Intg 3: Prompt 1
Prompt 1
The Adventure of My Lifetime
Name: Cristina Chavez
Year: 2027
Location: Northeastern United States (probably Virginia)
Occupation: Classified
In the year 2027, I intend to be a strong, independent woman, working her way up the bureaucratic ladder that is the government. Specifically, I intend to be working in a department of the government related to the defense industry, whether that be the department of defense, the federal bureau of investigation, or, most likely, the central intelligence agency. Hence the reason my occupation is classified. Who knows what position I might be filling within these departments? Will I be a part of the clandestine services of the CIA, constantly working undercover around the globe keeping our country safe? Probably not. I have neither the desire nor the physical capabilities to fulfill that role. However, the role of weapons analyst or technical engineering researcher or developer is probably in my future.
I believe that many of the skills and values I will gather during my four years at Notre Dame will be invaluable as a professional in the defense industry. Foremost, as explained in the Week 1 video by Professor Visconsi, Notre Dame’s framework is that of a liberal arts education. Thus, I believe that my Notre Dame education will result in me becoming a well-rounded and productive member of society. My grounding in the liberal arts will allow me to look at all problems that occur from various perspectives to discover the best solution that keeps the most number of people safe. It will also allow me to gain a better grasp of how to analyze topics and events in the most effective manner. In fact, in my honors university seminar taught by Dr. Jensen, we were given an old photo, told nothing about said photo, and had to write a thorough research paper about its importance in relation to encounters with the “other.” This paper, entitled “Delving into the Other: An Investigation Through Photography,” which is linked in the title above, forced me to learn new methods of research and as well as how to effectively analyze a photo. In addition, my philosophical and religious teachings from Notre Dame will help me make choices in the most ethical way possible, a necessary skill when my analysis of a situation could lead to lethal ramifications. I believe that by employing Stefan Kiechle’s “10 Guiding Principles of Discernment” I will be able to make these hard decisions. Of course, all the technical skills that I learn through my mechanical engineering major will be invaluable when analyzing foreign weaponry or creating new technology for my department.
In regards to my personal life in the year 2027, I expect that I will have my own apartment with some form of backyard, so that my dog will have space to run around and enjoy herself. I will have a female red merle Australian Shepperd. I will also regularly visit my parents, who will still reside in Dallas and practice law. I expect by 2027, my younger sister will also still reside in Dallas, probably working in the field of marketing or visual design, and will most likely have a long-term boyfriend or fiancé. I, on the other hand, do not expect to be in a serious relationship, as I expect much of my time will be devoted to my job. For this reason, I believe that most of my friends will be my co-workers, although I will be regularly connecting with my best friends from high-school and college.
"Engineering with Kindergarteners" by Kindergarten Teacher, Edited by Cristina Chavez
Aside from my work, I also intend to make a positive impact on my future community by being an active and educated member. Most importantly, I will go out into my community to schools, mentoring students; an example of me mentoring elementary school children this year is shown above. In particular though, I want to mentor young women who want to pursue a similar path as mine in regards to major or government work. As explained on page 48 of the Notre Dame Career Development Guide, “approximately 70% of all jobs/internships are found through networking.” I want to become part of these young people’s networks and help them pursue their dreams through my own future connections. I also intend to help the community by helping those most vulnerable. Whether that entails volunteering at my local homeless shelter or saving money to donate to an important cause such as combatting childhood hunger, I am unsure right now.
I know that though my future life I have described seems rather seamless, I will have areas that I still need to work on. I have a hunch that I may become too immersed in my work; even today I sometimes become completely absorbed in a project and need my friends to remind me to eat. I also believe that I will still need to work on consistently keeping up with my faith. At Notre Dame, going to mass and connecting with others on a spiritual level is easier, as there are lots of supporting programs and events and regular mass in the dorms. However, once I head out into the real world, I know that I will have a more difficult time remaining in touch with my spirituality. Yet, despite these tendencies I will need to work on, the future I have describe here, seems to me the best adventure of my lifetime.
Intg 3: Prompt 2
Prompt 2
Five Pillars of Life
In my opinion, the five pillars of a Holy Cross Education can be easily translated into five pillars of meaningful and joyful life. While there are more components to living a fulfilling life than just these five, I believe that if I start by living these five then branch out, I will be able to live to my fullest extent.
"Sudie Duncan Award" "Artful College Decisions"
According our Moreau Syllabus, Mind is “seeking understanding through the integration of faith and reason." I would add to that definition that Mind also incorporates increasing our understanding of the world around us, whether through science or faith. The photo I chose to represent the pillar of Mind, seen above, is of me receiving the Sudie Duncan Citizenship Award in 10th grade. I choose that photo because the award considers academic standing, but more importantly considers a person’s positive contributions to our school’s environment. Our Moreau Syllabus defines the next pillar, Heart, as “discerning one’s personal vocation in service to the Church and the world.” Personally, I take Heart to mean discerning what you love to do in life and figuring out how you can apply those activities for the greater good. I also ascribe volunteering, aka helping others for unselfish reasons, to the word Heart. My photo representing Heart, seen above, is a collection of ceramics with college logos that two of my friends and I made once our other friends decided where they were going to college. I picked this picture because it represents a time where Heart was needed to discern our future paths.
"Hope in a time of anxiety" "Me holding Sloth, our robot"
To me, the definition of the pillar Hope is harder to understand. Our Moreau Syllabus defines it as “trusting in the Cross and God’s promise of the kingdom,” while the Holy Cross booklet defines it as believing in “the Cross of Christ” and being in a “lifelong discipleship” with God. In my opinion, Hope means more than just having a lifelong relationship and trust in God; Hope also incorporates believing that the people surrounding you are working for the greater good of the world as you are. To represent Hope, I choose a picture of my friend Cameron at the Women’s March in Washington D.C., seen above; the Women’s March symbolized for me the willingness of millions to stand up for women’s rights across the globe, a very hopeful thought indeed. The pillar of Zeal intrigues me the most as it such an abstract and rarely discussed idea. People hardly ever discuss being zealous about something or someone; instead, a more concrete adjective is generally used. Foremost, sometimes people do not know what zeal stands for. Per my Holy Cross booklet, “zeal is what drives and motivates Christians … to use their gifts and talents for the betterment of others.” I would add to this definition that zeal also represents a person’s internal enthusiasm for a subject or cause, such as a scientist’s enthusiasm to discover a new element. In my photo for zeal, seen above, I am at a state robotics competition tenderly holding onto the robot I created as a part of my school’s robotics team; I spent many long nights and countless hours preparing for the state competition that year.
"Chavez Family at a US Women's Soccer Match"
In my opinion, the most concrete of the five Holy Cross Pillars is Family. To me, family includes both people related to me by blood and people connected to me through our interactions. The family that has had the greatest impact on me has obviously been my immediate family: my mom, dad, and sister (shown above). This is the family that has surrounded me from birth, the family that will always be around to support me no matter what. Furthermore, I have family that I have created while at school. As stated in my Holy Cross booklet, Father Moreau fostered a “‘family-like’ atmosphere … in parishes and educational institutions.” The school I attended for Pre-K to 12th grade, the Hockaday School, was adept at creating this family atmosphere. In addition, as I attended Hockaday for 14 years, I had lots of time to create my second family. I know that the friends I made there will stay in my life for decades to come, and that even people I was not close to would help me if the need arose. Currently, I am beginning to combine the idea of family and Notre Dame. My goal is to have a third family, my Notre Dame family, by the time I graduate in May 2020. I am already well on my way thanks to my wonderful dorm, Cavanaugh Hall. Cav does a remarkable job at fostering community within the dorm, with weekly events such as TV show watch parties and fun Saturday art activities. I have also begun creating lasting relationships with my Engineering Honors community, especially as this semester we have classes together Monday thru Thursday. To classify my “success” at creating a Notre Dame family by the end of my senior year, I would evaluate whether my most meaningful relationships are strong enough to last for years after our graduation. I might also compare my Notre Dame relationships, four years long at most, to my previous school relationships, some of which I will have had for 18 years, and see if they are somewhat equal in strength and depth.