Donor PROFILE Bob and Phyllis Downs Hart ’85 P’16’22’23 Notre Dame is blessed to have had multiple women in the Downs family attend Notre Dame. Can you share your family's Notre Dame legacy? I am one of seven sisters who graduated from the Academy of Notre Dame between 1985 and 2008. I have three aunts and three cousins who are also alumnae, and four daughters of my own at various stages in their Notre Dame relationship: Audrey started in 2009 and graduated in 2016, Jillian and Sabrina are currently in the middle school, and Scarlett will enroll in 2019. With the exception of one year, my mother has had a daughter or granddaughter enrolled at Notre Dame every year since 1981. That’s a long time! Why did you choose Notre Dame for your daughters? To be able to share Notre Dame with my daughters is a blessing and a gift for me. Notre Dame is everything we could ask for in terms of cultivating our daughters into strong, independent thinkers with empathetic hearts. What were the most important lessons you, Phyllis, learned while a student at Notre Dame? Beyond the formal education, the Honor Code has made a significant and sustaining impact on how I conduct myself in life and in business. I also learned a great deal about friendship!
What inspires your family to support Notre Dame as volunteers and donors? The Sisters of Notre Dame, the vision of Saint Julie, the warmth of the teachers, and their desire to see the girls excel and succeed inspires our family to support the Academy. We are both eager to ensure that our daughters, and future generations of women, benefit from the exceptional education Notre Dame provides.
A longtime involved alumna and parent, Phyllis has most recently served as a volunteer on the BLAST Committee. Bob serves as a member of the Villanova Chapter of the President’s Advisory Council.
2016-2017 Annual Report I ACADEMY OF NOTRE DAME DE NAMUR
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