Letter from the Executive Director: August 21, 2025

Dear Alumni, Parents, and Friends,

After 45 years since I first stepped foot on campus, it’s hard to believe there was a time when Notre Dame wasn’t a part of my life. But as we prepare to welcome the newest generation of students this week—each embarking on an entirely new chapter of their lives—I’m reminded there was a time that I, too, arrived in South Bend with no idea what the next four years would hold.

We didn’t use the term “bucket list” in 1980, but even if we did, I probably wouldn’t have known what to put on the Notre Dame version of mine. In hindsight, I would have included the fanciful, like climbing up the inside of the Golden Dome (that one’s still outstanding), to the seemingly mundane, like learning the Alma Mater or attending Midnight Drummers’ Circle (check and check). I did have one goal, though: to meet every member of the Class of 1984 by graduation. I don’t think I quite got to everyone, but it wasn’t for lack of effort!

Did you have a Notre Dame bucket list? What would you suggest the Class of 2029 include on theirs?

All the best,

Dolly Duffy '84
Executive Director
Notre Dame Alumni Association