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Why I Give: Vivian Cardia ’70
WHY I GIVE
Vivian Cardia ’70
Vivian Cardia ’70 recently gifted ND with a $20,000 donation to be received annually in perpetuity. She continues to be a Chez Nous Angel by listing ND in her estate. She is a blessing and hopes others wil be inspired to follow her lead. Vivian stopped by the school this fall to reminisce about her high school years and update us on her current busy life.
Fond Memories and Lasting Values
Like so many Notre Dame students today, it was the Open House on West 79th Street that convinced Vivian she wanted to attend ND: “It felt like home. All the students were welcoming and inclusive. I was lucky enough to be admitted.” Growing up on Carmine Street in Greenwich Village (not far from the school’s current location), community was important for Vivian. She remembers well starting out as a ninth grader and being worried about not knowing anyone, but as it turned out the girl who sat right in front of her that first day became her close friend. Notes Vivian, “The nuns were really our friends, too,” citing Mother William, especially, who tutored her in Chemistry, after Vivian received the warning “white card” in the subject. Sr. Genevieve taught students how to set a table and how to have tea. Vivian and her classmate, Dr. Virginia O’Brien, S.U., current President of ND, reminisced about having to memorize Geometry theorems every week and being expected to get them all right. Students had access to wonderful costumes from the Met Opera and loved donning them for school cantatas, which were performed on a very small stage in the building on West 79th Street. Vivian also remembered fondly Ring Days and the Feast of St. Ursula celebration. She loved being in an all-girls school, finding it to be one less distraction. Boys and girls got together for dances and activities such as Glee Club with Cardinal Hayes and Debate Club with Regis.
Some aspects and traditions have changed. There were only three lay teachers during Vivian’s years at the school. She recalled having to wear hats and gloves, and even galoshes when it rained. Students had to work off demerits by cleaning around the school and, sometimes, polishing the silver. Vivian admits to often rolling her skirt and also noted that, “If we got in trouble, we never told our parents, because we would get in trouble all over again at home!” She remembers a particular time when a classmate forgot her gloves, and Vivian volunteered to throw her own pair down to her from inside the building. Unfortunately, Vivian’s gloves hit Mother Daniel as they sailed out the window, and her good deed backfired quite dramatically.
Life after ND
A lover of languages, Vivian took four years of French and Latin while at ND and was fluent in Italian, which was spoken at home. She is proud that she can still remember the first lines of Virgil’s Aeneid from her time at ND. The school didn’t offer electives back then, but she ended up being grateful for the typing class, which helped her a great deal in college. Her family told her she could go to any college she wanted, as long as she could still sleep at home. She loved her years at Fordham, where she continued to study languages (including Russian) and which she relished as another close community. Vivian found that Notre Dame prepared her for college, having taught her how to organize her thoughts, use her time well, and get things done. To this day she still has a copy of the notes she took of her class’s reading of the Dickens classic Bleak House. She also admits to resubmitting a high school English paper in college. She got a B at Notre Dame and earned an A for the same paper at Fordham. Says Vivian, “I told Sr. Kieran I wanted my high school English grade changed retroactively!”
While a high school student, Vivian taught CCD and also volunteered at the Foundling Hospital. Those early service experiences cemented a love of working with young people, and she currently helps
at-risk children in Florida. “There’s a lot of sadness,” says Vivian, and her high school experiences prepared her to step up to assist others. Notre Dame taught values, she affirmed. The nuns instilled them by example. “We knew right from wrong. Everyone had a forte. We all helped one another.”
Following her graduation from Fordham, Vivian, along with her family, owned and managed a restaurant, The Beatrice Inn, in the West Village. The Cardias were kind enough to host many memorable events for Notre Dame at the Beatrice Inn. In time, Vivian became one of the first women Italian-American members and traders on the American stock exchange. After the death of her parents, Vivian set up Vivicar LLC, to manage her properties and to further her parents’ legacy.
Vivian sat on the Board of the National Organization of Italian American Women, La Scuola d’Italia, and was a member of Fordham’s Board of Visitors. She currently sits on the Board of Trustees of John Cabot University in Rome; the Board of the Ligurians in the World in New York; the American Society of the Italian Legion of Merit, who bestowed the title of Cavaliere Della Republica upon her; and the American Foundation of Savoy Orders, who knighted her a Dama di Commanda. Vivian won the Anne de Xainctonge award from Notre Dame at last year’s Chez Nous Benefit.
A View of Today’s ND
Of the current school, Vivian says, “I’m so proud of it. They have the best person at the helm (with a glance toward classmate Sr. Virginia). The school just keeps doing better and better, and they will continue to do so, as long as they stay true to their mission. What an amazing track record!” When asked to offer advice to today’s students, Vivian urges them to make strong connections and to remember, “It’s a family. It’s our house, and we treat it as such.” She hopes the students of today will study hard and be thoughtful and kind. “Keep your girlfriends—they’re very important.” For her part, Vivian has returned for almost every class reunion, even attending a reunion event the same morning as her mother’s funeral. She’s a firm believer in the uniform and its purpose as an equalizer. She urges students to explore culture by going to museums and the theater, and to read, read, read. She encourages students to serve their communities and to develop the habit of giving.
ND’s Future
For Vivian, gratitude for the school came naturally and immediately, noting, “I really think ND laid my foundation.” To her Chez Nous sisters on why they should give to the school, Vivian puts it clearly: “ND gave you a wonderful foundation. You’ve done well. It’s your duty to give back. That’s how my parents raised me. For instance, when you dine out, you leave a big tip, because that person will appreciate it. Affirm to people that they’re worth it. Treat everyone generously and equally.”
Notre Dame is extremely grateful to Vivian for her very generous gift in perpetuity, which allows the school to increase its scholarships for qualified students who need financial assistance. Without the generosity of Vivian and other alumnae like her, the school would not be able to grow its vital scholarship program. Over 70% of Notre Dame students receive tuition assistance. Vivian’s leadership annual gift helps make this possible. We know current Notre Dame students are inspired by and grateful to Vivian!
ND’s Associate Director of School Counseling, Carly Savino, married
Christopher Stawski on June 18, 2021 in Stroudsburg, PA. Congratulations, Carly and Chris!
Claire Littlefield, social studies
teacher, had a busy summer! She finished her Master of Science in Teaching, Adolescent Social Studies, from the Fordham Graduate School of Education, with a 4.0 GPA. Her final portfolio included lesson plans and Zoom recordings from Sophomore Native American History discussions, test prep sessions with AP World, and one-on-one research conferences with US history students. Claire reports that her field supervisors were so impressed by ND students! She expects to be certified with the state this fall.
Later in the summer, on July 24, 2021, Claire married Nate Lynch on Peaks Island in his home state of Maine. Their officiant was Deacon Mark Shiner, the Catholic chaplain at Colgate University, which both bride and groom attended. Claire was so grateful for the vaccines that allowed them to celebrate with friends and family!
Elizabeth Bixenman, Director
of Development and Alumnae Relations, welcomed a little baby girl on Saturday, May 15, 2021. Her name is Parker Rae Bixenman, and although tiny, she is certainly fierce! The family is feeling blessed and truly grateful for all of the love and support they have received from their Chez Nous family. This past year, music teacher and Art Department Chair Nicole Wakabayashi was able to collaborate with mxmtoon (whose real name is Maia), a New York based singer songwriter, who has gained traction on numerous social media platforms, notably TikTok (just ask any ND student!) with her song Prom Dress. Over the past few years, mxmtoon has released several EPs and full-length albums in addition to maintaining her online presence. mxmtoon’s management reached out to Nicole back in September of 2020 to shoot the NPR Tiny Desk performance, which was ironically shot at the world’s biggest desk (located right up the street from ND in Chelsea!) More recently, they performed together for a live streamed concert for GeniusLive over at their studios in Gowanus. Notes, Nicole, “As a music teacher, one of the most important things I can continue to do is remain an active performer.”
