Working with the and scholars programs across campus, TLP identifies and invites first-generation, under-resourced or differentially prepared students to join. The program, which started in 2021 with about 250 students and has grown to about 400, aims to help each scholar reach their academic and intellectual goals while staying healthy, grounded and connected.��

“Our mission is to accompany students along their academic journey to develop into the fullest, best versions of themselves so they can go out and do transformational things in the world,” said , director of the Transformational Leaders Program and professor of the practice in the Department of Africana 91��Ƶ and the Education, 91��Ƶing and Society Program. "We've developed a program designed to support young scholars in a holistic manner and are committed to being leaders in higher education with how we serve our first generation and under-sourced students throughout their academic journey.”

McKenna credits Rev. Canon Hugh R. Page Jr., vice president for institutional transformation and adviser to the president, and Rev. Daniel G. Groody, C.S.C., vice president and associate provost, for much of the program’s development. “Dr. Page has championed our scholarly communities and our underrepresented students for the entirety of his multiple-decade career,” she said. “His vision, along with Fr. Dan Groody’s educational philosophy of ‘personal accompaniment’ for our students, shaped what TLP is today.”

Alexandra Rojas-Monsivais, a sophomore QuestBridge Scholar from Longview, Texas, majoring in math and gender studies, joined TLP as a freshman. She said her transition to college life at Notre Dame “was a really big roller coaster. Very deep lows, but very high highs.”

Rojas-Monsivais remembers receiving an email from McKenna, inviting her to meet for lunch. “We met Dr. McKenna, and she was amazing. She is like 95 percent of why I really wanted to be a part of this,” she said. “She was so welcoming. She asked for a hug the first time she met me, and I think that was the first time I’d ever really been seen by someone of authority here. So I think that made a really big difference in getting me to participate.”

She also developed a great connection with her TLP cohort leader, Amanda Springstead. “You kind of forget that they’re professionals, and they can really become like your best friend, or a really trusted person that you can tell your struggles to. She gives me amazing advice.”

Rojas-Monsivais said Springstead introduced her to an internship opportunity in Dublin, which ultimately led her to sign up to study abroad there next year. “I have her to thank for knowing about studying abroad in Dublin, which is where they have the best math, so that’s why I choose Dublin specifically,” she said.��

“What I really value and appreciate is their constant unconditional support. It’s really unique here, I think,” said Rojas-Monsivais. “You just really do feel the support academically and emotionally, on all fronts. That’s really necessary here because being away from parents, family, you might be lacking in one form or the other and they can make up for it.”

Kristen Lemus, a sophomore QuestBridge Scholar from Chino, California, majoring in political science with minors in public policy and civil and human rights, has really appreciated the mentoring and community building that TLP provides.

Lemus said that during her freshman year there were times she felt isolated, especially after breaking her ankle in the first few weeks of class. “I wasn’t really involved with TLP my first semester, but then my second semester I think the community and the mentors really helped.”��

Lemus said her education and outreach specialist, Manuel Fernandez, has been especially helpful. “He’s somebody that you can rely on that will be there for you and somebody to give you tips and tricks and things like that. Especially this year, I’ve definitely been taking advantage of having those connections, and I will say they definitely helped with the transition to college.”

TLP hosted a Thanksgiving potluck for students who weren’t able to go home for the holiday, and for Lemus, it was really special. Students picked recipes they wanted to make and TLP did the grocery shopping for them. Lemus and her roommate, who is also a QuestBridge Scholar and TLP member, made a family macaroni and cheese recipe.��

“I entered the event and there were so many different foods from so many different cultures. It felt like home, because there was diversity and there was community building and we were all very excited to try each other’s dishes,” Lemus said. “And I made so many new friends from that. I think just having that space, especially for students who are all kind of in the same boat, is very important. And I think especially in a campus where not everybody has the same experience that maybe I did, having that space we can share is very important.

“I definitely feel like I found my family,” Lemus said. “I would definitely say that it’s transformed my vision of Notre Dame. And I think if anybody has the opportunity to join, they definitely should.”

Lizette Mendez Ramirez, a sophomore from Monterey, California, majoring in political science and psychology, has enjoyed the connections she’s made through TLP.

As a QuestBridge Scholar and first-generation college student, she said a lot of her friends aren’t in the same position as she is. “I think sometimes when it comes to advice on school stuff, it’s hard to take the advice of people my own age, so it’s nice having the outreach specialists and all the people who work at TLP. They kind of have a different view on it just as adults.”

Mendez Ramirez is considering enrolling in Notre Dame’s program for graduate school. During a Christmas celebration lunch, she met Itzxul Moreno, an ACE graduate and education and outreach specialist with TLP. “I mentioned my interest in ACE and she started telling me about how she did ACE and how she now works here at Notre Dame as an outreach specialist.

“It made me think about what TLP means to me and the opportunities it has opened up for me, and I was like, wow, that’d be cool to do that for someone else, especially if they’re in the position that I was, struggling to make that change into college life,” she said.��

This semester, Mendez Ramirez has an internship with Mishawaka Mayor Dave Wood. She said TLP helped her through the process of securing the internship.��

“They sent out an email to TLP students about the internship opportunity. That was something that was really, really helpful to me because I didn’t really know how to find those things on my own,” said Mendez Ramirez. “TLP has been super helpful throughout the entire process, guiding me through the communication and sharing information with me. I wouldn’t have been able to find it without them.”

Transportation could have been an obstacle for this off-campus internship, but TLP has helped fill that gap as well. “They’ve been helping me financially have the ability to get to the mayor’s office because I don’t have a car.”

Echoing Rojas-Monsivais and Lemus’ feelings about TLP, Mendez Ramirez said, “TLP is part of what made me feel more at home at Notre Dame because it’s given me opportunities and the ability to have some of the same experiences as my peers that I wouldn’t normally be able to have. Whether it be exposure to different events, or helping me financially or just helping me find those opportunities, it has definitely made it easier to call Notre Dame home.”

Summing up the program, McKenna said, “So much of our job is not to provide students with something they are missing, but to provide opportunities to allow our students to shine. They come to us as beautiful whole people. What we pride ourselves on and make clear is that we want to hold up our students as the beautiful humans that they are, and help them to find the opportunities that they’re going to grow from.”

Las Posadas, which translates to “the inns,” is a novenario or extended devotional prayer celebrated each year between Dec. 16 and 24 in Latin America and by Hispanics in the United States. The nine-day celebration during the Advent season commemorates the journey of Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem in search of a safe refuge where Mary could give birth. A procession led by two people dressed as Mary and Joseph stops at houses designated as inns. The group travels to one house each night for nine nights. At each house, the procession is welcomed and the group sings traditional songs or Christmas carols and children break open star-shaped piñatas. The final stop for the procession is often a church.��

Diana Salgado Huicochea, assistant director of outreach at Campus Ministry, organized this year’s Las Posadas celebration. “I’ve participated in Las Posadas in Mexico and the United States, but this was my first time organizing it on campus, so it was a whole new experience,” she said. “There was a great turnout and as we were doing the procession more people joined, so we had such a good crowd.”

As the students walked through campus, they stopped at designated residence halls to knock. “After each stop, we had a student read a Gospel passage, followed by a piece from liberation theology or Catholic social teaching. Our hope was that the Scripture readings and reflections would aid participants’ understanding of Mary and Joseph’s journey as the journey of our neighbors, immigrants, the marginalized and the poor,” Salgado Huicochea said.��

The group, guided by candlelight, sang traditional hymns between each stop.

“At the final stop, Mary and Joseph were recognized and we were let in to share a meal and pray together,” she said.��

Salgado Huicochea said the event was special for students who have celebrated Las Posadas at home. “Students are really grateful because it brings part of their home here to Notre Dame, which is very comforting for them. This is something they grew up doing, so it gives them a sense of comfort and belonging, which I think is so beautiful.”

In celebrating the Holy Family’s journey, Salgado Huicochea said, the event is a good reminder that many people have a travel narrative. “I know many people have had experiences with immigration. So it’s also special remembering that Mary and Joseph were also immigrants trying to find their way.”

In 2021, Notre Dame President , and Boston College President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., participated in “A Conversation on the Catholic Church.” The event was hosted by the Notre Dame Business Council, an independent, Boston-based alumni organization.

The conversation, moderated by Charles I. Clough, chairman of Clough Capital Partners and a permanent deacon of the Archdiocese of Boston, focused on the revitalization of the Catholic Church over the next 20 years.

Read about the conversation and how the presidents envision the future of the Catholic Church and higher education .

Luis Fraga on Latino identity

��

Fraga discusses the richness of cultural diversity in the United States, noting that Latinos could be the group to show America’s potential to be more embracing. He��goes on to say that it is a common belief that Latinos self segregate by staying within their communities, but the reality is Latinos in the U.S. identify strongly with their country of origin, their panethnicity and as Americans. Typically, each generation of Americans identifies less and less with their country of origin, but that is not the case for Latinos. For Latinos, there is a lot of maintenance of identity through generations. This is evidence, Fraga says, that Latinos present a different path toward integration than our previous understanding of immigrant groups.

��

Luis Fraga on Latino voting preferences and key issues

Immigration, education and health care are key issues for Latino voters. Fraga notes that Catholic Latino voters depart from other Catholic voters in America. Catholic voters balance the Church’s position on abortion, gay marriage and immigration, and most candidates don’t perfectly align with these positions. Ultimately, he notes, Latino voters are more willing to put reproductive rights and gay marriage aside when deciding who to vote for. Fraga is interested to see how the midterm elections play out with the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the continuation of harsh immigration policies.

��

Luis Fraga on mobilizing Latino populations to vote

Fraga says voter registration is still a big issue in the community. Because Latinos don’t register to vote in high numbers, they are labeled by campaigns as low-propensity voters. He notes that campaigns typically put more time and money toward groups labeled high-propensity. He says if campaigns put more effort toward groups labeled low-propensity, they should focus on registering and mobilizing by a co-ethnic, someone people trust in their neighborhood, from church or school. If voters are mobilized by someone they know and trust, they are more likely to participate. Fraga says ultimately it is a matter of both registering and mobilizing, and changing the mindset of those who invest during election campaigns. He concludes that until the U.S. builds an infrastructure of participation that represents a cultural shift in how Latino voters understand elections and the importance of voting, Latino voters will continue to under-participate despite their growing percentage of the population.

��

Luis Fraga on Latino party affiliation

About 25 percent of Latinos nationwide vote Republican. In the 2020 presidential election, there were two main regions where Latinos voted Republican: South Texas and Florida. Fraga suggests the South Texas Latinos voted Republican because many people in the area work for Homeland Security. In Florida, a state with a large Cuban, Venezuelan and Nicaraguan immigrant population, the Trump campaign branded Democrats as socialist, which turned many Latinos away from voting for Biden. He notes that in trying to understand and analyze party affiliation, there has to be a focus on geographic sensitivity. If Democrats want more of the Latino vote, they need to figure out what strategies work best in different pockets of the country.

The guiding principle for the selection process is leadership in the community. “The scholars have to have a track record of creating some kind of solution or project in their home, in their church or in their community schools,” said , associate director of the Institute for Latino 91��Ƶ. “It’s not a requirement in our program for the students to be Latino, but many of them have grown up in Latino-concentrated areas of the country. And so all of the service they’ve given is to the Latino community.”

The Latino 91��Ƶ Scholars Program supports students in a number of ways, including a $25,000 annual scholarship; $5,000 per summer for three summers toward internships, conferences and study abroad; curriculum and research opportunities; networking opportunities; and mentoring.��

There are currently 29 scholars, and Garcia-Lopez says the goal is to grow the program to 64 scholars.��

“Here at the institute we’re their cheerleading section,” Garcia-Lopez said. “We’re also focused on getting the students involved while they’re here at Notre Dame and feeling really passionate about Notre Dame’s mission and about the community here.

“ is the thought leader behind this program, and it’s the only one that we know of nationwide that’s merit-based that uses leadership as the criteria for selection.”

As scholars, sophomores Andres de la Garza, Jasmine Peña Ramirez and Nadxielli Arredondo worked with the Institute for Latino 91��Ƶ to find internships that aligned with their career interests and supported the Latino community.��

De la Garza, a business analytics and English major from San Antonio, Texas, interned with the Fund for the City of New York, a nonprofit organization that provides financial support to other nonprofits with the goal of improving the quality of life for all New Yorkers. He spent the summer living in New York City, helping the Fund for the City of New York by analyzing census data. “I'm really grateful for the network and the connections that I have because of the Latino 91��Ƶ Scholars Program,” de la Garza said.��

“Paloma has been such a big help. She is someone that I can come to for any school concerns, and also in the application process for this internship, in terms of helping me with my resume and things like that,” de la Garza said.��

Peña Ramirez, a political science major from Cambria, California, interned at the Hope Border Institute in El Paso, Texas. “In my internship, I got firsthand experience serving migrants, people that were recently released from detention centers,” said Peña Ramirez. “I also got the opportunity to go to Mexico many times and see the immigration process from that side.”

For Peña Remirez, the internship experience was motivational. “The internship confirmed my path moving forward. My goal is to go to law school and ultimately run for public office.”

She said the opportunity to meet Julián Castro, the former U.S. secretary of housing and urban development, and former U.S. Rep. Luis Gutiérrez through the scholars program was impactful. “To hear them speak about their political experience and what they went through in college, and how they had super hard goals to accomplish,” she said, “it made me realize I’m not the only one in that place. I can stick through it and get to my goals. It’s given me examples of leaders.”

Arredondo, a film, television and theater major and Latino studies minor from Las Vegas, said her internship experience at Univision allowed her to interact with important people in her community. “I got to meet so many people in positions of power in Las Vegas,” she said. “I got to meet my Congress member, my council member, council members from other districts, and it’s just really cool to see them in person and hear their initiatives and their ideas.”

Although she plans to seek career opportunities behind the camera, during her internship she got some on-camera experience. “I got to do a segment on scholarships,” she said. “I’m more of a technical person so being on camera was new for me.”

Garcia-Lopez said the Institute for Latino 91��Ƶ also arranges outings for the scholars, including a trip to Chicago to watch a performance by the Mexican Folkloric Dance Company, a trip to the Pilsen neighborhood to see the National Museum of Mexican Art followed by an artist-guided street mural tour, and a trip to the border in El Paso, among other activities.��

Peña Remirez and Arredondo said the group trip to Pilsen last year was very meaningful.

“It felt familiar to me, and homey being surrounded by things I grew up with. We visited the National Museum of Mexican Art and had a guide show us different graffiti art and murals all around Pilsen,” said Arrendondo.

Peña Remirez added, “I’ve never seen a museum that celebrates my culture, and I’ve never had a place that appreciates all of me.”

Arredondo said she really appreciates the community she has found in the scholars program. “I found a lot of solidarity and community with Paloma, Professor Fraga and all the other people in my cohort,” she said. “I’ve been asked by people if I would still choose Notre Dame, and I think the reason why I would always choose Notre Dame is because of the Institute for Latino 91��Ƶ and Scholars Program. I just like the sense of community here; it’s so genuine and so real, and it’s just so refreshing.”

The schedule is as follows. It will be updated as more information becomes available.

• , 12 to 1:30 p.m. Thursday (Sept. 15), Bond Hall Quad
• Lecture by Luis R. Fraga, professor of political science and director of the Institute for Latino 91��Ƶ: , 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday (Sept. 15), Bond Hall Room 104
• , 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Friday (Sept. 16), Hesburgh Center Auditorium
• A conversation with Notre Dame Board of Trustee member Dorene C. Dominguez and Luis R. Fraga: , 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., Sept. 19, Bond Hall Room 104
• Internationally renowned sculptor and installation artist Jaume Plensa will discuss his practice and many of his most iconic endeavors: , 5:30 to 7 p.m., Sept. 21, Annenberg Auditorium, Snite Museum of Art
• Virtual discussion: , 7 to 8:30 p.m., Sept. 22
• Lecture by Michael E. Lee, professor of theology and director of the Francis & Ann Curran Center for American Catholic 91��Ƶ at Fordham University, and Natalia Imperatori-Lee, professor and chair of religious studies at Manhattan College: , 5 to 6 p.m., Sept. 27, 129 DeBartolo Hall
• Talks, conversation and performance: , 12 poets and scholars will convene to explore Afro-LatinX poetry at McKenna Hall Conference Center. Panel discussions will be held at 2 and 3 p.m. on both Sept. 27 and 28. Readings by visiting poets will be at 8 p.m. on both days.��
• Faculty and student panel discussion: , 5:30 to 7 p.m., Sept. 29, Bond Hall Room 104
• Panel discussion: , 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., Oct. 3, Bond Hall Room 315
• Lecture by Mary Beltrán, associate professor at the University of Texas: , 3:30 to 4:45 p.m., Oct. 3, Bond Hall Room 104
• Book discussion with Associate Professor of Romance Languages and Literatures Marisel Moreno: , 7 to 9 p.m., Oct. 4, Bond Hall Room 315

The Wood Award, established in 1996, honors Indiana students who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to community engagement.

Abikoye, of Prince George’s County, Maryland, started serving as a volunteer tutor at the Robinson Community Learning Center (RCLC) in South Bend during her sophomore year, developing an interest in how lack of access to quality educational opportunities may impact people from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

“My time volunteering as a tutor helped me recognize the importance of having this consistent space for kids to be able to do their homework and to get help on a regular basis from people who care about them,” she said.

Through a course with an internship component, Abikoye continued to build on her relationships with the RCLC staff and students and learn more about the mission and the history of the center. “I was able to become better connected to the center and the staff and students there in ways that I didn’t experience as a tutor.”

As an intern, she noticed that there was a need for more STEM programming and used her biological sciences background to develop and host a workshop. “I remember around fifth grade I had exciting experiences in my science class, which made me interested in entering STEM from an early age,” she said. “I wanted to expose the students to a fun STEM activity that would give them an opportunity to explore any interests or talents they may have, so I organized a DNA extraction activity and I prepared microscope slides to show them plant cells and cheek cells.”

In her senior year, an expanded role with the RCLC through AmeriCorps allowed Abikoye to become more involved in programming. “When I was a tutor I worked with one individual at a time, but through the AmeriCorps appointment I’ve been able to take greater initiative with planning and leading programming for youth development,” Abikoye said. “I’ve really been able to build relationships with the kids, and that has allowed me to serve the center better too.”

Abikoye says her experiences at the RCLC have informed her goals for her future. “I’m actively trying to find ways to integrate my interest in health, medicine, public health and education.”

Lulama Moyo, assistant director of the Community-Engaged Learning Program for the Center for Social Concerns, nominated Abikoye for the award.

In addition to her work with the RCLC, in 2020 Abikoye completed an internship with the Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty, in which she says she gained deeper insight into the complexity of social issues. “Through this internship I learned that we need to really listen to people we seek to help in order to bring about effective, sustainable change.”

During her time at Notre Dame, she was a member of the African Students Association, Notre Dame Biology Club, Science Undergraduate Diversity Council, Inclusive Excellence Committee and the Senior Leadership Committee for the Department of Biological Sciences and the Black Biological Science Majors Affinity Group. She was also on the advisory board of the Center for Career Development First Generation Careers Initiative.

Abikoye was recognized at an award ceremony April 8 in French Lick, Indiana. Along with the public recognition, she also received a cash gift.

Abikoye plans to take a gap year, spending the summer interning as a research assistant with Clark Power, professor in the Program of Liberal 91��Ƶ and executive director of Play Like a Champion. She is also applying to medical schools.

The awards are presented by the Office of the Provost, and the recipients are selected through a process that includes peer and student nominations.

The Joyce Awards, established in 2007, are supported by a gift from the late Father Joyce’s classmates of Notre Dame’s Class of 1937. They honor faculty members who have had a profound influence on undergraduate students through sustained exemplary teaching, and, in particular, recognize professors who create environments that stimulate significant student learning, elevate students to a new level of intellectual engagement and foster students’ ability to express themselves effectively within their disciplines.

The Dockweiler Awards, established in 2007 with a gift from the Julia Stearns Dockweiler Charitable Foundation, recognize faculty or staff members who have demonstrated a sustained commitment to Notre Dame undergraduates through outstanding mentoring, academic advising or career counseling services.

��

2021-22 JOYCE AWARD RECIPIENTS

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND LETTERS

, theology

, art, art history and design

, theology

, economics

��

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

, chemical and biomolecular engineering

, aerospace and mechanical engineering����������

, aerospace and mechanical engineering

, Dean’s Office

��

COLLEGE OF SCIENCE

, biological sciences����������������

, physics and astronomy

, chemistry and biochemistry

, chemistry and biochemistry

, biological sciences

, applied and computational mathematics and statistics

, applied and computational mathematics and statistics

, chemistry and biochemistry

��

MENDOZA COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

, finance

, finance

, accountancy������������������

��

INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES

, Institute for Educational Initiatives

��

DOCKWEILER AWARD RECIPIENTS

, Office of Arts and Letters Undergraduate 91��Ƶ

, applied and computational mathematics and statistics

, aerospace and mechanical engineering

The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) Grow the Good in Business Case Competition launched in February as an innovative way to engage students from Mendoza’s Specialized Master’s Programs in finding creative business solutions that advance DE&I at work and in communities. Using a case provided by the state of Indiana, student teams examined the disproportionate impact of socioeconomic challenges on communities across the state and proposed a business solution to the wealth gap.

Student teams submitted nearly 30 plans. Ten finalists were selected by a panel of Mendoza faculty and staff in the first round of judging in March.

, associate dean for Specialized Master’s Programs and competition co-organizer, welcomed attendees, saying, “The opportunities and challenges in the DE&I space are complex and multifaceted. The annual DE&I Grow the Good in Business Case Competition will allow us to address many of them year after year and as they evolve into the future.”��

Karrah Herring, the chief officer of the Office of Equity, Inclusion and Opportunity for Indiana, outlined the six goals for her team. The goals included ensuring that solutions they implement are sustainable; improving education; building a strong data infrastructure; driving more entrepreneurship from diverse business owners; working with anchor institutions in big business to reimagine strategically focused corporate social responsibility; and codifying the work of their team into legislative statute.��

The top three teams presented their cases and answered questions presented to them by the panel of judges.

In first place, Team O’Hara included Master of Science in Management students Katelyn Derifield, Maya Dodson, Maria Schorr and Kelly Straub.

In second place, Team Irish included Suyash Gupta and Sulaiman Noor, Master of Science in Business Analytics students, and Nimoy Vaidya and Nathan Simon, Master of Nonprofit Administration students.

In third place, Team Helios included Master of Nonprofit Administration students Reghan Ward, Patrick Starner and Courtney Kroschel.

The winning team’s case focused on making educational opportunities more accessible to Indiana residents. With greater access to educational opportunities, the members hope to increase the number of Black-owned small businesses. They found that although many educational resources are available in Indiana, there are barriers to accessing them.

Team O’Hara proposed an internship program for high school students, extended bus routes to reach the adult education center and a mentorship program for minority-owned businesses.

The top three teams were awarded prize money in the amounts of $7,000, $4,000 and $2,000, respectively. Teams that finished in fourth through 10th place each received $1,000.

Representatives from the sponsoring organizations as well as Mendoza and other Notre Dame faculty served as judges.

Tracy Graham, managing principal at Graham Allen Partners and a 1995 alumnus, served as the keynote speaker. Graham shared his path to Notre Dame and beyond.

Graham grew up in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago, “a neighborhood engulfed by poverty and violence,” he said.

A decision to apply to St. Rita High 91��Ƶ, a Catholic school in the heart of Chicago, changed the trajectory of his life. “St. Rita gave me a scholarship and I excelled both academically and athletically. I began to play football, and after some success, earned a scholarship to play for Lou Holtz here in Notre Dame,” he said.

At first, Graham said he felt like an outsider at Notre Dame. “Not just because I’m Black, but because financially, I was different.”

“Thankfully, I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by a community of professors, rectors, coaches and other friends who lifted me up and made me believe that I did belong,” he said. “I am forever grateful to them. Notre Dame transformed the way I thought about myself and my future.”

Through his time at Notre Dame, his eyes were opened to the possibility of success beyond the football field. “The environment at Notre Dame fostered a sense of unlimited possibilities, and slowly my expectations for my life began to change. I started to believe that football was not my only shot at success and that I could be successful without ever making another tackle.”

Graham closed by saying, “We must do all that we can to break down the social barriers that stifle inclusion and opportunity for minorities and women to achieve lasting equity and inclusion in the business community. We must prove that diversity and inclusion is not only the right thing to do, the good thing to do, but that it creates tremendous business value.”

In addition to the state, competition sponsors include the , KPMG, the South Bend-Elkhart Regional Partnership, 1st Source Bank and Gibson Insurance.

For more information about the , or contact , associate dean for Specialized Master’s Programs.

Notre Dame is one of 48 college partners. Over the last five years, the number of students annually matched through QuestBridge to Notre Dame has grown from 23 to 90.

, director of admissions, explains that navigating college admissions can be hard, especially for families doing it for the first time. “Admissions is basically a second language,” Pratt said.

The application process through QuestBridge is unique. The National College Match application focuses on the achievements and academic success of students facing economic challenges, and QuestBridge helps guide applicants through the college admissions process.

During the match process, students rank up to 12 colleges in order of preference. Students can then be “matched” — or admitted with a guaranteed full four-year Match Scholarship meeting the full cost of attendance — to the college��that appears highest on their list that is also interested in matching with them.

“I think QuestBridge truly demonstrates the mission of Notre Dame. When Notre Dame says we are a force for good, that is truly what QuestBridge is,” Pratt said. “So it’s just a great mission alignment with Notre Dame.”

, admissions counselor and a 2020 QuestBridge alumnus, said he had not considered Notre Dame for undergraduate studies before going through the National College Match process.

“QuestBridge gave me the confidence and assurance that regardless of my financial background, I should dream big and apply to highly selective universities,” Kim said. “I am truly grateful for QuestBridge and all the opportunities and resources that the organization has provided me to become a Notre Dame alum.”

Ultimately, Kim’s experience with QuestBridge led him to his career in college admissions.

“I know that there are many high school students who��are in similar situations where they are unaware of the many resources that higher education institutions, like Notre Dame, provide for high-achieving, first-generation and/or low-income students,” he said. “I hope that, by working in admissions, I can bridge this gap by communicating with these students that a Notre Dame education is possible for them.”��

Pratt added, “I am grateful that Eric is a member of my staff and can share his experience as a QuestBridge scholar with prospective students and their families. QuestBridge holds a very dear part of his heart too.”

Senior Axell Komlan, a science preprofessional studies major and theology minor from Phoenix, was accepted into the QuestBridge College Prep Scholars Program as a high school junior. The program equipped him with the knowledge, confidence and resources needed to apply to top colleges. “Going through that process kind of helped to increase my confidence going into the QuestBridge College Match application,” Komlan said.

Once it was time for Komlan to rank his top universities, he put Notre Dame at the top of his list because of his interest in an academically rigorous institution and the University’s Catholic mission.��������

“I liked the way Notre Dame integrated intellectual formation and Christian spirituality in a way to be a force for good in the modern world,” he said. “Notre Dame really encourages you to use your gifts, use your talents, use your knowledge to learn about systems and structures of injustice, and tackle them head-on.”

Komlan said he found some of his most meaningful connections on campus through the Notre Dame QuestBridge Scholars Network (QSN). The Notre Dame QSN offers a mentorship program and hosts a variety of social events.

As past president of the Notre Dame QSN, Komlan focused his efforts on coordinating events for the community and advocating for more resources for first-generation, low-income students. Due to the pandemic, most events were virtual while Komlan was president.

“We kind of had to be creative in some ways,” Komlan said. “My favorite thing as president was coordinating with the (University) president’s office to put on the president’s reception.”

Komlan emceed the event, which featured remarks from University President , and former provost Marie Lynn Miranda.

“The goal of it was to put on an event that shows that the Notre Dame community officially recognizes the presence of its first-generation, low-income students on campus, and not only limited to QuestBridge, but also AnBryce, Fighting Irish Scholars, Hesburgh Scholars, Galvin Scholars,” he said.

Komlan hopes that the University continues to expand its resources and support for these students on campus. “Even though I’m not president this year, my biggest concern still has been trying to advocate for increasing the scope of tutoring on campus,” he said.

In addition to the Notre Dame QSN, in 2021 Notre Dame launched the . This is an “evolution of the University’s commitment to the QuestBridge scholars program,” said , director of the Transformational Leaders Program and associate professor of the practice in the Department of Africana 91��Ƶ and the Education, 91��Ƶing and Society Program. “It provides an academic piece of support for students in a way that helps them build community and build an academic community to connect pathways to opportunities at Notre Dame.”

Komlan said that the creation of the Transformational Leaders Program is “definitely a step in the right direction.”

For information on QuestBridge, visit .

Roberson said his experience in his first few years at Notre Dame led him to create “Black@ND.” “Understanding where I fit into this broad Notre Dame experience was a challenge in the beginning,” he said. “As I began to come into myself as a Black student on campus, and also a musician, I started diving into some different territories. And then I stepped a little bit further. That’s when I established ‘Black@ND’ to dive into some deep waters, not just for students that look like me and have some similar experiences, but also to challenge the University to do better with what they say that they need to do.”

For Black History Month, the podcast is doing a series called Black Facts. Roberson and co-hosts Daut’e Martin and Euda Fils highlight important Black figures and events each episode.��

“With Black Facts, I wanted something that not only helped me, because I’m still finding out about a lot of people and I just turned 30. There are people on Notre Dame’s campus who didn’t get Black history in schools. I mean, I got very limited information,” Roberson said. “So I said let me help those who are in my community and challenge them to do research. Just to sort of go into some unfamiliar territories and just read.”

Roberson said they are especially focused on highlighting lesser-known Black people in history, “not just the Martin Luther King Jrs. and the Malcolm X’s.”��

“There’s nothing wrong with them, it’s just sometimes people feel like they’ve done their job once they mark off those two people,” he said. “I mean, like Rosa Parks, some people don’t know before Rosa Parks, there was Claudette Colvin, so little things like that are very important.”

As Roberson looks toward the end of his academic career at Notre Dame, he anticipates “Black@ND” will continue. “Next month we’re going to be putting up a call for the upcoming school year, because I want this to continue,” he said. “So that way people can always have a space where conversations that are transparent can be had on the air.”

Episodes and clips of “Black@ND” and the Black Facts series are available on , , , and .��

“Black@ND,” sponsored by the��, is open to suggestions for future episodes. Send ideas for topics or people to black@nd.edu.

, director of the and assistant professor of , welcomed attendants and introduced Anderson, saying, “I have the great pleasure of introducing today’s speaker, Dr. Elijah Anderson, an eminent sociologist, urban ethnographer and cultural theorist. Dr. Anderson is the author of and editor of several books, including most recently ‘Black in White Space: The Enduring Impact of Color in Everyday Life,’ which was released this week.”

Anderson, a South Bend native, started the lecture by describing what an ethnographer is. “Ethnography is defined as the systematic study of culture, of people, doing things together. The ethnographer is concerned with trying to apprehend, comprehend and understand local culture and local knowledge.”

He explained that this is important because most people are ignorant about other people, so an ethnographer’s work is to try to minimize the gap in the understanding of others.

Anderson said that for people to understand race today, they have to consider slavery. “Slavery established Black people at the bottom of the racial order. This is key.”

Continuing through to the civil rights movement, Anderson said the government initiated a racial incorporation process, by which large numbers of Black people made their way into settings that were white, from urban ghettos in rural areas into settings previously occupied only by white people.

“Their reception in these settings, these white settings or previously white settings, has been mixed. Many white people were supportive, tolerant; many others felt that the inclusion of Black people abrogated their own rights,” he said.

Anderson said that we still live in a segregated society, not by law, but by custom, preference and practice. “White neighborhoods, schools, universities, workplaces, restaurants and other public spaces persist segregated. Black people perceive these settings as the white space, which they consider to be informally off-limits to people like them.”

He then pointed out that white people typically avoid Black space, while Black people are required to navigate white space as a condition of their existence. “This is important because then you get a sense of white space as a perceptual category, but it’s undeniably so, just as Black space is undeniable.

“In the white space the white person has implicit power over Black people, even if they’re supposed to be the same status,” Anderson said. “Therefore, Black people approach white space and the white people they find there with a certain amount of care. There’s a certain tension there as Black people navigate white space. Black people need anonymous white people in the white space who treat them well, who treat them with respect.”

Anderson’s book was informed by analysis based on fieldwork, talking to Black and white people in Philadelphia. His findings have important implications for the “seemingly intractable racial disparities in our society, especially persistent poverty,” he said.

Gibbs asked Anderson if there are things people could do to break up the power stronghold among historically privileged groups on institutions such as higher education.

“Institutions really have to do better. I think the start is to recognize these issues that Black people have in these spaces, and to double down on supporting the Black students,” Anderson said. “In fact, one of the biggest ways people can help would be by increasing the number of Black students, increasing the number of Black professors and increasing the number of courses that are relevant to Black people and their existence. And teaching the white people about this, because a lot of white folks are ignorant of Black history.”

Answering a question about managing exhaustion experienced by being on high alert as a Black person in a white space such as a university, Anderson said, “It’s tough to be the only Black person. My feeling is that the universities should be doing all they can with their resources to make life more comfortable for these students.

“These are not simple issues, they’re tough issues. I think that race is one of our toughest issues as Americans; we really have to get beyond it,” Anderson said.

Throughout the month of February, Notre Dame will host a number of events to celebrate Black History Month. A list of events can be found here.

Funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered annually by Howard University, the Pickering and Rangel Graduate Fellowship programs each award 45 fellowships that cover tuition, room, board, books and fees for completion of two-year master’s degrees. ��

The programs also provide two internships. The first, an internship working at the U.S. Department of State headquarters in Washington, D.C. The second, an internship at an overseas placement in a U.S. embassy or consulate. The program provides additional support for summer travel, housing and other related expenses.

Both programs encourage the application of members of minority groups historically underrepresented in the Foreign Service, women and those with financial need.

In applying for the fellowships, the alumnae worked with , national fellowships senior program manager with the , which promotes the intellectual development of Notre Dame undergraduates through scholarly engagement, research, creative endeavors and the pursuit of fellowships.

“Irla, DeJorie and Amber are the epitomes of excellence and international service. Their trajectories should be examples to all students at Notre Dame. I often say that fellowships beget fellowships, and Irla, having won the Gilman and Boren scholarships, DeJorie, having won the Orr and Fulbright fellowships, and Amber, having worked as an AmeriCorps Fellow, perfectly demonstrate the possibilities of such awards to build a clear career path,” Rudt said. “I would like to thank (associate director of the ) and (the Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., Professor Emeritus of Peace 91��Ƶ at the ) for their assistance with practice interviews.”

Atanda graduated from Notre Dame in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in American studies and a minor in international development studies. She studied abroad at the University of Cape Town as a Gilman Scholar and at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

During her time at Notre Dame, she was a David L. Boren Scholarship recipient, a Charles B. Rangel alternate and a QuestBridge Scholar.

She currently works at Refugees International as the special assistant to the president.

Bryan graduated from Notre Dame in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. She studied abroad at Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo.

During her time at Notre Dame, she was an ��and served as the��vice president and community service coordinator for the��Black Student Association.

She currently works at Terminix as a senior internal auditor.

Monroe graduated from Notre Dame in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and minors in Latin American studies, Middle Eastern studies and theology. She also studied abroad at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

During her time at Notre Dame, Monroe was a and a College of Arts and Letters Dean’s Fellow, and was awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Argentina.

She earned her Master of Science in Management and Leadership from Western Governors University.

Monroe is currently a dual language immersion teacher at an elementary school in Columbia, South Carolina, and a marketing operations coordinator at Urbanforce/Generator Power Systems Inc.

Upon completion of the fellowship programs, Atanda, Bryan and Monroe will receive appointments as foreign service officers in the State Department.

The Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship is named after Ambassador Thomas R. Pickering. Pickering served as under secretary of state for political affairs and as U.S. ambassador to the Russian Federation, India, Israel, El Salvador, Nigeria and Jordan. He also served as the U.S. ambassador and representative to the United Nations in New York.��

The Rangel International Affairs Fellowship is named after Charles B. Rangel. Rangel served in the U.S. Congress, representing New York City for 23 terms and 46 years. He retired in December 2016. Rangel made history in 2006 as the first African American to head the Ways and Means Committee, which oversees international trade, health care, economic policy and other major political issues.

Current students and alumni interested in applying for the Pickering, Rangel or Payne (a similar award to work with USAID) fellowships can contact Rudt at��erudt@nd.edu.

, the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost, welcomed attendees, saying, “We’re here to celebrate a very special event with a very special speaker. Today’s guest, Ruby Bridges, has been educating and inspiring people all of her life. At age 6, accompanied by federal marshals, and met by cheering crowds, she integrated her local elementary school in Louisiana. Her bravery inspired and changed hearts.”

, associate director of the Klau Center, introduced Bridges: “In 1954, the Supreme Court decided the famous Brown v. Board decision. It took five years for Ruby to be the first student to integrate William Frantz and to do it alone.”

Mitros Durham asked Bridges to share the story of how she became the first and only Black student entering New Orleans’ William Frantz Elementary 91��Ƶ that day in 1960.

“There was a knock at the door. The NAACP was going across the country and spearheading this movement. They explained to my parents that if they were willing to send their 6-year-old to one of these newly integrated schools, that their children would have a better opportunity to have a better education and possibly college,” Bridges said.

Bridges said that in making this decision, all her mother thought about were the opportunities that she would be able to provide for her children, opportunities that her parents did not have as sharecroppers. Education was a luxury that her parents could not afford, so her mother jumped at the chance. “They knew if they really wanted to see change, that they actually had to step up to the plate to make that happen,” she said.

Bridges discussed the crowds that gathered outside the school building on her first day, and said that she did not immediately understand that they were there to protest integration and her attendance at the school. And once she got to her��classroom, she realized she had a white teacher. ��

“I’d never seen a white teacher before. I didn’t know what to expect from her,” Bridges said. “I remember I kept thinking that she looked like the people outside, but once I got inside the classroom she filled my day with things to do. She was an amazing teacher. She showed me her heart and I knew she was different.

“I think the lesson that I took away from that classroom, that first experience, is the exact same lesson Dr. (Martin Luther) King tried to teach all of us. That we are to never look at a person and judge them by the color of their skin. That you have to judge a person by the content of their character.”

Bridges discussed her first encounter with racism at school and explained that she believes it is not children, but adults, who are responsible for the racism we see today. “We have taken racism and passed it on to our kids. That is why we are dealing with it today, 60 years later, and that’s why my work is so important.

“I want you as young people to understand if I could do what I did at 6 years old, you can make a difference in your own world, and we are counting on you to do that,” she said. ��

Bridges said King utilized young people during the civil rights movement to make a difference. “They got us to this point where we are now and we cannot rest. So you have to pick up the torch and you have to continue to move this country forward.”

Kate, a seventh-grader who attends a local Catholic school, asked Bridges, “What advice would you give to the young people of faith in a world where hate still seems to have a lot of power?”

Bridges said, “Prayers are something that you have to believe in. Maybe it’s not for everybody, but it’s truly what I fall back on and it definitely works for me. Continue to pray, and believe in your prayers, and believe in yourself. Try to be a good person, and decide what good you want to do in the world.”

Mitros Durham mentioned the current division around education, saying some groups have objected to Bridges’ story being taught in schools. “Were you surprised to learn that your story is controversial?” she asked.

Bridges said she was a bit surprised that people would say that. “We have to face it. We have to know our history so that we don’t repeat it,” Bridges said.

Asked if she ever wished she had a more quiet and anonymous life, Bridges said she feels like her path was chosen for her at 6 years old. “It gave my life meaning, and I don’t think that I’ll ever give that up. I do feel good about the work that I’m doing. I meet incredible people, my fan base is young people and kids, and they share their heart with me and I feel their hearts.”

“The First Big Step” is part of the lecture series, Building an Anti-Racist Vocabulary, hosted by the Klau Center for Civil and Human Rights. For more information on upcoming speakers, visit .

In opening remarks, , the Joseph and Elizabeth Robbie Professor of and director of the Institute for Latino 91��Ƶ, welcomed attendants. “We are delighted to collaborate and support the Hispanic Alumni of Notre Dame in their efforts to share their life experiences and professional expertise,” he said.

Cristina Gonzalez, a lawyer and board member of HAND, opened the discussion by emphasizing how the alumni group supports its members. “We represent you all, the Hispanic Alumni of Notre Dame, and advocate for you,” she said. “We advocate for not only the students, but also faculty and also alumni; that’s our job. And there are many different things we do to encourage community and participation.”

Alex Montoya, a public relations account executive and writer, started the panel discussion. “I was born in Colombia and immigrated to the United States at age 4. I was born with a disability, and my parents sent me to this country to live with family members for better opportunities.”

Since junior high school, Montoya had his sights set on the University of Notre Dame. “When I was accepted, I didn’t want to even consider anywhere else,” Montoya said. “I have worked in professional sports. I have worked for nonprofit organizations. I have worked for business organizations. But the wonderful thing is, no matter the different fields that I moved to or jumped around to, my communications degree from Notre Dame was helpful in each and every one of those fields and each and every one of those jobs.”

Timi Aguilar, president and CEO of Aguilar Public Relations, said her experience as a student in the film department helped her succeed in her career.

“Everything that I did was community focused, and I did a film for the homeless center, and I did something for the Center for Social Concerns,” Aguilar said. “Which then launched me into being a video producer doing corporate industrials for AT&T, and then from there traveling across the world as an executive producer.”

Elizabeth Bodamer, a diversity, equity and inclusion policy and research analyst and senior program manager at the Law 91��Ƶ Admission Council, talked about her experience with the ILS. “ILS is where I really got to be surrounded by anything Latinx, the history, the people, the diversity within the community across the country.”

She credited her experience at Notre Dame for leading her to her current role. “Today, I get to do diversity, equity and inclusion work centering on our communities, our underserved, marginalized communities, to make a difference, and that all started because I went to Notre Dame.”��

Bodamer added, “My biggest takeaway for students today is to really immerse yourself. You know, you’ll have your moments of homesickness, you’ll have your moments of doubt, but there are good people around you. We’ve been there and you can do this. You belong here.”

Dr. Kristine Muñoz Glass, a Navy veteran and psychiatrist serving the veteran population in El Paso, Texas, and Las Cruces, New Mexico, said that although her experience at Notre Dame was one of the best of her life, she wanted to touch on struggles that human beings face when moving toward graduate school.

“My father became ill and passed away before my senior year,” Muñoz Glass said. “I bring this up because it was a really big point in my life obviously for the direction that I went, but also for the community that I developed.”

She went on to say her time at Notre Dame was both beautiful and very hard. “There will be some speed bumps along the road for a dream, but always pursue, always push. Don’t give up.”

For the Q&A portion, , associate director of the ILS, asked the panelists about experiences with faculty and staff that made campus feel like home.

“What made it feel like home for me — and this is something that I certainly urge each student to do — were the faculty and administrators who agreed to sign on as mentors,” Montoya said. “Everyone should absolutely seek out a mentor.”

Bodamer agreed. “There are so many opportunities, so many ways that the institution is trying to be that facilitator between you and a potential mentor. Take advantage of that.”

Garcia-Lopez closed the discussion by asking the panelists to give students advice on how to decide what to do after college.

“I’m a big believer in networking,” Aguilar said. “Go to your alumni clubs, start talking to people in the room. The alumni are great at connecting people. It’s really about putting yourself out there and looking at what’s available.”

In closing, Fraga said, “The Institute for Latino 91��Ƶ, for everyone in the audience and certainly for our panelists, is here at the University to work with you, to help you.”

The Institute for Latino 91��Ƶ has a number of events planned to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month. For more information, visit .

The awards are presented by the Office of the Provost, and the recipients are selected through a process that includes peer and student nominations.

The Joyce Awards, established in 2007, are supported by a gift from the late Father Joyce’s classmates of Notre Dame’s Class of 1937. They honor faculty members who have had a profound influence on undergraduate students through sustained exemplary teaching, and, in particular, recognize professors who create environments that stimulate significant student learning, elevate students to a new level of intellectual engagement and foster students’ ability to express themselves effectively within their disciplines.

The Dockweiler Awards, established in 2007 with a gift from the Julia Stearns Dockweiler Charitable Foundation, recognize faculty or staff members who have demonstrated a sustained commitment to Notre Dame undergraduates through outstanding mentoring, academic advising or career counseling services.

��

2020-21 JOYCE AWARD RECIPIENTS

��

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND LETTERS

, sociology

, theology

, film, television and theater

, English

, theology

, history

, English

, philosophy

, East Asian languages and cultures

��

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

, computer science and engineering

, electrical engineering

, College of Engineering

��

COLLEGE OF SCIENCE

, chemistry and biochemistry

, biological sciences

, physics

, applied and computational mathematics and statistics

, chemistry and biochemistry

��

INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES

, Institute for Educational Initiatives

��

MENDOZA COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

, information technology, analytics and operations

, accountancy��������

��

SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

, architecture

��

DOCKWEILER AWARD RECIPIENTS

, biological sciences

, Dean’s Office, College of Science

, Hesburgh Program in Public Service

The awards are presented by the Office of the Provost, and the recipients are selected through a process that includes peer and student nominations.

The Joyce Awards, established in 2007, are supported by a gift from the late Father Joyce’s classmates of Notre Dame’s Class of 1937. They honor faculty members who have had a profound influence on undergraduate students through sustained exemplary teaching, and, in particular, recognize professors who create environments that stimulate significant student learning, elevate students to a new level of intellectual engagement and foster students’ ability to express themselves effectively within their disciplines.

The Dockweiler Awards, established in 2007 with a gift from the Julia Stearns Dockweiler Charitable Foundation, recognize faculty or staff members who have demonstrated a sustained commitment to Notre Dame undergraduates through outstanding mentoring, academic advising or career counseling services.

��

2019-20 JOYCE AWARD RECIPIENTS

��

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND LETTERS

, Romance languages and literatures

, economics

, University Writing Program

, film, television and theatre

, East Asian languages and cultures

��

MENDOZA COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

, marketing

, accountancy

, accountancy

, finance

��

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

, chemical and biomolecular engineering

, aerospace and mechanical engineering

, civil and environmental engineering and earth sciences

��

COLLEGE OF SCIENCE

, chemistry and biochemistry

, biological sciences

, chemistry and biochemistry

, applied computational mathematics and statistics

, chemistry and biochemistry

, physics

, mathematics

, applied computational mathematics and statistics

��

DOCKWEILER AWARD RECIPIENTS

, College of Science

, College of Engineering

, Center for University Advising

Sponsored by the and the , the luncheon included remarks from Notre Dame President , as well as a Q&A session with civil rights leader Diane Nash.

Walk the Walk Week offers students, faculty and staff, as well as the community at large, the opportunity to celebrate the diversity that exists on campus and to reflect on ways to make Notre Dame even more welcoming and inclusive.

vice president and associate provost for undergraduate affairs and professor of and , emceed the event.

“Our hope is that today’s luncheon will allow all who are part of the Notre Dame family to think about how to be effective stewards of Dr. King’s legacy,” Rev. Page said.

, program director at the , delivered the invocation. Aaron Benavides, a junior studying and theology, delivered the benediction.

Father Jenkins, in his opening remarks, thanked Nash for participating in the event and encouraged students, faculty and staff to “listen and be inspired by Nash’s selfless resolute courage so that we might become more sanctified and holy.”

The Q&A session featured Nash; , professor of political science; Lia Acri, class of 2021; Kenzie Isaac, class of 2020; Kaleem Minor, class of 2020; and Libby Moyer, class of 2021.

Opening the Q&A session, Nash said, “These kinds of events are important. I think they make a community healthier when people come together and experience fellowship for a worthwhile purpose. And I think recalling Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement and its importance in our history is definitely a reason to come together.��

“We need to not only honor the civil rights movement and Martin Luther King Jr., but we need to realize that there is a lot of social change needed in this country,” Nash said. “Social change takes a lot of work and it takes courage.”

Replying to a question about getting youth of today focused on the civil rights struggle and the continuing battle forward, Nash said, “You have to start something to give people to join. Choose an issue that moves you that you are passionate about, because that passion comes from the same source that created your life.”

Other topics of the Q&A included self-love and self-care, the role of white allies, the role of faith and the impact of being a young woman involved in the civil rights movement.

“Women were very active in the civil rights movement,” Nash said. “Women did everything that men did. It hadn’t occurred to us that the same things that we were saying about justice and equality in race were applicable to gender.”

Nash closed the event, saying, “As you go through life you will have decisions to make. My advice would be, always make a decision that will make you admire and respect the person you see in the mirror.”

Notre Dame suspended classes during the luncheon. More than three thousand students, faculty and staff attended the event. Others watched online or from remote locations around campus.

Walk the Walk Week continues through Friday, with events including lectures, discussions, a movie screening and a social concerns fair.

For more information, visit .

In preparation for the game performance, the squad will make several test passes over campus at 9:30��a.m. Saturday.

In preparation for the game performance, the squad will make several test passes over campus at 2:30 p.m. Friday (Nov. 1).