Letter from the Executive Director: May 15, 2025

Dear Alumni, Parents, and Friends,

This weekend, our seniors will walk across the Commencement stage, accept their diplomas, and step into a brand new era of their lives. It’s a bittersweet moment — a celebration of their hard work and dedication, met with the kind of nostalgia and nerves that come just before closing a beloved chapter and moving on to the next big thing. 

As a parent to two Notre Dame graduates this year, Flannery ’25 and Liam ’25 MBA, our family is feeling this even more acutely. Soon, they’ll go out to make their place in the world while my husband, Dan, and I get used to a truly empty nest after having them both just down the street. But my advice to them, as it is to all new Notre Dame alumni, is this: hold onto the connections you’ve made here — the friends who’ve seen you at your best and worst, the professors who changed your life, the mentors who guided you in the right direction. The Notre Dame network is a powerful one, a resource to support your spiritual growth, your career, and your continuing education. But, most importantly, it’s a community, one you can find almost anywhere, no matter how far you venture from campus.

As our graduates step into the world to write their own stories, we pray that their journeys are filled with happiness, health, and achievement. May Our Lady's grace accompany them, and may the bonds of the Notre Dame family continue to uplift and guide them in the years to come.

All the best,

Dolly Duffy ’84
Executive Director
Notre Dame Alumni Association