Carolyn Donohue ’86, M’89 discovered a real passion for learning at Notre Dame.

Carolyn Donohue headshot For about 20 years, Carolyn has participated in classes at Notre Dame’s Renaissance Institute, a continuing education program for learners ages 50 and over.

Her positive experience as a Weekend College student and later, as a graduate student, at Notre Dame defined her view of her own abilities.

“I just had such a pleasant experience at the college,” she said. “The instructors cared about us. They would coach you along with your assignments if you were having problems. I realized that this is possible: you can have a full-time job and a family and still do this, so it just motivated me to stay on.”

Her love for Notre Dame grew while she pursued a master’s degree in business. In graduate school, she found the students to be just as encouraging as the professors.

“We were all at a point in our lives where we had pretty busy jobs,” she said. “If one of us missed a class, somebody else would record it for us. We just helped each other in that way.”

She will never forget how that support made such a difference in helping her to succeed. Notre Dame’s warm environment inspires Carolyn’s desire to give to the university today.

After her retirement, Carolyn returned to Notre Dame and joined the Renaissance Institute. In addition to taking classes, she especially enjoys the institute’s educational and social excursions to museums and restaurants around Baltimore.

“They have a lot of activities like museum trips and restaurant outings, so there’s lots of  
opportunities to form friendships. It’s a great program,” she said.

Thirty-five years after her graduation with a bachelor’s degree, Carolyn’s Notre Dame story is still being written. She continues to thrive at the place that gave her the confidence and motivation to realize her dreams in education.

WHY I GIVE: Spend some time on the campus and meet some of the people. See how strongly you believe in what the university is doing.