Message from the Alumnae and Alumni Engagement Team
Greetings Alumnae and Alumni,
Happy April! We hope our relaunch of Tower Talk this past January was as exciting for you as it was for us. We know hearing more about what is happening on campus, highlighting our sensational alumnae/i, and learning about upcoming events and programs to participate in was crucial for so many of you, and we are thrilled to be sharing this next edition. Please do us a favor; if you have classmates and friends who feel like they don’t hear about Alumni Engagement news, go ahead and forward this message to them so they can reconnect with us. As a new team, we are very interested in reconnecting with all of you.
With spring in the air, the campus feels rejuvenated and our community is enjoying events and classes outside. Our students are so happy to be wrapping up the semester. However, seniors are experiencing that beautiful combination of joy and sadness with Commencement around the corner. As the Alumni Engagement Team, we are showering them with celebration because we cannot wait to welcome them into our Alumnae/i Family. I’m sure you share our feelings there!
If you’re following our social media accounts, you’ve seen posts about extraordinary alumni doing amazing things every week. We are always interested in hearing about what is happening in your life personally and professionally, so please send us your updates and news whenever you can. As we look ahead to the summer, we have some new events for you to enjoy, including a crab feast on campus and a trip to Camden Yards for alumni, family, and friends! Happy Easter, everyone, and we hope to see you at an event or back on campus soon.
Warmly,
Alex & Rose
Your Alumni Engagement Team
The Montrose Society: Legacy Giving
The Montrose Society includes alumnae and friends who have committed to a planned gift to Notre Dame. Options for planned gifts include remembering Notre Dame in your will, making Notre Dame a beneficiary in your retirement account or insurance policy, bequeath real or personal property to the University or creating a Notre Dame donor advised fund naming the University as a benefactor. Vanetta Wallace is a graduate from the Class of 1993 and current Montrose Society member. Read more about Netta's love for Notre Dame and why she decided to join the Montrose Society.
Vanetta Wallace
Early one Saturday morning, I stepped onto Notre Dame’s campus for a music audition and instantly fell in love. Prior to that visit I had never heard of Notre Dame. I wondered, what on earth could a women’s college do for me?
As we drove up the Charles Street entrance, the first thing I saw was the tower. The tower called out to me. I truly believe it was the Holy Spirit telling me I had found my home away from home for the next four years, a place where I would be spiritually and intellectually stimulated in both an enriching and inspiring environment.
My four years inspired me to become a leader with purpose, a force to be reckoned with. I watched and learned from inspiring female faculty members like Dr. Karen Stoddard and Sister Joseph Mary Zimmer. They pushed me to try harder, because being OK is never enough. They wanted me to be all I could be and then strive for more.
Twenty-five years later, I have my own day care business: Netta’s Nest Family Childcare. I feel that the strong leadership skills and self-confidence I gained while attending Notre Dame have made me the success I am today. With so many fine institutions closing due to lack of support—such as my elementary and high schools and the graduate school where I earned my Master’s in Early Childhood Education—I had to make a decision that I felt was best to help support Notre Dame.
Keeping the dream alive for future generations of women is not something I had to think about twice. I felt it was my duty to give back to the one place that gave me so much and made me who I am today. I therefore decided to include NDMU in my will and became a member of the Montrose Society.
You can help strengthen and sustain the mission of NDMU for future generations by becoming a member of Notre Dame's Montrose Society.
Learn more about Montrose Society and Planned Giving at NDMU
Call for Alumnae and Alumni Awards and Sports Hall of Fame Nominations
Alumnae and Alumni Weekend is when we bring all of our alumni together to celebrate and reminisce. It is also a time for us to recognize the extraordinary accomplishments of alumni since graduating, or their accomplishments as student-athletes.
We ask you to consider nominating an alum for an alumni award or Athletics Hall of Fame induction for this year's award cycle.
Help us recognize the achievement of our alumnae and alumni by submitting a nomination for any of the following alumni awards:
NOMINATIONS are due by June 15,2022
We are also looking for nominations for our Athletics Hall of Fame. The Notre Dame of Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame is for former student-athletes, coaches, administrators, or staff who demonstrated outstanding athletics achievement at Notre Dame. In addition, the individual exemplified the Notre Dame Athletics mission of striving for success in both educational and athletic pursuits.
NOMINATIONS are due by June 15, 2022
Summer Camps at NDMU
Are you looking for a summer camp for your child or children? This summer, Notre Dame will be hosting a variety of camps available to all ages! All available camps are listed below and registration is open.
A Child's Place Summer Camp: Ages 3-6
Dates: June 13 - 24; June 27 - July 8; July 11 - 22; July 25 - August 5; August 8 - 19
Description: Join us for days filled with storytelling, music and movement, making art, nature and craft projects. We'll experience water play, daily indoor and outdoor play, STEAM activities, cooking, play-based learning, daily exploration and investigation, and so much more!
Pharmacy Summer Camp: Rising freshman, sophomores, juniors, and seniors in high school
Dates: June 20 - 24
Description: Pharmacy Camp is designed to help high school students entering grades 9-12 discover exciting topics and career paths in pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences from the School of Pharmacy faculty at NDMU!
Camp Notre Dame: Ages 5-11
Dates: June 20 - July 1; July 5 - 15; July 18 - 29; August 1 - 12
Description: With rotating sessions throughout the day, campers will have the opportunity to participate in explorations, arts & crafts, sports & games and swimming (a mix of instructional swim and recreational swim)! Children are placed into groups of 9 to 13 campers of the same general age and grade in school.
Women's Leadership & Creative Change: Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors in high school
Dates: June 20 - July 1
Description: Develop your creative identity, strengths and passions in this 2-week summer art camp with an option to earn college credit. Combining art and media with principles of strong leadership, we look at how art can be a powerful tool to address social justice issues in your community.
Waters of the World STEM Camp: Rising K-8
Dates: July 18 - 22
Description: Waters of the World is an exciting and fascinating topic for students of all ages. The many resources and business partners focused on water conservation and preservation available to us in Maryland make this topic very relevant and accessible! Campers will experience five full days of STEM activities focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Each day will tie into the overall theme of Waters of the World.
Cooking with SAGE: Ages 5-12
Dates: August 15-19
Description: Cooking with SAGE is a fun opportunity for campers to come together and learn new recipes and cooking techniques with a SAGE chef! Each day will focus on a different theme – from pizza dough to cake decorating. Your camper will walk away with new knowledge and skills. At the end of the week, recipes will be assembled for a final product and campers will have the opportunity to share their creations and explain why they chose their favorite ingredients!
Interview with Nursing Professor, Jennifer Mitchell
Jennifer Mitchell’s grandmother, Juanita Jackson Mitchell, was the first African American woman to practice law in Maryland, filing lawsuits that desegregated pools, restaurants, and parks. She was pivotal in Maryland becoming the first southern state to integrate schools after the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education decision. She and her husband, Clarence Mitchell Jr., chief lobbyist for the NAACP known as “the 101st Senator,” worked tirelessly to ensure civil rights for all people.
Growing up, Jennifer knew her as Grandma Mitchell. Today, as an assistant professor of nursing at Notre Dame of Maryland University, Jennifer draws inspiration from her grandmother as she encourages her students to advocate for the underserved. As the Maryland Center for History and Culture prepares to honor Juanita Jackson Mitchell and other civil rights activists in the “Passion and Purpose” exhibit, opening May 20, 2022, Jennifer reflects on her grandmother’s legacy.
"She encouraged anyone she interacted with, especially women, motivating them to be their best and reach their potential. She was a champion for all women. She was a fierce leader."
Read the full interview with Jennifer Mitchell here.
Want more NDMU Stories? Read the Bulletin, the bi-monthly newsletter with more student, staff, and faculty updates!
