as a person.

To begin, my first truly negative experience was my personal encounter with imposter syndrome. I entered the school year with the perception that I was not up to par with the best students here. Particularly as I sat in my first lectures, it seemed as if I was not understanding the material while everyone around me was. This was a terrible feeling in light of striving for academic validation my entire life. However, as time went on, it was made apparent that this was not the reality, but rather just my false perception. It was not until I took the first Calculus midterm that I scored exceedingly higher than the average of the class which convinced me that I can truly compete at Notre Dame. At this point, I developed full awareness of my intellectual capability at the school.

Moreover, as time progressed, college life steadily became duller. Assignments stacked up, relationships began to falter, and thus, the stress began to seek in. Most shamefully, the relationship that was most in turmoil was the one I had with God. When being completely honest with myself, it was the full autonomy I received from college that inclined my relationship with God to dwindle. Nevertheless, it was through Week Ten’s Moreau assignment that I was able to navigate through this and, since then, have dramatically grown in prayer and accountability. Today, I am attaining a relationship with God that is greater than the one I possessed before.

Overall, my time at Notre Dame, even within these just short four months has been remarkable. I encountered bumps and hills throughout, but they enabled me to remain on the same road and even expedited the travel to my end destination in life. Thus, I am beyond eager for what is yet to come and extremely appreciative of what has.
Bernice Antoine

Class Year: 2026
Hometown: St.Ann's, Trinidad and Tobago

Bernice Antoine

Class Year: 2026
Hometown: St.Ann's, Trinidad and Tobago

For International Students Trying to Make Their Home Under the Dome

How will I embrace change?

Applying for my visa, getting on a plane, and saying goodbye to my family was the easy part. We had known for months that I was leaving, the exact date and time too. We had ample time to prepare. But nothing could have prepared me for the real change I was about to experience: going from a predominantly coloured country to suddenly being a minority, being an international student and feeling like a stranger in the midst of people who look like me. These are the changes that were less easy to plan for. Yet I knew one thing with 100% certainty: God would not take me out of my comfort zone unless he had something better planned for me, all I had to do was sit back and embrace it. In the honorable Carla Harris’ address (“Notre Dame Commencement 2021: Laetare Medalist Address” by Carla Harris - Moreau FYE Week Six) she speaks about ‘not counting yourself out’ and to me that has been the best advice im used to embrace change at Notre Dame. I’ve never watched football before, I didn't know a quarterback from a wide receiver, frankly i’ve never even had pumpkin pie or danced salsa but I realized if I was to embrace Notre Dame, I had to become a person that raised my hand and say ‘yes i’d like to participate’ even if I wasn't sure if I’d like it. Embracing change means being open to new experiences, and pushing yourself out of your healthy comfort zone.

That’s another thing I learnt at Notre Dame, the difference between being pushed out of your comfort zone to a healthy extent and then to a dangerous extent. I knew that there were some of my cultural values that I would never exchange. Those are the things that I stood for, which is why it’s so important to reflect at the beginning of any new encounter and analyze your root beliefs and how it can possibly manifest itself in your decisions.

Applying Carla’s advice to effectively, ‘lean in’ by not counting yourself out I have become a much better person. I deliberately seek out different perspectives now and use it to sharpen my own. Because I ‘leaned in’ I volunteered to cook for my hall thanksgiving dinner (without even knowing how to cook lol). But I was determined to share a piece of my country with my new family, so I called my aunt, played the Trini Christmas medley and cooked up a storm. I'm happy to report that everyone who ate is still alive.In the future I plan to continue counting myself into conversations, rooms and experiences that I haven’t explored before.

How will I build a strong community?

Building a strong community takes effort. It means I have to show up for my friends, I have to create traditions, I have to love out loud, celebrate their successes, and mourn their sadness. My Foundations of Leadership professor, Christopher Stevens said, ‘a friend is someone who walks in when the rest of the world walks out’.

How will I make an impact on Notre Dame?

That’s the six word sentence that has dictated everyone’s life here at Notre Dame. I have spoken to countless students who have been able to perfectly articulate their purpose here. Naturally, this has induced my own anxiety of ‘finding my purpose’ on campus. Notre Dame has inspired me to be a force for good, and I have already committed my life to justice, now I just have to figure out how. This is a question I have tackled since the beginning of the term. Finding your purpose in life isn't something you rush into, it's something you nurture by being open to new experiences.
Gino Santini

Class Year: 2026
Hometown: Bartlett, IL

Gino Santini

Class Year: 2026
Hometown: Bartlett, IL

Growing for Others at Notre Dame

Unlike many of my peers, I was not particularly excited about my start to college. Although proud, appreciative, and certain that Notre Dame would be the place where I would feel at home, I struggled with anxiety and a sense of homelessness in the weeks leading up to my arrival on campus. I feared that I would not build relationships like I had at home. I feared I would not find a field of study leading to a career that would excite me. I feared that I would be unsuccessful as a college student. These irrational thoughts stuck in my head even as I arrived for Welcome Weekend. Of course, the coordinated events helped raise my excitement and feel a strong sense of love and community, but my prior thoughts of anxiety stayed in the back of my mind forcing a lack of willingness to be vulnerable. Thinking back on this mental state it is enlightening to see how far I've grown as a friend, a student, and as a child of God. Over the course of the semester, the previous thoughts have still arisen in situations of stress; however, my adaptiveness and willingness to learn in and out of the classroom have allowed me to better discover my passions, reaffirm and contemplate my core values, and push myself to take large leaps of faith.

The greatest cause of my anxiety prior to and at the start of college was a lack of understanding of career paths that align with my passions. I have goals to innovate the world around me by helping others in a profound way. It’s hard for me to pinpoint a career field that I want to enter and I get a rush of anxiety regarding the matter each and every time somebody asks me, and in college, this is quite often. Early in the semester, I began attending events at Notre Dame’s IDEA Center. I had never before felt such a strong feeling of excitement as I did when I began to learn from people who were able to transform the lives of themselves and others in such a significant way. This is what helped me form the core belief that I can help the growth of others through my own growth. Father Basil Moreau made it clear that it is our duty as members of the Notre Dame community to “contribute to preparing the world for better times than our own.” I have learned that in order to truly fulfill my passion, and live a life that is righteous in the eyes of God, I must take every day to help improve or progress the lives of others. By living for others and creating a tangible force of change in this world I will be able to eliminate irrational thoughts of anxiety and homelessness, just as I was able to do in my first semester at Notre Dame.
Grace Leeson

Class Year: 2026
Hometown: Corpus Christi, TX

Grace Leeson

Class Year: 2026
Hometown: Corpus Christi, TX

Enlightenment and Adventure

I believe that you are born with a family, but a family can also be created. Although I have only been at Notre Dame for a semester, I have never been a part of such a unique community – one full of kindheartedness and devotion. Familial relationships cannot be established without failures or bonded through successes. The people I have met have enhanced my worldview and taught me to celebrate one another while being a pillar of support.

Before deciding on a college, I had always heard Notre Dame students’ answer to the question “What’s the best thing about Notre Dame?” be “the people” without hesitation. I had always thought that was a cliche answer that didn’t have a genuine meaning. However, within the first couple of weeks, I realized the truth in this statement. My birthday was early on in the school year and I was not very excited about it – it was the first big event away from my family and I felt I didn’t have enough close friends to celebrate it with. However, to my surprise, some of my friends I had recently met decorated my door and organized a beautiful surprise dinner for me. One of my friends even texted my mom to find out my favorite dessert, just to bring some sense of home to my birthday. Sitting on my dorm’s patio, with all the treats and food they got, made me realize just how special the people are at Notre Dame. Everyone is rooted in love and generosity, searching for ways to better people's lives, like minimizing loneliness, through everyday actions.

Additionally, throughout the semester I learned that it is okay to fail and to offer support to those who are struggling. After not doing as well as I wanted on my first couple of calculus tests, I was overwhelmed with feelings of imposter syndrome. It was exactly what I was intimidated about when I was making my college decision – that I would not be good enough compared to others at Notre Dame. I soon realized I was not alone as almost everyone I have talked to has related to these new and uncomfortable feelings of unworthiness since they have gotten to school. Perfection is simply unrealistic. As I mentioned my worries to one of my friends she said, “Let’s take a step back and look at where we are. You have to give yourself credit for how you got here.” These words of support stuck with me and motivated me. We all relate to the sacrifices made leading up to this moment. The journey throughout college will be one that is worthwhile and unforgettable due to the abundance of support and love.

Throughout my first semester, I have learned so many lessons through the people I have met. The struggles and successes everyone faces connect with the idea discussed in my Moreau class that “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.” In the future, I will continue to learn from my peers to live out the Notre Dame mission of being a force for good and putting my love into action.
Iris Choi

Class Year: 2026
Hometown: South Korea

Iris Choi

Class Year: 2026
Hometown: South Korea

The Start of a Marathon

Encountering discomfort

Having moved from one continent to another, I thought the pool of people and personalities that I had interacted with in my seventeen years of life was fairly large. However, unlike my prediction, the people I met at Notre Dame turned out to exceed that pool I had known significantly; in fact, they overflowed it. My roommate who wears a hot pink suit from top to bottom gave me the impression of a real life Elle Woods from legally blond minus the blond hair. My other friend who plays the bagpipes and has the most insane experiences including when he had to kill a mink to survive on a deserted island was the definition of culture shock. However, after I got to know each person on a more personal level, I realized they all hold passion and potential to make an impact on the world. Each person I have met expanded my perspective and I’ve come to “cherish each relationship for its uniqueness, for the different perspectives and ideas it brought into my life” (“Advice from a Formerly Lonely College Student” by Emery Bergmann - Moreau FYE Week Nine).

Encountering failure

I’ve also encountered a lot of failure during my time here at Notre Dame. However, I was reminded that this is my first time at college and wondered “Where did the belief come from that we can never make mistakes?” (“Why Letting Go of Expectations is a Freeing Habit” by Julia Hogan-Werner - Moreau FYE Week Nine). This thought gave me courage and reminded me that it’s normal to make mistakes our first time, so it’s okay to stumble as long as we get up and keep going. I realized that what I should be afraid of is not falling down, but stopping.

The challenges that have confronted me at Notre Dame have led me to become the better version of myself, while strengthening my belief in the power of dreams and imagination. While I’m still learning what works for me and what does not, I have a much better sense of it than before. For the first time, I’m on my own, yet for the first time, everything will be my own and my life will be my own and I have chosen to cherish it. Surrounded by so many people that are different from me, I got to know more about myself. I found that my tendency to care too much makes me vulnerable but that it is also one of my greatest strengths. I see that I embody, or should I say try to embody, my mother’s healthy, neat habits, my sister’s drive and confidence, and my father’s positivity, fearlessness, and creative thinking. I see how I am a product of the integration of the people that I’ve loved and grown up with during my life. I’m still searching for myself and navigating my dreams, but I can’t think of a better place that I could be doing it in.
Chizoma Duru

Class Year: 2025

Chizoma Duru

Class Year: 2025

Caution: Area Under Construction

Starting this new journey under the dome, what did I expect? Well, I expected to waltz into a new environment and fit in seamlessly with the culture. I anticipated having best friends by at least the first month and possessing the ability to juggle the pressures of university life as well as the characters I always watched on television shows. It was a great surprise when I found out that the movies about college students “living their best lives” weren’t as rosy, off-screen.

I was here, constantly finding it taxing to break the ice past conversations of “What’s your name, where are you from, what’s your major”. I struggled to find a safe space with people that I could run to when times were tough. I pondered about the possibility of always being alone here, eventually drifting from my friends back home because of different realities, and having no one but my thoughts to keep me company. I was in a constant battle with myself, my differences, and anything else I could blame for my difficult adjustment. I soon realized that I needed to take a step back from the noise, and take in the beauty that Notre Dame had to offer.

Due to the numerous sources we engaged within our Moreau classes, from “Encountering Brokenness” to “Advice from a Lonely College student”, I was able to come to terms with the fact that a sense of home is not discovered in a month, a day or an hour. Home is built. The most conscious decision I made was to be patient with myself. I started going to more events, participating in extra-curriculars, and as organically as possible I began to build. I started to gain rhythm in a routine with work, a social life, as well as clubs and societies. I started constructing a home.
Additionally, these modules helped me realize that in my Notre Dame story, I needed to be no one, but myself. They aided in my navigation towards a positive way to lead my life as a black Nigerian woman in a predominantly white institution. They reminded me that I was different, and that wasn’t a bad thing. They taught me to be unapologetic about the beautiful things such as my accent, my culture, my nationality and so on, which made me unique. Instead of feeling insecure about the way I spoke, the experiences I was used to, and my perspectives on issues, I brought them to the table to contribute to the myriad of diverse perspectives that make Notre Dame, Notre Dame. I engaged in multicultural activities where people could discover the world through my eyes, and I could learn more through theirs.
My life now? Well, I would describe it as a work in progress. I continue to build, grow and thrive. With me, as my own main character, I continue to gather the bricks, cement, and everything needed to construct a beautiful home, under the dome.
Eddie Mayor

Class Year: 2025

Eddie Mayor

Class Year: 2025

Grow as I Go

The Notre Dame experience has undoubtedly transformed my mind and heart. The encounters I have daily teach me how to be a better man. Being at Notre Dame has helped me understand that change is inevitable, and there is no weakness in altering your beliefs. Because I know this, I am constantly evolving. My values change after a deep interaction; my beliefs change after a stirring sermon; my opinions change after a riveting book. I am a mosaic of everyone and thing I have encountered. These encounters have helped me learn how to be an ally to underrepresented minorities. During the Black Lives Matter protests, I often wondered how I – a Caucasian teenager – could make a difference. I knew I was not racist, but I also knew that was not enough. Christopher J. Devron wrote, “White people don’t get a moral pass by simply refraining from overtly racist acts. Rather, they must examine racial biases within systems; reflect on how they participate in and benefit from these biases, and then take deliberate action to change them.” The first step to making a difference is recognizing privilege. It is my responsibility to understand intimately that I have benefited from the system that was designed by white people. I then need to help others realize this as well. I need to examine implicit biases that cross my mind and correct them. Correcting others’ implicit biases is just as important – even if it means having awkward conversations. It is my moral responsibility to continue to educate myself and others on how to be an ally to underrepresented minorities.

Since the start of my journey here at Notre Dame, my appreciation for self-confidence and growth has increased considerably. When I was initially accepted into Notre Dame, I experienced severe imposter syndrome. This feeling of unworthiness intensified once I arrived on campus. I constantly compared myself to my classmates and wondered why I was chosen to study with the world’s most spiritually and emotionally curious students. After researching and discussing imposter syndrome with my classmates in Moreau, I discovered that almost every student feels undeserving occasionally; yet, discussion on the topic is taboo in academia. It was not until I completed the week nine writing activity that I realized how important confidence is. Mental health advocate Julia Hogan has recently said that the only expectations we should strive to meet are our own. Not only does she emphasize the toxicity of self-comparison, but she also highlights the importance of grit. A tactic I use to combat imposter syndrome is self-affirmations. Whenever I fall victim to imposter syndrome’s effects, I walk to the Grotto and pray. On my journey from Duncan Hall to the Grotto, I indulge in the campus’s captivating beauty. I appreciate the basilica’s gothic architecture and admire the dome’s overwhelming historical significance. Each time, I am reminded that I have a purpose here at Notre Dame, and it truly is my home under the dome.
Katherine Gottemoller

Class Year: 2025

Katherine Gottemoller

Class Year: 2025

Authentically ND: A First-Year Reflection

Last summer, I sat in the back seat of my parent’s car as we drove by cream-colored buildings and Welcome Week committees of screaming students waving neon signs and excitedly running up and down the sidewalks of North Quad. I desperately wanted to freeze time so that I didn’t have to get out of the car, unpack my suitcases, and begin my new life. I didn’t know what I would encounter, but I didn’t think it could be more loving or accepting than my family. Here, I have encountered disappointed expectations, brokenness, and imperfection. I have experienced love, acceptance, and community. I have responded with varying emotions, but most importantly I have responded by embracing the challenge that was my first year.

I spent the majority of the first half of my first semester counting down the days until I would be back at home. What I did not realize is that the beginning of my fall break was accompanied by the release of midterm grades. When I finally built up the courage to look at my grades, I was disappointed. I had not expected to be challenged at Notre Dame and my grades reflected the fact that I was indeed being challenged. I realized that my expectations for perfection had robbed me of the opportunity to be proud of my accomplishments. From there, I made it my personal goal to avoid creating expectations and instead practice being proud of my accomplishments.

Some of the things that I encountered in my first semester were expected. I expected to be lonely and tired and homesick, but I wasn’t expecting to encounter brokenness. In my courses, we talked about the brokenness of the Catholic Church, American government, and the brokenness of generations of oppressed peoples. I felt weighed down by all this brokenness and pain, but I didn’t know how to identify the problem I was facing. During the first semester, our section pondered the theme of “encountering brokenness”. At Notre Dame, we face brokenness by embracing it and taking action to change it. Encountering brokenness in the beauty of Notre Dame was scary, but the realization that the world is better and stronger for being broken has taught me to see my life differently.

Not everything I encountered was negative. I also encountered success. I received unexpected good grades and made surprisingly good friendships and I learned that just as I share my defeats and disappointments with my community, I also must share my triumphs. I put this into practice by making a tradition of grabbing gelato from Hagerty Family Cafe after Psych exams with my friend Maria. Small traditions such as this have encouraged me to share my successes with my community at Notre Dame.

Although I expected to encounter opposing opinions in college, I was confident that my anti-confrontational personality would help me to keep my distance from these conflicts. I was quickly proven wrong when I was challenged to write essays for Comparative Politics which accurately described the counterarguments to my beliefs. Notre Dame has followed in the tradition of Fr. Moreau who wrote, “It is simply essential for the next generation of Christians [..] to be conversant with modern theories and philosophies, even those they oppose.” Notre Dame taught me how to critically address those who disagree with me in the pursuit of truth.

Encountering challenges, brokenness, success, and opposing opinions have all been part of my Notre Dame Journey. My Notre Dame community has driven me to share my successes and failures and challenged me to grapple with brokenness and conflicts. Waking up every morning knowing that I am a part of this institution that defines nearly every aspect of my life has been exciting and daunting. As I look ahead to these next four years, I hope that they will provide me with a more complete understanding of how I relate to this place I call home: Notre Dame.
Meghan McNelis

Class Year: 2025

Meghan McNelis

Class Year: 2025

Woven into Community

Over the course of my first semester on campus, I discover a new part of the University that I have not previously borne witness to each day. Here, I have become an integral player in a special community.

As a first-year, I struggle with many self-doubts about my academic abilities and performance. In talking with my peers, especially those in Moreau, I realize I am not alone. In a Grotto article, Julia Hogan encourages shifting one’s outlook on life: “Instead of letting your life be ruled by the expectations of others or your own expectation that you have to be perfect, what if you just did your best?” I try to tackle each day with this mentality. Perfection is not expected; all that is expected is that I try my best. Notre Dame continually reinforces this mindset.

Reverend Jenkins articulates the importance of understanding the impacts of one’s actions in his address to Wesley Theological Seminary graduates, “We cannot pretend to stand outside this. We are woven into it.” The people I have encountered take up this call to action. At Notre Dame, the gifts and talents of each person are cherished and celebrated, and our community is richer because of it. In C.S. Lewis’ religious satire, “The Screwtape Letters” he writes from the devil’s view of God and says, “the Enemy wants a world full of beings united to Him but still distinct.” Working with a group this semester to design a valve in my engineering class, I found that each member of my group had her own strengths and talents. We each used our gifts to encourage each other to think differently and push us to do our best work. I saw that by coming together and utilizing our specific talents, we were able to produce the best results. The Notre Dame community loves the individuality of each student, just as God loves the differences that make us who we are.

In my early days on campus, I immediately sensed that I had entered a unique community, but as I conclude my first semester here, I realize that it is a community characterized by love for one another that sets it apart. Members support and care for each other–“Community begins not externally but in the recesses of the human heart.” (Palmer, Year). I have witnessed this in my own dorm as my fellow residents come together to celebrate mass and mingle together in our lounge afterward–or when we rely upon our dorm community for support and care. This is what makes Notre Dame home.

As a first-year, I have experienced self-doubts, but I am confident that I will be okay. I will continue to open my heart to others. I will regularly check in on my friends. I will engage with the women I live with in the hallways and dorm masses. I will cheer on and support my friends at their activities and campus events. And I will seek help on campus when I need it, whether it be engaging tutors or seeking counsel from advisors. I have encountered new challenges at Notre Dame, but I am confident that I am a vital part of its very fabric.
Kaitlyn Leshak

Class Year: 2025

Kaitlyn Leshak

Class Year: 2025

Brokenness to Belonging: The Power of the Notre Dame Community

As of today, I have officially been a Notre Dame student for 101 days. While this is a relatively short amount of time, each of these days has been filled with knowledge, experience, and excitement. I have already learned a multitude of new and varied skills, from how to design and print a prosthetic device to how to properly analyze a film to how to do a touchdown push-up.

More importantly, though, I have learned more about myself, who I am, and why I belong here at Notre Dame, through the experiences I have found here on campus and specifically, my Moreau First Year Experience class. However, I had no such sense of clarity and belonging at the beginning of my college experience. I found myself constantly wondering whether I belonged at Notre Dame and if I was worthy of my spot at this university, but my imposter syndrome was always cast aside by the wonderful people that I am surrounded with every day. I have found that Notre Dame’s community revolves around one fundamental principle: love. There is an atmosphere of love of neighbor, love of Notre Dame, love of learning here at Notre Dame, and that is the very thing that makes us a force for good in this world. It is not a coincidence that this place promotes love, as our President, Father John Jenkins, C.S.C. once said, “Love is the greatest commandment - and hatred is at the heart of the greatest sins” (“Wesley Theological Seminary 2012 Commencement Address” by Father John Jenkins, C.S.C. - Moreau FYE Week Ten). In his commencement address, part of the week ten material, Father Jenkins explains that we can change the world for the better when we use love to form convictions. He goes on to say, “It [conviction] is indispensable to every good deed...without conviction, there would be no hope”(“Wesley Theological Seminary 2012 Commencement Address” by Father John Jenkins, C.S.C. - Moreau FYE Week Ten).

We live in a broken world, and the love and convictions found in the Notre Dame community have the power to heal it. In truth, we are all broken to some extent, but at this university, we acknowledge and accept our brokenness in order to move forward. Instead of continuing to wonder where our places in this campus community are, we actively search for them. Personally, I joined the Notre Dame Wishmakers, our university’s branch of the Make-a-Wish organization, was elected as a commissioner-in-training in my residence hall, and became involved in e-NABLE, a club that 3D prints prosthetic devices and donates them to children in need. I even found myself on the stage performing in a cabaret.

Finally, something that had been very ambiguous to me had been made clear. “Who am I?” was a question I had been avoiding, but it needed to be asked in order to find the answer.
Paul Capelli

Class Year: 2025

Paul Capelli

Class Year: 2025

Meeting Notre Dame

My first semester has been fast and full here at Notre Dame. Four things that I have especially encountered are beauty, great challenge, the image of God, and sincere charity.

Part 1: “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard”

What glorious beauty! Experience His resplendent Creation in the natural environment: from the swans and ducks on St. Mary’s Lake—tending to their feathers, swimming slowly, and sleeping on the coast within themselves—to the familiar stars in the night sky. The benches at the Grotto, as the seasons permitted, were flanked by floral bounty—and wasn’t it nourishing? Finally, I remember dramatic fall sunsets; turn, walk, and see how the Basilica of the Sacred Heart basks in the red-orange rays.
My first semester has been beautiful. As a result, my sense of wonder and gratitude have received much cultivation.

Part 2: Ave Crux

Moments during this first semester have been challenging—on occasion to the point of sorrow. I am still struck by how much my professors and choir director attentively expected of me: very, very much! So many people saw such real potential in me and were willing to call me to realize it. They saw more in me than I did. In a sense, I felt deeply trusted to persevere. So as all this called forth from me wonderful works and writings, I can begin to understand Blessed Basil Moreau when he describes the cross as “a treasure more valuable than gold and precious stones.”

Part 3: “You have the words of eternal life.”

I have encountered many people: at least of different races, ethnicities, cities, states, countries, sexual orientations, religious beliefs, high schools, gender identities, and family sizes.
And I have witnessed people with differences find stupendously deep unity as one Body of Christ Jesus. In the diversity is the image of God illumined, and it’s sublime and brilliant.

Part 4: “No longer I, but Christ lives in me

I have had radiant models of joyful charity in my first semester. They are the staff at South Dining Hall and North Dining Hall. They are the janitorial staff, especially Miss Cathy at Carroll Hall. They are members of the groundskeeping staff, outside with leaf-blowers and lawn-mowers. They help me check out books at Hesburgh. They are my RAs, who invest time in getting to know me. They are my Rector and my Assistant Rectors, who drove me to and from the hospital and waited while I picked up my prescriptions, after ten o’clock at night.
I am loved here. I can learn how to love here. And as for repaying these role models, should I have had the rest of my life to sufficiently do it, I still couldn’t.