Message from the Alumnae and Alumni Engagement Team

Happy New Year! A new year brings the promises of hope and opportunity. As you can imagine, Noyes House is bubbling with excitement at possibilities for the coming year. If we’ve learned anything, it’s that we need to rely on innovation and the comfort of change in these unpredictable times.

We are delighted to kick off 2022 with the launching of our redesigned Tower Talk newsletter. As many of you know, your Alumni Engagement Team consists of myself, Alexandra DeJohn as your Director, and Rose Glenn, Engagement Officer. One of our main goals as your new team is finding new and exciting ways to connect with you and providing you with access to one another. Rose has already done a spectacular job of breathing new life into this publication, and this is just the beginning! The more updates, stories, and ideas you share with us, the more we can do together!

We want to share more stories about what our remarkable alumni are doing in their lives, personally and professionally. We want to brag about you! We are creating new volunteer opportunities for local and regional alumni to engage with their alma mater. We are developing initiatives to bring current students and alumni together to help establish what it means to be an alum and what incredible resources our alumni community has to offer. We want our students to know who has come before them and what they have accomplished. You have paved the roads for them to carve out their paths to be empowered world leaders of their generation and continue the legacy of this fantastic alumni family.

Notre Dame of Maryland University has many elements to be proud of, but our shining star is you! You bring us more pride and joy than any other accomplishment. Thank you for being part of our family. Stay tuned for our next Tower Talk issue in April!

Blessings to you and your family for the new year.
 

Warmly,
Alex & Rose
Your Alumni Engagement Team

Interviews with Alumnae Award Winners

The interviews below were conducted with the winners of our annual alumnae and alumni awards. In the interviews, our winners reflect back on their time at Notre Dame, discuss how they’ve stayed connected as an alum and describe what it meant to win their award. The award winners are as follows:

The Elizabeth P. Hoisington ’40 Distinguished Alumna Award: Grace Solimando Zaczek ’70
Service to Society Award: Natalie Mistichelli Ramirez '94
Regina Russo Hammel ’41 Outstanding Recent Graduate Award: Kirby Gaddy ’13
Alumnae and Alumni Engagement Award: Claire Flavin Funkhouser ’71

From left to right: Tom Brooks, Grace Solimando Zaczek, Ron Zaczek, President Marylou Yam

What is one of your favorite memories from your time as a student? 

KG: Something that will always stick out to me was Senior 100 Nights. That was such a great night. I was on the Executive Board from my class so I was putting the night together. Brent Swinton [previous Assistant Vice President for Institutional Advancement] dressed up as Kanye West for 100 Nights to just kind of thank us as future alums for thinking about giving back to the institution financially, staying engaged, giving our time, and it was just so funny. I hadn't seen that presentation to young alums before.

How have you stayed engaged with the University since you became an alum? Why is it important for alumni to stay engaged with their alma mater? 

GSZ: I’ve always supported Notre Dame, to the extent I could financially and am eager to receive news of the school. Now I’m a member of the Montrose Society and I’m on their Legacy Giving Committee. I am on the Board of Advisors for the School of Nursing and then [my husband] Ron and I have created a nursing research fund with for the school. We benefit from the legacy of the experience and the support, financial support, of those who have gone before us to the school. It's given us opportunities and we have an obligation to then provide that for those who will come after us.

What does it mean to be a Notre Dame alum? What connects everyone who graduates from Notre Dame? 

CFF: I'm proud of the way Notre Dame has stayed a women's college. I think that's important that we recognize that there are certain areas where women are predominant and where women can excel as leaders. We want Notre Dame to encourage that.

How did it feel when you found out you received your award? 

GSZ: I was very surprised. I was pleased, of course, and very honored and privileged. I've always felt a very strong connection for Notre Dame both for the support and the nurturing that I received there, but also of course meeting Ron and just the environment on campus when I was there.

NMR: I was just floored, and I have to admit I started to cry little because I was just so deeply moved. I want to be a proud Notre Dame alum, and it means the world to me to live up to the values of the individuals that have shaped me and my time there. Also, to be lumped with all of these amazing women and men, it is one of the highest honors I’ve ever received in my life.

KG: I was shocked. I didn't think that you really met me because I don't feel like anything that I've done is outstanding. I guess I should give myself a little credit, but also there's so many more things that I want to do. I don't even think I've reached the peak where I would consider something that I've done outstanding. On the other end, someone thought that the work that I'm doing and accomplishments that I had are important enough to be in the running for something like this.

CFF: I was very, very proud. I was also taken aback that happened. I was proud of my class that we instituted our scholarship and raised as much money as we had. I think it's getting better but fundraising for [colleges for] women versus men is more difficult. 

Claire Flavin Funkhouser

One of the many reasons you were chosen for the Alumnae and Alumni Engagement Award was your involvement with engaging the 1971 Reunion Committee and fundraising for the 1971 Scholarship Fund. Can you tell me more about why you wanted to be involved with those? 

CFF: I had spent several years [as a volunteer on the Reunion Committee] including the 40th reunion. I told my former roommate that I'm going to work on the 50th and it's going to be a great event. It didn't quite turn out that way due to the period of time, but we were able to rally around and raise more money than any other class. I do think having the personal connection to the scholarship really did help. I think that people could relate to that and I'm hoping they will continue to relate to that.

The Regina Russo Hammel ’41 Outstanding Recent Graduate Award is for alumni who demonstrate outstanding professional achievement and/or contributions to community life. Describe some of those achievements you’ve made since your graduation. 

KG: I earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Notre Dame. You are a lifelong learner. My institution, University of Maryland Baltimore has a new program, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Leadership which is a Masters of Science degree. I'm applying to the program, and am excited to hopefully be starting my second master's soon. Service-wise, I love community service and giving back. I have served on boards, volunteered in the Community, wherever there's a need. I recently started a wedding planning business. I just feel like those are things that I was supposed to do.

The Elizabeth P. Hoisington ’40 Distinguished Alumna Award is presented to an alumna who, through achievements in career and or community service, embodies the principles of Notre Dame. Can you tell me what it means to you to receive an award like this for all of your devotion to Notre Dame?  

GSZ: It's a recognition that the opportunities and experience that I had at Notre Dame have borne fruit in what I was able to do in my professional life and in the community. Particularly working with the various roles I had, which improved health care and access to health care for people who would not otherwise have had it. I was really pleased, particularly to receive an award that was named for General Hoisington because I come from a military family and I actually met General Hoisington at an event, I believe, at Notre Dame before she passed away.

The Service to Society Award is presented to an alumna or alumnus who best exemplifies the ideals of a Notre Dame education through the application of their education, initiative and humanity to socially useful ends in the community, nation or world. Tell me more about working with the Catholic Charities of Baltimore, what have you accomplished with them? 

NMR: I’ve been volunteering with Catholic Charities, since I was a student at Notre Dame. My job is to help people become champions for those who can't champion themselves, and to help make sure that we're continuing to meet the needs of these vulnerable populations and to continue to help them meet their God given potential. I give up my time, my talent for our various programs, both as a volunteer as a donor. I think that's important and I’m honored to say that we have a lot of great people in this city who've stepped up to help. It takes all of us to make change, and so I hope in my way I’m helping to be a positive example of what an organization can do to be a vehicle for change.

What advice do you have for any young alums? 

NMR: The one thing that I’ve reflected upon is the importance of relationships and building strong relationships. The other piece of advice is never lose your passion for life. Whatever that passion may be, whether it's for service, your professional direction, family, friends, a vocation, I think never losing your passion for life is important. Then, having fun and just laughing and smiling is important as well. Just enjoying the gift of life that you know we've been given.

Mary Anne O'Donnell and Natalie Mistichelli Ramirez