"I'm 25, and I’m a junior. To my knowledge, I'm currently the only undergrad here who is also a US military veteran. I moved from South Korea to the US when I was in 9th grade. Notre Dame was my dream school, and somehow it was the only one I got into. I started in 2008 as an archie. During that year, I realized that I was running out of money. But technically as an international student, there was no source of state or federal funding to lean on. I didn't want to forfeit my Notre Dame dream because of financial reasons, but it seemed like that’s what was going to happen.
"Help came from an unexpected place. Halfway through that year, it just so happened that the US military began recruiting a small number of foreign students as interpreters and cultural advisors. It offered US citizenship and GI Bill benefits as incentives. The more I looked into it, the more I realized that it was meant for me. It wasn’t hard to decide to go for it.
“I remember staring at the Golden Dome for the last time before going away. It was a Great Gastby-esque moment, with the Golden Dome shining like the green light on the other side of the sound. That’s when it really hit home. I wondered what would happen to me. I struggled with the thought that something would go wrong somehow and I wouldn’t be able to make it back. After all, I was joining the military during wartime. So I lit a candle at the Grotto for myself and prayed that I would find my way back here as a student. Remember that this was the only school I got into? I felt that it was God’s purpose for me. If he meant for me to come here, then surely he would let me finish my education. But I wasn’t so sure at that time. It felt like a gamble.
"After four years of enlisted service in the US Air Force as a Korean cultural advisor, I eventually returned as a student in spring 2014. I hardly knew anyone on campus by then. It was a new beginning for me, which was exhilarating but also challenging. The first few months made me realize the huge gap between the civilian society and the military. Military service is largely seen as something that 'others' do. The ROTC programs ensure the military’s presence on campus. But it doesn’t prevent many of the students here from being disconnected from what the country has done and continues to do in their name, both good and bad. I wonder what the often-quoted motto ‘God, Country, Notre Dame’ really means to them. 
“My time in the Air Force changed me a lot. Those four years were an education of a different kind, and as a result I have found meaning and purpose in service as a career in some shape or form. Toward that end, I changed my major from architecture to history. Military service earned me the right to call this country my own. I would like to go further than that.
"I would love to see more people like me here—older students who have more to say about their experience outside of the classroom. I think they would enrich the campus. My own experience has taught me that life is not a straight path. There are detours, and some have to take them earlier in life than others. There are steps back, but they are not necessarily setbacks. There’s no shame in taking a step back if the purpose is to go two steps forward later on. I’ve learned to be content in whatever situation. I think my new peers can embrace that for themselves as well.
“The greatest benefit I have received from all of this is a change in perspective on what it means to be a student here. The four years I spent in uniform and away from campus turned my Notre Dame education from cheap grace to costly grace, to borrow from Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s theology. I can’t be more thankful for that. Every day I spend as a Notre Dame student is a privilege beyond measure. It’s easy to lose sight of that. Not me.”

Seen outside Hesburgh Center.
(...Olaf?)

"I graduated Notre Dame in '05 and worked in Atlanta and LA for 8 years before coming back here. I now work with Media Communications. Since more and more people are active on social media, I knew there was a need for admissions to have a presence online. We previously had a Facebook and a Twitter, but in the last year, we've created an Instagram and a Tumblr. Now, a team of student interns works to produce content for these sites. We've currently opened the application for next year's interns on Notre Dame Job Board. And we're especially hoping to find someone from the Colleges of Science or Engineering to share their perspective of the Notre Dame experience.
"We wanted to provide a deeper understanding of Notre Dame. Everyone has a preconceived notion of Notre Dame, whether it's because of athletics, spirituality, or academics. But being able to speak to current students, to see through their eyes and get to know their habits, is an important and new realm, especially for prospective students.
"The interns are incredible. One moment that I remember vividly was one of our weekly meetings, in which we discussed designs for Twitter and Facebook cover photos for the incoming freshman class. And there we were, outside of a classroom, a group of students from various disciplines, engaging in intellectual discussion about the content of each photo: is the focus on the skyline and not the Dome? Is there room for text? What does each image say about the class, about the school, about the Notre Dame family? It was the kind of conversation you'd hear in a professional job setting--and they loved it. They're building job experience and doing what they love."

"I'm a media intern for the admissions office. Although my majors are in French and Philosophy, my niche is posting about religious and spiritual activities on campus. That's one of the hardest parts of the internships: crafting something worthwhile to post on the Instagram or the Tumblr. We answer questions, post content, and even host webinars--high school students can sign up and have a Skype session with us. I think there's some comfort in hearing about a school from students, rather than a counselor.
"I've worked at transfer orientation over the past few summers. That, combined with the admissions internship, are kind of my way of giving back to Notre Dame."
              "What's a piece of advice you often find yourself giving prospective or transfer students?"
"Your Notre Dame experience is what you make it. You just have to take the plunge sometimes. This goes with transferring, with applying, or, really, anything else in college. There will be downs, and you should prepare for them, but ultimately you just have to put yourself out there. It will pay off."

"We brought the project back in about 2005 after a really long hiatus, so we're still relatively new at this compared to some other teams. Three years ago, the project team consisted of mainly seniors and two freshmen, and after the seniors graduated, our team became one senior and about 15 sophomores. We had no idea what we were doing and finished in the low rankings in the conference. Last year, we completely revamped everything: the concrete mix, the shape of the mold we used, the artistic design, the casting technique. And we finished fourth overall in the conference! We're constantly looking for ways to improve. Recently, we've been working on making sure we don't lose all our knowledge when one class graduates. This year we have team members from all four classes."

"We're building a concrete canoe for a competition. It takes weeks for the concrete to harden to 99% strength, so we need to build it now and let it rest. No one ever believes concrete floats, but we make it work. We're just doing this for a fun challenge, and it's a blast to compete against other schools in the area."

Seen at St. Joseph's Lake.

"To get an idea of where I grew up in France, know this: there was still an alchemist in our town.. It was a hub for all kinds of French impressionism. That's where I learned to play the guitar: I'd go to the trailer park, sit down with a guitar, and jam. That's how you learned around there: you'd jam for hours. The trailer park was full of characters--one in particular had only two teeth, one on the top and one on the bottom that aligned perfectly. It sounds like a comic, but it was really the vibrant culture of the setting. Night fell, someone lit a fire, people congregated, talked, smoke, drank, left, and you kept jamming. That's where I got my start."

"As part of Actors From the London Stage, three performances of MacBeth are being performed this week. Five actors from the London area, myself included, meet for the first time, craft a play, and perform it in a tour across America. Because there are so few actors, so few props, and no set, we have to take on various parts and really sell it. The whole production is only what you see on stage: only ourselves. We hope to be as clear and moving as possible. Why see the play? Well, the reviews have been good--I'd say to trust those!" 

              "Have any of you ever jumped in for the Polar Bear Plunge?"
"Some of us have!"
              "Is it as bad as it looks?"
"Not this year! Last year it was snowing. 40° is like spring compared to that!"

Seen at St. Joseph's Lake: the Polar Bear Plunge.

Seen at D Bulla.

"I’d always known I wanted to live abroad. I went to Argentina for a high school program; last semester I was in Spain. I have family who lives in Europe. It was always a dream of mine, something I always told people, but I never knew how to think past that. There were too many variables involved. It was always, 'What if?' But traveling abroad last semester, I met so many incredible people. A lot of them were ex-pats. So I asked them why and how they’d moved from America. And a surprising number of them said they didn’t have jobs or work secured when they moved. They just knew the wanted to start a life in Europe, and they did it. That gave me hope and courage I don’t think I could have found anywhere else. Things don’t have to seem perfect and be set up ahead of time for you to take a leap. Sometimes you just have to trust the process and make it happen yourself."

                   "What do you think Notre Dame should be doing differently?"
"I think we need to be vulnerable. There's huge pressure to be competitive. We put on this front of being perfect and successful. But it would be so valuable if we could take a moment to breathe, to relax. To be genuine and enjoy our time with each other, instead of being strained under academic and social pressure."

                    "What's a lesson you learned the hard way?"
"It was in elementary school. I didn't read and I didn't participate. I was uninterested. But as I've gotten older, I've realized how important it is to participate, engage, read, and learn. I read often now. I've tried to impress that on my kids and my grandchildren: they should raise their hand in class and answer questions. I try to read books around them now. I hope that if they see me reading a book, they'll pick one up, too."

                    "What's a lesson you've learned the hard way?"
"Things don't always work out the way you want them do. You don't always get what you want. Sometimes you fail, and you suffer, and it sucks. Although life doesn't work out the way you intended it to, that's not always a bad thing."