ND VARSITY BASKETBALL SLAM DUNKS CCS CHAMPIONSHIP PAGE 4
TRAILBLAZERS
MEET OUR 16TH ANNUAL WOMEN OF IMPACT HONOREES PAGE 7
CELEBRATE HATS OFF TO THE CLASS OF 2024 PAGE 10
Friday, Oct. 11 | 16 th
Dear Notre Dame Community,
I am humbled and brimming with pride for all our community has achieved this year. God's goodness is overflowing in students, parents, alums and friends of Notre Dame in San Jose and around the world! In this uniquely transitional year, you — our devout, expansive Notre Dame community have been a loyal anchor. Your presence and contributions are palpable and powerful.
Twenty years ago, seven Notre Dame Hallmarks were developed to describe the values that shape and define a Notre Dame Learning Community. Refreshed this year to meet the needs of our evolving world, Hallmark #3 now includes the "care for all creation" as a response to Pope Francis' Laudato Si' encyclical. These core principles, adopted by Notre Dame schools worldwide, continue to guide our daily work and long-term community initiatives:
1. We proclaim by our lives even more than by our words that God is good.
2. We honor the dignity and sacredness of each person.
3. We educate for and act on behalf of justice, peace and care for all creation.
4. We commit ourselves to community service.
5. We embrace the gift of diversity.
6. We create community among those with whom we work and with those we serve.
7. We develop holistic learning communities which educate for life.
In countless ways, Notre Dame faculty and staff meld the aforementioned ideals into coursework and cocurriculum programming daily. As we stretch minds to achieve optimal academic success, we expand hearts to cultivate the humanity within our burgeoning young leaders.
During the summer months, continue to celebrate our resilient Class of 2024. As we bid farewell to this inimitable class, let’s honor their collective contribution to the San Jose community. Serving more than 19,000
hours of service this academic year alone, this class leaves behind a distinct legacy of fortitude and commitment in which we can all be proud.
Notre Dame community, as you continue to pray for our students, let us also pray for the world around us; let us celebrate those who surround us; and let us rejoice in God who is within us.
Be kind, Notre Dame friends. Choose joy. And, remember that God is good.
Ashley Rae Mathis HEAD OF SCHOOL
Notre Dame Basketball Team Defies Odds, Makes History
On the morning of Notre Dame's first Central Coast Section basketball championship win, Julie Billiart Hall provided a comforting refuge from the nerves and pressure.
With a relaxed shooting practice before leaving for the Division III showdown against Mills High School at Santa Clara High, the echoes of the familiar gym were a soothing reminder of what the team was playing for: a school whose only Central Coast Section (CCS) title came in cross country 24 years ago.
"People didn’t expect us to go far," point guard Rio '25 admitted. But in February the Regents defied the odds and
captured their first CCS basketball championship. With only three returning varsity players – Gianna '24, Radhika '25 and Rio '25 – Notre Dame was faced with the challenges that come from inexperience, coupled with a promotion to the top-tier Foothill Division of the West Bay Athletic League. Their five competitors, however, had 32 CCS girls' basketball championships among them.
Though the Regents went only 3-7 in the league, they discovered something about themselves. "We never backed down," Rio said. "We might not win the game, but we win with effort. I don’t think the other teams expected us to be so hungry."
Led by the patience, thorough preparation and communitybuilding of ninth-year coach Ali Bueno and her staff of ND alums, the Regents coalesced during a challenging league season.
The team's goal during preseason was to advance past the CCS semifinals, where the Regents were eliminated in 2023 after the deepest run in school history to date. The team achieved its goal by overcoming a 14-point deficit against Prospect in the quarterfinals and ousting top-seeded Santa Cruz in the semifinals.
"You could see their confidence grow from, 'We just hope we get a playoff win,' to, 'We can actually do this,'" said Paul Lapke, director of athletics.
With the Notre Dame community on hand to cheer them on in the final, Notre Dame lost an 11-point lead but opened overtime with back-to-back baskets from center Amaris '25 to regain control. Finally, Rio hit a pair of free throws to clinch a 52-47 victory for the CCS championship.
When the buzzer sounded, Radhika, who scored a game-high 22 points, sat at the end of the bench crying uncontrollably. Two years earlier, she tore her anterior cruciate ligament and missed her freshman season. Since then, she’s willed herself to rise at 5 o'clock each morning to work on her game. At that moment, Radhika realized it was all worth it.
Despite being the #14 seed in the Northern California Division IV playoffs, the Regents won back-to-back overtime games in the first two rounds of the state tournament before their 16-13 season ended in the semifinals in the Humboldt County town of Arcata.
After failing to win more than two games in a row during the regular season, the Regents won six straight in the postseason – including three in overtime – and did so while playing their final six games on the road.
"There’s a new standard here at Notre Dame," Bueno told her team.
Radhika feels it too. She carries herself with a little more confidence than before and feels the perception of Notre Dame has changed as well.
"The fact that we’re making history means we’re on the upswing," Radhika said. "There are going to be more kids wanting to come to Notre Dame to continue this legacy." •
“I’m so excited for the future of Notre Dame basketball.”
— Radhika ’24
COACHES: (L) Sophia Arenas ’05, Nadia Truong ’19, Astrid Dominguez ’19, Becky Chang ’06, Ali Bueno ’06 (R)
Creating Women of Impact
From freshmen to seniors, Notre Dame provides opportunities for transformation
When young women arrive at Notre Dame, they are excited about everything from making new friends to taking interesting classes and participating in sports, clubs and other co-curricular programs.
They are also beginning a journey to become women of impact.
This transformation happens in many ways throughout their time at Notre Dame, and it is bookmarked by two treasured school traditions: the Woman’s Place Project (WPP) for freshmen and the Young Women’s Advocacy Summit (YWAS) for seniors.
The WPP is an art installation developed by the freshman class, which this year honored 177 women across time, culture and industry. This beloved Notre Dame tradition was inspired by the work of artist Judy Chicago and her iconic 1970's feminist project, The Dinner Party. This homage includes a massive ceremonial "banquet" with each place setting commemorating an important woman in history. In 1995, the project was adapted for Notre Dame’s freshman religious studies curriculum by Sr. Maureen Hilliard, SNDdeN.
Over the years, the project evolved into what it is today: an interdisciplinary study of the strength and contributions of women from centuries past to the modern day – from Ketanji Brown Jackson and Dolly Parton to Varshini Prakash and Dolores Huerta. Each student designs a place setting to honor a role model who has overcome obstacles and shattered preconceptions to become a woman of impact.
"When I was assigned Tu Youyou, I didn’t know much about her," said Aisa '27, who enjoyed learning about this Nobel laureate’s work. "It was really exciting to learn about this incredible Chinese chemist, especially since I am Chinese. One of my favorite parts was gathering the artifacts and being able to represent her in a place setting."
"The Woman’s Place Project is a signature experience that launches each student’s unique four-year journey at Notre Dame," said head of school Ashley Rae Mathis. "Crafted to showcase diverse, fierce attributes of women leaders, students stretch beyond the classroom to depict the essence of their honoree through art. While each piece innovatively honors the legacy of one woman, it also inspires the legacy of leaders in the making – whom we witness at the Young Women’s Advocacy Summit."
And that is exactly what happens at YWAS. When London '24 received a free NARCAN sample – an over-the-counter opioid overdose treatment – it was tucked away without much thought. Later, with friends, London taught them how to use the nasal spray.
"It was about a month later when my friend came to me and shared that she had actually saved someone’s life by using NARCAN," said London, who couldn’t have predicted this impact. "There was something that completely shifted in me after this experience, and I realized that I wanted to train as many people as possible to use this life-saving treatment."
And so, London's senior service learning experience was born. London put together workshops to train peers and teachers, found sources for NARCAN and focused on getting the word out to as many people as possible. In March, London was one of 161 seniors who shared their experience at YWAS when students presented reflections on their service learning experiences. In the fall, London will attend New York University to study addiction medicine and psychology.
For freshmen and seniors, these traditions are pillars of the Notre Dame journey, as students move from studying women of impact to becoming women of impact themselves. •
Women’s Leadership Week March 24-27, 2025
Celebrate women's leadership with us! Step into the experience of every student at Notre Dame by recognizing the lives and contributions of women across time and industry through the Woman's Place Project. Join us for our 30th anniversary celebration and related programming throughout the 2024-25 academic year.
AISA ’27
LONDON ’24
From Sunshine to Stage
Rue Mapp and Linda Park ’96 making a difference
Notre Dame's Women of Impact celebrates the contributions of women in Silicon Valley at an annual luncheon event. The 2024 honorees — Rue Mapp and Linda Park '96 — are shining examples of strong women who are making significant changes in our world. Both of these inspirational women will be recognized on Friday, Oct. 11, at the 16th annual Women of Impact, presented by Marvell. Early bird tickets will be available on Tuesday, Aug. 6.
2024 COMMUNITY HONOREE
Rue Mapp is the founder and CEO of Outdoor Afro, a national nonprofit that connects Black people through outdoor education, recreation and conservation. This movement started as a blog at her kitchen table and has grown to include 100-plus volunteer leaders who guide nature activities in up to 60 cities reaching 60,000 people annually.
"When I started Outdoor Afro, I knew it was my navigational north — I committed early and consistently to do everything I could to help fulfill its mission," said Rue, who has always loved nature and the joyous power of affinity communities. "I am excited about developing leadership and mentoring others. The last 15 years have taught me so much, and I want to honor that experience in the best way possible by passing on any wisdom I can to the next generation for their success and positive impact on the world."
Rue is an inspirational leader, speaker, public lands champion, outdoor gear designer through her for-profit venture,
Outdoor Afro Inc., and author of "Nature Swagger," which is a beautiful combination of photos and compelling stories of Black joy in nature. Her list of awards and distinctions is impressively long, but it’s her role as a wife, mother and grandmother that inspires constant personal evolution.
"I especially value challenging myself to learn new skills that help me remain humble about the types of challenges that I am asking people to overcome in their lives every day — especially as it relates to reconnecting with the outdoors and finding their agency as a leader within it," Rue said.
2024 ALUM HONOREE
When Linda arrived at Notre Dame, she loved acting but knew she needed to advocate to create opportunities to be on stage. After much persistence, she convinced the school of the importance of having a black box theater on campus, and Linda brought in Kenneth Kelleher of San Jose Stage Company to work with the theater department. Today she is a successful television, film and stage actress.
"I look back and am amazed at my younger self who was motivated by sheer inspiration, true passion and supportive teachers who pushed me to fight for what I believed in," said Linda, who acted in and directed Agnes of God and Urban Jungle. "The bravery we have in adolescence is very special, and I realize this was one of the most creative periods of my life but also when I found my strength."
After Notre Dame, Linda attended Boston University's Conservatory Theatre Arts program where she spent a semester studying at two illustrious schools in England: the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
Shortly after graduating, she played her first movie role in Jurassic Park III alongside Laura Dern then landed her first series regular role on Star Trek Enterprise. Her acting credits are long, from screen to stage, including her portrayal of Maggie the Cat in a professional Los Angeles production of Tennessee Williams' Cat On A Hot Tin Roof where she was the first Asian American actress to play the role.
"I don’t compartmentalize myself anymore as just an actor, a dancer or a mother because it’s all coming from the same source," said Linda, who said she believes that truth is one, but paths are many. "I realize that connection is what’s most important to me in this lifetime, and I’m always remembering that there is goodness and love in the world, which can be easy to forget." •
RUE MAPP
LINDA PARK ’96
Looking back...
AUGUST
• Faculty and staff kicked off the school year by gathering for Notre Dame's annual employee retreat at the Jesuit Retreat Center of Los Altos. This year’s theme was "Seekers and Storytellers."
• 686 students were welcomed to campus on the first day of school.
• ND's first-ever flag football season began.
SEPTEMBER
• 580+ parents and caregivers attended Back to School Night.
• Bishop Oscar Cantú of the Diocese of San Jose led more than 750 people from the campus community in prayer as we formally welcomed Ashley Rae Mathis as our Head of School at ND’s Mass of Commissioning.
• 24 students, 19 alum mothers and 5 alum grandmothers gathered for a special Legacy Breakfast on campus.
2023—2024
JANUARY
• ND's choirs participated in the Santa Clara University Choral Festival where they sang in a 220-person mass choir and performed a concert with students from surrounding schools, including Santa Clara University.
• Diversity Council put on ND's annual Diversity Showcase, which included a night market, a fashion show of cultural attire, spoken word, music and dancing from various groups on campus.
• Notre Dame faculty and staff were led by Chris Harris from Santa Clara University for a quarterly professional learning focused on Race, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion.
FEBRUARY
• 1,600 pounds of crab were consumed at ND’s sold-out, 21st annual Crab Fest, a fundraiser for co-curricular programs.
• Varsity Basketball took home a Central Coast Section championship for the first time.
• Nirvana Soul founders, Jeronica Macey and Be'Anka Ashaolu spoke at Notre Dame’s Black History Month assembly in a celebration of women’s leadership, sisterhood and the richness of our downtown location.
MARCH
• The Class of 2027 honored 177 historic women in the annual Woman’s Place Project art showcase.
• The Class of 2024 showcased their advocacy work at the Young Women’s Advocacy Summit, celebrating their collective economic impact of more than $350,000 in service to the local community.
• JB Hall was filled to the brim with joy during ND’s annual Spirit Week.
• Three Notre Dame students qualified for the state championship speech and debate tournament.
OCTOBER
• The ND community raised $190,000+ for tuition assistance at the 15th annual Women of Impact luncheon, presented by Marvell.
• Notre Dame welcomed back the Classes of 1953, 1958, 1963 and 2003 to campus to celebrate milestone reunions.
NOVEMBER
• Author Reyna Grande visited campus for the 17th annual ND Reads event. The community read the memoir, A Dream Called Home, which chronicled Reyna's journey as a first-generation Latina student turned author attending University of California, Santa Cruz.
2023—2024
• The ND community raised more than $100,000 for tuition assistance at the inaugural Day of Giving.
• The spring musical, The Lightning Thief, highlighted the talents of 106 students both on stage and behind the scenes.
• The Janksters traveled to Houston to watch the Robotics World Championship, and Miriam '25 was honored as a Dean's List finalist at the Silicon Valley Regional (details on p12).
DECEMBER
• Students from dance and music groups performed at downtown San Jose's Christmas in the Park.
• Campus Ministry, Latinas Unidas, ND's folklórico group and the ND Compadres parent resource group joined forces to create a night of culture and celebration at the 12 th annual Las Posadas.
Year in Review
• 412 students took 968 Advanced Placement exams.
• The Great Gatsby-themed prom was the highest-attended prom in ND history, with 92% of the senior class and 75% of the junior class in attendance.
• Faculty and staff welcomed over 450 guests from the incoming Class of 2028 at Freshman Family Welcome Day.
• Senior Recognition Night honored achievements for the Class of 2024, including 51 seniors who achieved highest academic honors (4.5 GPA or higher), 62 seniors were part of the National Honor Society and five seniors were recognized as National Merit Finalists.
• We celebrated the 173 rd graduating class of Notre Dame!
• 36 students experienced immersion trips to several exciting destinations. Cultural immersions took place in Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. An interfaith delegation visited Santa Fe, New Mexico. A delegation attended the student leadership conference in Boston, Massachusetts.
• ND summer programs were a success! Be sure to check our website in February to register for Summer 2025: www.ndsj.org/summer
Blue & Gold D R A G O N S
The Blue and Gold Dragons took flight on Saturday, June 1, as Notre Dame's 173 rd graduating class received their diplomas. It was a truly memorable celebration of 161 graduates, including a poignant Valedictory Address from Anchal '24 and a Salutatory Address from Julie Billiart Award recipient, Ashukem '24.
Ashukem shared in her address, "Notre Dame has been a symphony of diverse voices, each contributing to a greater melody. The Dragons have learned to appreciate the beauty of our differences and the strength of our unity. Together, we have created a harmonious community that celebrates our unique gifts and common values."
Special thank you to Jessica Pierce '01 who imparted her wisdom to the next generation of women of impact in her address to the graduates as they reached this exciting milestone.
Spotlight on STEM STEM
At Notre Dame, students interested in STEM careers are encouraged to pursue opportunities both inside and outside of the classroom. This school year, several members of our community received awards and recognitions based on their work in STEM.
Maya '24 was recognized as one of the top 300 scholars in the Regeneron Science Talent Search 2024, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors. The scholars were selected from 2,162 applications received from 712 high schools across 46 states, Guam, Puerto Rico and 10 other countries.
Chelsey Beck, Notre Dame educator and alum from the class of 2012 received the 2024 Teacher of Merit Certificate from the Regeneron Science Talent Search.
Miriam '25 won the FIRST Dean's List Finalist Award at Silicon Valley Regional with the Janksters. She is the fifth Notre Dame student to achieve this honor, which recognizes students who exhibit leadership and dedication to FIRST's mission of providing robotics programs that give young people the skills, confidence and resilience to build a better world.
Sumayyah '24 moderated a panel for The Tech Interactive's Pave It Forward Mentoring Lunch. This event celebrates their STEM Inclusion Initiative and provides a community engagement opportunity for STEM professionals to mentor students.
Shriyanka '27 and Aarini '27 won 3rd place at the 2023 U.S. Congressional App Challenge, representing the 19th district of the US Congress. As part of the competition, the students created an app called "Girlz Elevate" which aims to help with mental health issues for girls aged 10-19.
MAYA ’24
SHRIYANKA & AARINI ’27
CHELSEY BECK ’12
MIRIAM ’25
SUMAYYAH ’24
Downtown Doors Art Competition
Four Notre Dame students have been honored by the 21st annual Downtown Doors Student Art Competition, and their original artwork has been reprinted on doors around downtown San Jose.
Since 2003, the San Jose Downtown Association has put on the Downtown Doors competition, which garners over 350 applications from high school students around the city each year. These four ND students are among 20 honorees in this year's competition.
"I’m so fortunate to be privy to the creative accomplishments of our ND students," said Chris Johnson, visual arts teacher at Notre Dame. "It never ceases to amaze me. It's exciting to know their work will be shared with a broader audience."
The installations are now available to view around downtown San Jose.
Congratulations to Kara '26, Megan '24, Yulong '26 and Anoushka '26!
The Little Things by Anoushka ’26 301 Market Street
Gold Ao Dai by Megan ’24
301 S. Market Street
(San Carlos Street Side)
People Watching by Yulong ’26
170 S. Market Street (near the main entrance of Signia by Hilton)
Overcoming Hardships by Kara ’26 Passageway between 50 W. San Fernando Street and San Jose Museum of Art
Charlotte Richards ’21 With funding from Pitzer's Institute for Global/Local Action and Study (IGLAS), Charlotte participated in a program in Selçuk, Turkey, last summer introducing a new approach to STEM.
Caroline Connell ’18 is spending a semester abroad with Semester At Sea, a floating university with 600 students. She is taking classes while at sea and exploring Spain, Malta, Greece, the Suez Canal, Oman, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand.
Veronica Romo ’15 graduated with a Master of Engineering, Biomedical Engineering from UC Irvine. She is the first in her family to obtain a master's degree.
Madeleine Kirkland ’12 Darmody married Patrick Darmody last September in a ceremony at St. Anne's Catholic Church on Mackinac Island in Michigan. Their reception was held at The Grand Hotel, where her family has visited for three generations. She is currently working in interior design in Los Angeles, CA.
Veronica Eldredge ’12 Veronica is a mixed-media visual artist and cultural worker who has appeared in Salinas at the National Steinbeck Center, at the California History Center at DeAnza College and with the All Womxn’s Showcase in San Jose. She is currently illustrating children’s books, including ¡Iván y van! A Bilingual Adventure, forthcoming from Chatwin Books this summer.
Faith Fermin ’10 Hayes gave birth to baby boy Dane Demosthenes Keali'iaukai Hayes on December 16, 2023.
Neda Lahidji ’09 released her first single Unknown Soul last November. It’s now available on all major streaming platforms. Her play, HOPE, was also selected for a short play festival in Los Angeles.
Nicole Connell ’05 Five ND alums were involved in creating and publishing the "Girls Shine Bright Empowerment Card Deck". Nicole Connell '05 gathered a group that included four ND alums: Anusha Trivedi '23, Genesis Ortiz '23, Tri-An Pham '23 and Yana Puri '22.
Angelica Ramos-Allen ’01 In addition to welcoming her first child, Emilia Joslynn "EJ" Allen, in 2022, Angelica was honored to be selected for two 40 under 40 awards in 2023. She was recognized for her work in recruiting, training and electing women into political office, and for her work as the Policy Lead for Children, Families and Special Projects for Santa Clara County Supervisor Ellenberg.
Melissa Payne ’99 Waters recently started working as a pastry chef for Live Nation. She is creating desserts for tours in venues all around the Bay Area. She even made a birthday cake for Sting!
Angela Lumba-Brown ’97 Dr. Lumba-Brown is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at Stanford University. She sits on the Board of Scientific Counselors for the CDC and recently opened a pediatrics and head injury clinic in Palo Alto. She is a graduate of the Stanford Center for Compassion and Altruism, and now teaches a class at Stanford. Her weekly meditations are open to the public through her website, "Metamorphema."
Marie Kandler ’97 Beland married her husband, Patrick in 2016 and moved to Georgia in late 2018. In May 2021, they welcomed a baby boy, Nikola.
Suzan Belfield ’75 is starting her second act and is enrolled in the Negotiation, Conflict and Resolution Peacebuilding graduate program at Cal State University Dominguez Hills.
Kathy Terranova ’62 Noether As an Associate of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, Kathy spent Holy Week volunteering alongside other Associates with asylum seekers along the Mexican border in Arizona.
Class of 1984 Celebrates 40 Year Friendship
The Class of 1984 has been getting together for the past 10 years, and last month 21 Pandas gathered to celebrate their 40th reunion. They met in Santa Cruz, which was where they visited for their Senior Sneak Day. The alums reminisced and celebrated their bond, and even gave a special toast to their classmates who had passed away. They were treated to an amazing meal cooked by classmate and chef, Holly Pugliese '84, Glo DeAngelis '84 and Lina Pereira '84 Vieira.
Alum
& Senior Networking Lunch
More than 50 alums came back to campus to officially welcome the Class of 2024 into the alum network. The seniors enjoyed networking with alums from classes of the 1950s to the 2000s. They also listened to a special keynote address by Astrid Dominguez '19 who discussed how the alum network has made an impact on her.
