Name Janice Monagle Milley
Sport Basketball
Dorm Breen-Phillips
Graduation Year 1985
Major(s) Accounting
Occupation CPA-Director Budget-Urban Outfitters
Spouse Roger Milley
Children? Names/Ages Kyle-15, Kevin-12, Connor-10, Casey-6
Spouse/children who attended Notre Dame? N/A
Hometown Brooklawn, NJ
Current residence Mt. Laurel, NJ
What are your thoughts on celebrating 35 years of women's athletics at Notre Dame? We did not appreciate the significance of celebrating 10 years of women attending ND while we were there. I look back and see how short 10 years is and am proud I was part of the first groups of women who played at ND. Now, I am amazed by the number of women's varsity sports and the success so many programs have had. I also think we all felt that we made our best friends on our team...I still feel they are my best friends. Here's to La, Scooth, CB, Ruthanne, TM, and all our teammates!
What is your best memory of your time as an athlete at Notre Dame? When I went to Notre Dame, I told my father, one of the greatest Notre Dame fans who ever lived, that I was going to tryout for the basketball team. He was worried I would be disappointed if I did not make it, but I told him I just wanted to try. The best phone call I ever made was when I called and told him, "Dad I made the team!" and he asked, "the freshman team?" "No Dad, they don't have a freshman team here." He said, "The Junior Varsity?" No, Dad, they don't have a Junior Varsity here." When he incredulously asked, The Varsity?" and I could answer that yes, I had made the varsity, I could feel his happiness through the phone. I think the entire town knew I was a walk on at Notre Dame when I returned for the holidays.
Why did you choose to come to Notre Dame? Notre Dame was always my dream. I came to Notre Dame for the great academics and to live the experience. I truly felt that I tried to appreciate everything I experienced at Notre Dame and recognize that it was special, from the Emil classes to the pajama breakfasts, to the late nights at LaFortune and all those practices and long bus rides.
What has been the most rewarding experience for you in your professional career since leaving Notre Dame? While working in the budgeting area, I founded the childcare center at Charming Shoppes 14 years ago. All my children attended...it was a huge benefit for many parents at our company and it was always my passion to ensure that our children received quality care and great education. In addition, I am the president of our township basketball league where we run leagues for over 1700 children in grades kindergarten to 12th grade. How has your Notre Dame experience helped you in your career? I truly think I learned how to work on a team. Being one of the kids whose job it was to push the stronger players to get better, I am able to assume any role on a team that needs to get a job done. I find I function better when I have a role on a team and work my hardest so I do not let my team down.
Name Shannon Byrne Batal
Sport Women's Golf
Dorm Farley Hall
Graduation Year 2004 (undergraduate); 2006 (Master of Education)
Major(s) Undergraduate- Political Science and Spanish; Graduate- Elementary Education through Alliance for Catholic Education
Occupation3rd grade teacher
Spouse Joe Batal
Children? Names/Ages None
Spouse/children who attended Notre Dame? Joe Batal (class of 2004)
Hometown Arlington Heights, IL
Current residence Mansfield, TX
What are your thoughts on celebrating 35 years of women's athletics at Notre Dame? How awesome is that! Being a student athlete at Notre Dame taught me so much about hard work, leadership, and time management. It gave me an opportunity meet amazing teammates and golfers from around the world. What a blessing and privilege it was to represent the University of Notre Dame. Thank you ND for the opportunity to grow as an individual and as a member of a team. I'm thankful for all those women who competed before me and blazed the trail. And I can't wait to cheer for the next 35 years of ND women's athletics. Go Irish!
What is your best memory of your time as an athlete at Notre Dame? My favorite ND athletic memory is of the Big East tournament my junior year. We hosted the tournament at the Warren Golf Course in April. The weather was unusually frigid for that time of year. In fact it was so bad that I witnessed another team's player lock herself in the bathroom stall. Despite the coaxing of her coach, I don't believe that player ever came out of the restroom to tee off. While they other teams whined, complained, and hid in the bathroom, my teammates and I really buckled down to win the conference tournament. I can still vividly remember how proud we felt after that win.
Why did you choose to come to Notre Dame? My family has always cheered for Notre Dame. I can recall attending football games as a little girl. My parents and grandpa used to take me to campus for Fighting Irish football and family bonding. When I got to the end of high school I was looking for a university with both strenuous academics and competitive athletics. Notre Dame presented that balance in a faith filled community complete with strong traditions and solid values. Coming to Notre Dame was one of the best choices I've made in my life so far.
What has been the most rewarding experience for you in your professional career since leaving Notre Dame? Immediately after graduating in 2004, I began ACE. ACE, the Alliance for Catholic Education, is a graduate service program of the University of Notre Dame. For two years, I served as the third grade teacher at Santa Cruz Catholic School in Tucson, Arizona. What Santa Cruz lacked in material resources or funding, it made up for in faith and commitment to teaching all God's children. It was a privilege to continue representing the university, as a teacher, after my athletic days ended. In typical Notre Dame style, ACE is a fablulous teacher education program. The professors and staff really prepared me to teach. And the kids I taught made such an impact on me that I have decided to make a career out of educating children. I can't say enough about the myriad of ways the university has shaped me as a person and a professional.
How has your Notre Dame experience helped you in your career? As a student athlete, I remember feeling completely overwhelmed a couple of times during my four years. For example, my freshman year I was convinced that I would not be able to attend practices and still earn a decent grade in Economics. And yet no matter how stressed I felt, I always found a way to get it all done. Over time, I came to believe that I could accomplish nearly anything if I set my mind to it. The University surely prepared me academically, but that "bring it on" attitude that I learned as a student-athlete is what I rely on most as a teacher. Good teachers don't throw in the towel on challenging students. I believe the can-do (no matter how crazy) mindset makes all the difference in my teaching and interaction with kids.
Name Karen Korowicki Bush
Sport Field hockey and swimming
Dorm Lyons
Graduation Year 1984
Major(s) Philosophy
Occupation Attorney with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Spouse David
Children? Names/Ages John - 15; Katherine - 11
Spouse/children who attended Notre Dame? My children hope to!
Hometown Doylestown, PA
Current residence Lynchburg, VA
What are your thoughts on celebrating 35 years of women's athletics at Notre Dame? It's wonderful that Notre Dame is celebrating 35 years of women's athletics. Athletics is a wonderful way to learn important life lessons and have a great time while doing so! Teamwork, sportsmanship, dedication, and friendship are just a few of the traits experienced while participating in sporting activities. Sports can be an important part of any young person's life - -especially for young women. The benefits of athletics should be celebrated throughout life.
What is your best memory of your time as an athlete at Notre Dame? What a tough decision this is! I smile at so many wonderful memories. But I think the one thing that stands out is something our field hockey coach Jan Bishop said to us once at practice. It was to the effect of "Ladies you are here to practice field hockey. If you are thinking about your homework or next exam or some problem in your life, you cannot give 100% to this game. There's nothing you can do about those other issues while here. Give 100% to what is in front of you right now or chose to not be here and give 100% to those other issues." This philosophy has served me quite well both personally and professionally throughout the years.
Why did you choose to come to Notre Dame? I fell in love with the school during my first visit. One can truly sense a unique aura about the campus. A student coming to Notre Dame doesn't leave one's family; rather they gain more family members as they attend the school and continue to meet other family members throughout one's life.
What has been the most rewarding experience for you in your professional career since leaving Notre Dame? Being selected to represent the U.S. Trademark Office's Telework program in a program broadcasted to Federal agencies nation-wide. Being able to work from home has enabled me to schedule my time so I can `be a Mom', volunteer at my children's schools, take care of my mother during her terminal illness, train for triathlons, all while working in an incredibly rewarding job. I was honored to be selected as the face of the Trademark work at home program.
How has your Notre Dame experience helped you in your career? The expansive family helped me get my law career started. My first job during law school as a law clerk was sealed when I interviewed with one of the partners who was Domer. Whether I am lecturing at law schools or merely chatting with applicants, I have been constantly quizzed on `did you know so-and-so', or learn about whom from their family attended, or at the very least get into a lively sports discussion!
Name Haley Scott DeMaria
Sport Women's Swimming
Dorm Lyons Hall
Graduation Year 1995
Major(s) BA- History
Occupation Former high school history teacher, swim coach; current stay-at-home mom
Spouse Jamie DeMaria
Children? Names/Ages James Cody - 4 ½ Edward Scott 2 ½
Spouse/children who attended Notre Dame? Graduation Year? Husband - Jamie 1995 (Manager)
Hometown Phoenix, Arizona
Current residence Annapolis, Maryland
What are your thoughts on celebrating 35 years of women's athletics at Notre Dame? I think it's awesome. There is so much to celebrate over the past 35 years - so much that many people don't know about - on the field, off the field; involving both current and former student athletes. I know it will be a wonderful celebration of accomplishments, fellowship and friendship.
What is your best memory of your time as an athlete at Notre Dame? Two strong memories come to mind - one specific, one in general: My first race back competing for Notre Dame after suffering a broken back during the swim team bus accident was the pinnacle of my swimming career. I also remember the pride I felt each time we swam at an away meet. I always loved wearing my blue and gold swim parka on other campuses.
Why did you choose to come to Notre Dame? I knew from my recruiting trip that I wanted to swim for coach Tim Welsh. I sensed he was the type of person I wanted as a mentor and to guide my swimming career.
What has been the most rewarding experience for you in your professional career since leaving Notre Dame? Teaching high school and witnessing the impact - on a daily basis - a teacher can have on their students. I loved the interaction and sharing my love of history.
How has your Notre Dame experience helped you in your career? I had fantastic history professors at Notre Dame who shared their love of history in their unique ways. As a teacher, I drew colored maps on the board, like Father Kirby and often lectured from my notebooks from Father Blantz's classes.
Name Katie (King) Doree
Sport Golf
Dorm Cavanaugh
Graduation Year 1998
Major(s) Marketing
Occupation Associate Director of Major Gifts, Gonzaga University
Spouse Gavin Doree
Hometown Spokane, WA
Current residence Spokane, WA
What are your thoughts on celebrating 35 years of women's athletics at Notre Dame? I think that this celebration is a great opportunity to highlight the amazing accomplishments and history associated with 35 years of women's athletics at Notre Dame. The women's athletic programs at ND have ascended to the top in each of their respective sports in part due to the efforts of those original pioneering women.
What is your best memory of your time as an athlete at Notre Dame? My best memories of being a student-athlete at Notre Dame occurred every time I stepped onto the first tee - having the chance to compete for Notre Dame was an honor I never took for granted.
Why did you choose to come to Notre Dame? I wanted to attend Notre Dame from the time I was a child - it was a dream come true to not only attend, but compete at the Division I level for a University I admired and loved for so long.
What has been the most rewarding experience for you in your professional career since leaving Notre Dame? The most rewarding experience for me professionally is having the opportunity to work with generous alumni, parents, and friends of Gonzaga University in laying the foundation for future generations of students to attend this great University.
How has your Notre Dame experience helped you in your career? The Notre Dame experience has shaped my life in so many ways both personally and professionally, that it would be hard to pick just one area. The friendships and relationships developed during my time as a student continue to impact my life on a daily basis.
Name Carrie (Bates) Hart
Sport Basketball
Dorm Lewis
Graduation Year 1985
Major(s) American Studies
Occupation Assistant Program Manager--Volunteers of America Northern New England--Penobscot County Adult Community Corrections
Spouse Divorced - Dan Hart
Children? Names/Ages? Wesley Charles Hart, 18
Spouse/children who attended Notre Dame? Graduation Year?Dan Hart, 1985
Hometown Kansas City, MO
Current residence Bangor, ME
What are your thoughts on celebrating 35 years of women's athletics at Notre Dame?I'm very proud to have been a part of the history of Notre Dame athletics. I vaguely remember attending the 10th anniversary mass my freshman year. I'm hoping to be able to make it for the 35 year celebration.
What is your best memory of your time as an athlete at Notre Dame?The best memories of my time as an athlete at Notre Dame are the friendships I made with my teammates and all of the time we spent together. I know that I'll never have those types of relationships with anyone else again in my lifetime.
Why did you choose to come to Notre Dame? I chose Notre Dame because of the great combination of academics and athletics. After my first recruiting visit, Notre Dame was a hard place to say no to.
What has been the most rewarding experience for you in your professional career since leaving Notre Dame? My most rewarding experience in my professional career since leaving Notre Dame is having the power to choose what I want for a career. I've changed career paths a few times since graduation, and I realize I've always got the history of my time at ND behind me to help me make choices.
How has your Notre Dame experience helped you in your career? My Notre Dame experience has helped me in my career by reminding me that hard work gets you somewhere. Hard work in academics and in athletics teaches you more than most know who haven't participated at this level.
Name Kathleen, "Katie", Hierlihy (maiden name Shannon)
Sport Women's Golf
Dorm Lewis Hall
Graduation Year 2005
Major(s) Mathematics
OccupationActuarial Analyst - Benefits consulting
Spouse Chip Hierlihy
Children? Names/Ages None
Spouse/children who attended Notre Dame? None
Hometown Bloomfield Hills, MI
Current residence Manassas, VA
What is your best memory of your time as an athlete at Notre Dame? My best memories are of traveling with the team. There is not one particular trip that stands out, but I enjoyed the camaraderie (and the break from dining hall food) on all of them.
Why did you choose to come to Notre Dame? My father went to ND, so I grew up wanting to go to ND. The strong academic reputation and the fact that it is a Catholic university also appealed to me. And, of course, the opportunity to play golf, along with a partial scholarship also influenced my decision.
How has your Notre Dame experience helped you in your career? My Notre Dame experience taught me perseverance: in high school good grades were easy to get and being the best on the golf team did not take much effort, but at Notre Dame, I had to learn how to work to get good (decent) grades and I had to work just to make it into the top 6 on the golf team. It also taught me to reach out for help from others. I had always been taught to help others, so seeing that quality in many ND staff and students did not surprise me, but at Notre Dame I learned how to look to others for help as well. It was easy to learn to ask for help since there was always someone willing (coaches, teammates, roommates, professors, etc.).
Name Patti Decoste Guido
Sport Field Hockey
Dorm Lewis (1), Badin (3)
Graduation Year 1979
Major(s) Sociology
Occupation Special Education Teacher, Grade 3
SpouseAl Guido
Children? Names/Ages Stephanie-16, Katie-14
Spouse/children who attended Notre Dame? The girls HOPE to attend
Hometown North Easton, MA
Current residence Middleton, MA
What are your thoughts on celebrating 35 years of women's athletics at Notre Dame? I am thrilled the University has begun to honor the women athletes of Notre Dame. It was wonderful to see the women's volleyball team honored at the UCLA football game this past weekend. I'm looking forward to the celebration in April. But...why did it take so long to do this????
What is your best memory of your time as an athlete at Notre Dame? I was proud to be a co-captain of the field hockey team in my junior and senior year. Field hockey was a club sport for my first three years, and was ranted varsity status for the 1978-79 school years. My best memory is when we learned we had been granted varsity status. I had worked with our coach, Astrid Hotvedt, and others to write the proposal, so we were thrilled that our mission was a success and that another women's sport was being recognized by the University.
Why did you choose to come to Notre Dame? Good question...but no "good" answer. I'm not really sure about the "why" but have NEVER regretted my decision. I think I applied without giving it a lot of thought but, once I was accepted, ND was the only school I wanted to attend. I loved the campus (even when I first visited in February), and the challenges of the first years of co-education.
What has been the most rewarding experience for you in your professional career since leaving Notre Dame? The most rewarding aspect of my career is the career change I made 5 years ago. After 20 years working for an airline, I took a leave of absence to help care for my terminally ill mother in 1999. I had considered going back to school to become a teacher, and took the opportunity to make the change after my Mom passed away. Mom was a teacher too, and I'm honored to share in her profession.
How has your Notre Dame experience helped you in your career? The experiences and challenges of attending a school like Notre Dame help prepare you not just for a career but for life experiences. Notre Dame brings together people from all over, with differing upbringings and beliefs. Being a member of the Notre Dame family teaches you to accept and celebrate differences.
Name Wendy Krayer (formerly Crabtree)
Sport Tennis
Dorm Breen - Phillips Hall (Freshman year); Siegfried Hall (Sophomore-Senior year)
Graduation Year 1996
Major(s) B.B.A: Finance
Occupation Marketing and Client Service for Delta Partners, LLC, a hedge fund
Spouse Jim Krayer
Hometown Concord, MA
Current residence Boston, MA
What are your thoughts on celebrating 35 years of women's athletics at Notre Dame? The university's recognition and celebration of a long history of success in women's athletics is exciting. I feel very fortunate to have been part of such an incredible tradition and to have benefited from the commitment to women's sports at Notre Dame.
What is your best memory of your time as an athlete at Notre Dame? There are many wonderful memories from my time as an athlete at Notre Dame: participating in the NCAA tournament at both the team and individual level, seeing our team finish 1996 ranked #6 in the country, and learning from a great coaching and training staff. However, the close friends I made on the team who are still my close friends today, and the camaraderie we shared is my best memory.
Why did you choose to come to Notre Dame? For me, Notre Dame had the perfect combination of a very strong academic program as well as a long history of success in athletics, a history which is supported and embraced by the school. Notre Dame ensures that every athlete feels the support of the university both on the field and off the field.
What has been the most rewarding experience for you in your professional career since leaving Notre Dame? Currently, I am responsible for raising money from individuals and institutions for Delta Partners' various investment funds. The most rewarding experience has been helping the firm grow its assets under management from $300 million in 2002 to $1.7 billion today.
How has your Notre Dame experience helped you in your career? My Notre Dame experience helped me learn about commitment, teamwork, leadership, composure, handling adversity, prioritizing and achieving a balanced life.
Name Maggie Lally
Sport Basketball
DormWalsh Hall
Graduation Year1981
Major(s) Pre-Med
OccupationPhysician
SpouseJohn Marous
Children? Names/Ages Carlie-18, Jack-16, Molly-15, Kelly-13, Dan-11, Andy-3
Spouse/children who attended Notre Dame? None, yet! Hope to have one there next fall if accepted.
HometownSharon, PA
Current residence Pittsburgh, PA
What are your thoughts on celebrating 35 years of women's athletics at Notre Dame? Fantastic idea. Looking forward to meeting many of the more recent athletes, but I think it is a great idea for the young athletes to see some of us old timers, too! We have a lot to be proud of...all of us women!
What is your best memory of your time as an athlete at Notre Dame? When Fr. Hesburgh stuck his head into our huddle before the start of the second half of the state championship game in 1980 and told us to go out and win this one! Wow!
Why did you choose to come to Notre Dame? Academics, tradition, religious affiliation, and older siblings having gone through the ranks.
What has been the most rewarding experience for you in your professional career since leaving Notre Dame?Academics, tradition, religious affiliation, and older siblings having gone through the ranks.
How has your Notre Dame experience helped you in your career? Absolutely. Great networking. People respect a Notre Dame grad in a way that no other school graduate experiences. There are so many subway alumni, and they welcome very warmly a "real" alumnus in their company.
Name Beth Larocca
Sport Volleyball
Dorm Lyons
Graduation Year 1980
Major(s) BBA, Accounting
Occupation Teacher
Hometown Homewood, IL
Current residence Flossmoor, IL
What are your thoughts on celebrating 35 years of women's athletics at Notre Dame? It is about time! I petitioned the University twice for varsity status for volleyball. While varsity status came too late for me, I was thrilled about the possibilities for those that followed. Women's athletics at Notre Dame have come a long, long way. To be honest, I think they do a better job than the men's!
What is your best memory of your time as an athlete at Notre Dame? Playing. Most of my other memories are not necessarily good ones. For example, practicing in the ACC on the concourse next to the ice rink (cold as heck!); having a $1,000 budget, no paid coach, no uniforms. Traveling via van and the team staying at my parens' home (no money for hotels), competitors not believing we were really from ND, etc.
Why did you choose to come to Notre Dame? I wanted an academic challenge, a small school relatively close to home. I also wanted to attend a religiously-affiliated school and the campus was beautiful.
What has been the most rewarding experience for you in your professional career since leaving Notre Dame? Working with young adults - both in high school and at the college level. I feel I have honestly impacted the lives of many of my former students.
How has your Notre Dame experience helped you in your career? I continue to fight for the "underdog", as I work mostly with at-risk students. I felt I did the same at ND, fighting for women's athletics when Title IX first came out and the men at ND were quite upset with it (hockey was cut as a way to finance the required women's sports).
Name Lizzy Lemire
Sport Softball
Dorm Farley Hall
Graduation Year 2001
Major(s) Sociology & Computer Applications
Occupation Assistant Softball Coach - University of Notre Dame
Hometown Irvine, CA
Current residence South Bend, IN
What are your thoughts on celebrating 35 years of women's athletics at Notre Dame? It's amazing to celebrate 35 years of athletics at Notre Dame. Women have been such an integral part of the History of Notre Dame, especially since their entrance in 1972. Women's athletic have grown tremendously in 35 years and its amazing to look at the development of the programs over the course of time. For me its most important to recognize the athletes early on, who were really the pioneers of their respective sports. They paved the way for our current student-athletes and without their efforts, our girls would not have the opportunities they have today. It's nice to see that aside from the dominance of Notre Dame Football, that our women's athletic programs have carried themselves to national presence. For me, it is really important to celebrate that and honor those who have been a part of that!
What is your best memory of your time as an athlete at Notre Dame? The everyday time spent with my team is what I remember most. The time spent in practices, the locker room, training room, weight room and on road trips is where the majority of our memories were created. I will always look back at that, and have fond memories of my teammates and the program I was a part of.
Also I look back at 2001 and the year our Women's Basketball team won the National Championship. Although I was a softball player, it is one memory that sticks out the most in my head at Notre Dame. I was good friends with many of the players. The campus rallied to welcome back the team and celebrate their victory. It was probably 3:00 in the morning and the entire campus was out on Main Circle waiting for the team to arrive. The bag pipers were playing and music was blasting from everybodys dorm windows. Once the team bus rounded Notre Dame Ave., everyone went nuts and we celebrated all night with the team. It was such an amazing experience to see how thousands of students and staff all cared about a woman's sport that much. I remember thinking to myself how special Notre Dame really is. I have that night on video to remember forever.
Why did you choose to come to Notre Dame? For the same reasons most other students come to Notre Dame; the sense of Family, Tradition, Community, Spirituality, Excellence and of course the great education.
What has been the most rewarding experience for you in your professional career since leaving Notre Dame? Actually it has been coming back to Notre Dame after 5 years of being away. This place has had that much of an impact on me, that it is most rewarding for me to come back here and work in an professional atmostphere and still be a part of the Tradition, Community, Family, Spirituality and Excellence every day.
How has your Notre Dame experience helped you in your career? I feel prepared to work anywhere after Notre Dame. I feel like the combination of my education and the strong network of Alumni will always be there for me to establish myself in a wide range of professions across the board, in any state of the country!
Name JoAnna Masloski
Sport Track and Field, Cross Country
Dorm Knott & McGlinn
Graduation Year 2000
Major(s) International Relations, Concentration in Public Policy & Latin American Studies
OccupationNational Marketing Director for the Wellbridge Company
SpouseJesse Masloski
Children? Names/Ages None
Hometown Eden Prairie, MN
Current residenceWhite Bear Lake, MN
What are your thoughts on celebrating 35 years of women's athletics at Notre Dame? Notre Dame has grown quickly and honorably in women's athletics. Even though the programs are young women are treated as equals in respect, coaching, facilities and funding. It is exciting that Notre Dame is celebrating this accomplishment and the accomplishment of many athletes who have overachieved in their pursuit for gold at Notre Dame not just on the field but in the classroom and the community.
What is your best memory of your time as an athlete at Notre Dame?My freshmen year at my first Varsity Cross Country Meet. There was truly a magical moment when I took off my sweats to unveil my ND Uniform and take the line for the Irish. From that day and throughout my athletic career at ND the magic never died.
Why did you choose to come to Notre Dame?Amazingly enough I didn't even know where Notre Dame was before I came for a visit. But, as soon as I arrived on campus I knew it was the place for me. With beautiful buildings, friendly people, realistic yet competitive coaches and a strong support team for athletes I knew that I wanted to attend.
What has been the most rewarding experience for you in your professional career since leaving Notre Dame? Managing & working with people. I was given the opportunity to manage a National Marketing Department who was behind $250K and had a staff of 13 talented Marketing Professionals who weren't using their skills to their advantage because they weren't happy working there. 9 months later the budget was in the positive and the staff were best friends in and outside of the office. This made work a lot more fun, a lot more creative and a lot more successful for my company.
How has your Notre Dame experience helped you in your career? At Notre Dame I learned a lot about being a teammate and being a leader, and how you can do both at the same time. I also learned that being at the top is a lonely place unless you can do both. In the classroom I learned that you are sometimes down but never out. I failed a few tests and wrote terrible papers but none of my professors gave up on me. They kept encouraging me to go further and try new things. They were always available to help me get better if I chose to do that. Because of these things I felt obligated to try harder because everything I needed to get there was available to me. I have now taken this philosophy into managing my team.
Name Sheila O'Connor
Sport Softball
Dorm Walsh Hall
Graduation Year 1987
Major(s) Psychology/Sociology
Occupation Marketing Manager
Spouse Brook Hilleary
Children? Names/Ages Wrigley (Shih Tzu)-10 weeks
Spouse/children who attended Notre Dame? N/A
Hometown Oshkosh, WI
Current residence Indianapolis, IN
What are your thoughts on celebrating 35 years of women's athletics at Notre Dame? It's wonderful that athletics have grown so tremendously at Notre Dame!
What is your best memory of your time as an athlete at Notre Dame? The camaraderie that came with the craziness of playing a club sport (practicing at the ACC at 11:00 p.m. because we were the lowest priority sport, playing games at local high schools because we didn't have our own field, etc.)
Why did you choose to come to Notre Dame? Small community and great academics.
What has been the most rewarding experience for you in your professional career since leaving Notre Dame? As a manager at Eli Lilly, I have the good fortune to be part of delivering literally life-saving products to patients and hear stories daily about how those products have changed peoples' lives.
How has your Notre Dame experience helped you in your career? The high level of competition between very intelligent people prepared me to succeed in the similarly competitive business world. Notre Dame also provided invaluable leadership opportunities--the skills I learned there continue to drive my success today.
Name: Jennifer Hall O'Dell
Sport?:Tennis
Dorm Breen-Phillips
Graduation Year 1999
Major(s) Accounting
Occupation Audit Manager, Deloitte & Touche LLP
Spouse Eric O'Dell
Hometown Oklahoma City, OK
Current residence Chicago, IL
What are your thoughts on celebrating 35 years of women's athletics at Notre Dame? I think this is a great celebration for women's athletics. Notre Dame athletics has provided many women with great opportunities over the last 35 years and I feel very honored and lucky to have had such a wonderful experience as a Notre Dame athlete.
What is your best memory of your time as an athlete at Notre Dame? My best memories of my time as an athlete at Notre Dame would have to be all the times spent with my teammates whether it was on road trips, early morning practices, or just hanging out in the dining hall. One of my favorite memories of a match was my freshman year when we beat the University of Texas who was ranked in the top 5 and the NCAA champions in the prior year.
Why did you choose to come to Notre Dame? I chose to attend Notre Dame because of the rich tradition and the combination of excellence in academics and athletics. The first time I visited Notre Dame I could tell it was a very special place and that all of the people associated with Notre Dame (coaches, professors, administration and students) were people of integrity that I could learn a lot from and people I would want to build life long relatioships with.
What has been the most rewarding experience for you in your professional career since leaving Notre Dame? The most rewarding experience in my professional career since leaving Notre Dame is being a member of the Board of Directors of a Not for Profit Organization - Tennis Opportunity Program ("TOP"). TOP's mission is to provide economically disadvantaged children with the opportunity to achieve excellence - as students, as tennis players and as citizens. I truly believe that TOP is a fantastic organization that provides kids with great opportunities, both in tennis and academics, and helps them reach the ultimate goal of a college scholarship. I know that I am a better person for having been involved in tennis and I enjoy giving other kids that same opportunity.
How has your Notre Dame experience helped you in your career? My Notre Dame experience has helped me in many ways throughout my career including teaching me importance of dedication, discipline and striving to be the very best in everything I do. Notre Dame provided me with a great education and opportunities to network and build relatioships that will continue to help me throughout my career.
Name Christy Raines (maiden name: Donnelly)
Sport Rowing
Dorm Badin
Graduation Year 2005
Major(s) Accountancy
Occupation Investment Research Assistant
Spouse Chris Raines
Children? Names/Ages None
Spouse/children who attended Notre Dame? None
Hometown Peoria, IL
Current residence Waltham, MA
What are your thoughts on celebrating 35 years of women's athletics at Notre Dame? It is an incredible achievement for Notre Dame and all female athletes. I am honored to be part of the celebration with so many talented women.
What is your best memory of your time as an athlete at Notre Dame? The most memorable times are all the hours spent on and off the water with my teammates and representing Notre Dame in races across the country.
Why did you choose to come to Notre Dame?Notre Dame embodied all that was important to me in a higher education: superior academics, the importance of morals and values in education, spiritual life, unparalleled athletics, a national university, and an outstanding alumni network.
What has been the most rewarding experience for you in your professional career since leaving Notre Dame? Since graduating in May 2005 I have lived in two different cities with two different jobs-Goldman Sachs in Philadelphia and Commonwealth Financial in Waltham, MA. The most rewarding experience for me was acting on my priorities and leaving Philadelphia when I did to be with my fiancé in Boston.
How has your Notre Dame experience helped you in your career? Notre Dame helped me in meeting other young ND alums when I lived in Philadelphia and in the job hunt when I moved to Boston. The alumni whom I reached out to were more than willing to help in any way that they could.
Name Kristine Richards
Sport Cross Country/Track
Dorm Pasquerilla West and Cavanaugh
Graduation Year 1995
Major(s) History
Occupation Attorney, but currently taking time off to stay at home with 2 (soon to be 3) kids.
Spouse Brian Richards
Children? Names/Ages Conor (age 4) Grace (age 2) baby 3 due October 31
Hometown Sandusky, Ohio
Current residence Chicago, Illinois
What are your thoughts on celebrating 35 years of women's athletics at Notre Dame? I am very excited and glad ND is doing something to recognize the amazing accomplishments of womens athletics at Notre Dame. I am also excited about seeing many of my former teammates and friends at the event.
What is your best memory of your time as an athlete at Notre Dame? Probably the national championship meet in Lehigh Pennsylvania my junior year.
Why did you choose to come to Notre Dame? To receive an excellent education-athletics was not a priority until I was there.
What has been the most rewarding experience for you in your professional career since leaving Notre Dame? Working as a lawyer for a large law firm and then a multi-national investment firm was rewarding in itself. I think the most rewarding was being able to switch practice areas after five years and quickly develop an expertise in a different area of the law. Now the most rewarding experience for me is to watch my children grow and develop into the little people I hope they become.
How has your Notre Dame experience helped you in your career? Notre Dame taught me that hard work and discipline are the keys to success.
Name: Jennifer Sharron
Sport: Women's Softball
Dorm: Farley Hall
Graduation Year: 2001
Major(s): Communications: Film, Television and Theater
Occupation: Field Producer on ABC's Late Night Talk Show Jimmy Kimmel Live
Hometown: Agoura Hills, CA
Current residence: Southern California
What are your thoughts on celebrating 35 years of women's athletics at Notre Dame?
It is well known that the storied tradition of Notre Dame was built by some of the most prolific male athletes in the history of college athletics. While many may still think that the Fighting Irish athletic tradition is tied solely to the Football team, women's athletics has more than altered that perception and proven otherwise by adding to the tradition a number of National and Conference Championships in soccer, basketball, softball, etc. The Notre Dame family didn't just add women's athletics 35 years ago, they embraced it and gave it equal support with the men's programs consistent with Notre Dame values, which we have all learned is the real Irish tradition.
What is your best memory of your time as an athlete at Notre Dame?
My best memory as an athlete at Notre Dame was having the opportunity to play with my sister Jessica. Growing up we were very close, best friends, and each other's biggest supporter. Both pitchers, we would practice together for hours pushing one another to get better. No one was more proud than I, when Jessica came to Notre Dame and joined the softball team. Notre Dame prides itself on tradition and family values, so it seems only appropriate that I was able to share the greatest of my Notre Dame experiences, being a student-athlete, with my sister Jessica. I am forever grateful to the Notre Dame coaching staff, Liz Miller and Deanna Gumpf, for giving Jessica and I this wonderful opportunity.
Why did you choose to come to Notre Dame?
Growing up in sunny Southern California as a part of the 90210 and Melrose Place generation, traveling to the Midwest to experience four seasons was the furthest thought in my mind when choosing a college. Then I was fortunate enough to visit Notre Dame on a typical Fall Saturday. I chose Notre Dame because of the beauty of the campus, the magnificence of the marching band, the inspiration of the football team, the warmth of the student body, the opportunity for an excellent education, the vast alumni network and most importantly, the tradition. To experience the tradition alone would have been enough for me to come to South Bend; however, to have the opportunity to contribute and become part of the tradition, was a once in a lifetime opportunity, one I could not pass up, one I will never regret, a privilege afforded to so few.
What has been the most rewarding experience for you in your professional career since leaving Notre Dame?
My first job out of college was a production assistant on the NFL Pre-game Show on Fox, where I worked long grueling hours for very little pay. Just as in most entry level positions, you work tirelessly hoping to get an opportunity to move up. One of my major responsibilities was to support Jimmy Kimmel's "Football Picks" segment on the show. After working one season at Fox Sports, in recognition of my work ethic and attitude, Jimmy Kimmel personally offered me a position on his new late night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live. Being recruited by Jimmy Kimmel, the executive producer, creator and host of the show, was indeed my most rewarding experience in my young career.
How has your Notre Dame experience helped you in your career?
Upon graduating from Notre Dame and interning in the athletic department for a year, I moved back to Southern California to pursue a career in television production. When I called to schedule an interview with the hiring executive at Fox Sports, he took the call and spontaneously began singing the Notre Dame Fight Song. Four years later, after starting at Fox Sports as a production assistant on the NFL Pre-Game Show and moving to the ABC Corporation, earning three promotions, I am now the youngest Field Producer at Jimmy Kimmel Live. It's the "never say die fighting spirit" of Notre Dame that attracted me to the University and has stayed with me into my career, helping me to grow personally and professionally.
Name: Maureen Kelly Shinnick
Sport: Cross Country and Track and Field
Dorm: Pasquerilla East
Graduation Year: 1996
Major(s): English (and Secondary Education through St. Mary's)
Occupation: Cross country coach and stay-at-home mom
Spouse: David Shinnick
Children: Kelly (6), Matt (4), and Danny (2) ...with #4 on the way!
Spouse/children who attended Notre Dame? Graduation Year?: Dave graduated in 1995
Hometown: Arlington Heights, IL
Current residence: Dallas, TX
What are your thoughts on celebrating 35 years of women's athletics at Notre Dame?
I think it's fantastic! Athletics in general and running at Notre Dame in particular instilled in me the confidence that I could handle any challenge I met in life. Alongside of my faith, athletics has been one of the most formative elements in my life, and I love seeing Notre Dame continuing to support and encourage women in sports--adding new sports like women's lacrosse and helping provide financial aid through the Monogram Club. I'm proud to have been a part of women's athletics at Notre Dame, but I'm even more thrilled to see how strong and successful it stands today
What is your best memory of your time as an athlete at Notre Dame?
Qualifying for cross country NCAA's (fall '93) is probably my best memory as an ND athlete. We were on top of the world during the bus ride back to campus after the District meet! We had just qualified for Nationals for the first time ever, and we listened to Notre Dame play #1 ranked Florida State , and the Irish won. The whole experience was more poignant because my freshman year was the first year that women's track and field was a varsity sport, and women's cross country was still a young program. I had the opportunity to help lay the groundwork for what has become one of the top women's distance running teams in the country, and I made lifelong friends along the way. Our senior year (fall '94) I qualified for NCAA's as an individual when the team failed to qualify. (I believe I was the first female to go to cross country NCAA's as an individual?) All of my teammates drove to Arkansas to cheer me on; every one of those teammates was at my wedding five years later, and we're all still in touch.
Why did you choose to come to Notre Dame?
Strong academics and its Catholic nature first attracted me to Notre Dame. I visited campus during the fall of my senior year of high school and went to a home football game (the Irish won) and a Morrissey SYR--I was sold. Running for Notre Dame was a secondary consideration, but certainly one of the best decisions I ever made. I am forever grateful to Tim Connelly for taking a chance on me and allowing me to be a part of his program.
What has been the most rewarding experience for you in your professional career since leaving Notre Dame?
I don't know that I can pinpoint one professional experience as being my most rewarding, but what I have enjoyed more than anything is being a coach and watching the growth and successes of my athletes. In my time at Ursuline, they have won six state titles between cross country and track and field, and can compete with the top public school programs in Texas. Watching their willingness to put their heart and soul into their endeavors is thrilling. Some of my favorite success stories, however, are the JV athletes who discovered something in themselves they did not know was there. One girl, Rachel, was our last JV runner her junior and senior year, a quiet, likeable girl who did not see herself as an athlete but was always willing to work hard. Being a part of the team was important to her, and by the time she graduated, she identified herself as a runner. Within a year, she ran her first half marathon, averaging 8 minutes a mile: the same pace she had run in her two mile races in high school. I was there to see her crying with happiness at the finish line, and it is an amazing experience to watch the discovery of the potential of the human will and spirit through athletics.
How has your Notre Dame experience helped you in your career?
I had the unique opportunity of beginning my running experience at Notre Dame as a walk-on and our very last runner, and I finished my running career as our first runner, captain, and MVP on scholarship. I believe I got the full benefit of what distance running has to offer, including facing down self doubts, confronting fear of failure, setting high goals, working as a team member, and being a leader among my peers. While at Notre Dame I focused more on the competitive aspect of running; but in the ten years since graduation, I have been able to truly appreciate the strength of character and commitment to purpose running helped forge. As a high school cross country coach, I have a fantastic opportunity to encourage the same personal growth and athletic excellence in my runners.
Name Carol Lally Shields, MD
Sport Women's varsity basketball
Dorm Farley
Graduation year 1979
Major(s) Science
Occupation Ocular oncologist
Spouse Dr. Jerry Shields
Children? Name(s)/Age(s) Jerry-18, Patrick-17, Billy Bob-16, Maggie Mae-15, John-13, Nellie-10, Mary Rose-6
Spouse/children who attended Notre Dame? Jerry will be a freshman this year.
Hometown Sharon, Pennsylvania
Current residence Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
What are your thoughts on celebrating 35 years of women's athletics at Notre Dame? I am so proud to be a part of the 35 years of women's athletics at Notre Dame. I participated in athletics during the early years when only women's tennis and fencing were varsity. I chose to play basketball on the first club team and then was on the varsity team. The memories from those years are overflowing, and rich with happiness, excitement, disappointment, discipline, determination, and in the end victory. We have so much to celebrate with all of the major achievements, national championships, and sell out crowds. Each of us played different sports during different eras with different skills, but in the end we had the same goal--victory for Notre Dame.
What is your best memory of your time as an athlete at Notre Dame? There are so many good memories to choose from while an athlete at Notre Dame. Not all memories were pleasant. Let's not forget missing tests and making them up on random dates, rushing to labs and rushing out to catch the bus for a game, getting up early on Sunday so you could practice for a Monday game, and leaving Christmas vacation from your family to go back to desolate, snow covered castle to practice. But the good memories outweigh the bad memories. There is one that I still keep with me in my bedroom closet, in my home in Philadelphia. This memory is part of my uniform and actually is the tennis shoes that we purchased from Nike the year we became varsity basketball in 1977. Nike had some white shoes with a black logo on the shoes. To comply with our uniforms, we painted the logo green. I still keep these dust covered shoes in my closet and I hope somebody, someday, will be interested in them.
Why did you choose to come to Notre Dame? I chose to go to Notre Dame for its academic reputation. I had no knowledge that I would be playing varsity athletics. I was teased one evening in October when I saw the flyer that was taped to a wall in Farley Hall inviting women to play club basketball. On a lark I went to the gym and tried out. Luckily I made the team and the rest was history. In retrospect, I went to Notre Dame for its academic reputation, but my best memories were on the basketball court.
What has been the most rewarding experience for you in your professional career since leaving Notre Dame? The most rewarding experience for me, in my professional career, happens to me everyday. Each day in my medical practice I see patients who come to visit us from long distances. Some come from California, some from Arkansas, some from Argentina. The most rewarding experience is to see the patients return with satisfaction that their eye cancer has been well treated, their life has been saved, and they can see. This is especially rewarding when this is achieved in a young child.
How has your Notre Dame experience helped you in your career? So much of my experience at Notre Dame has been applied to my long term professional career. But the one thing I that remains most important is the ability to work with one another. This I learned in my courses and in my labs that as most important on the basketball court. Team work is what makes a program succeed. Willing to pass the ball or set up a player for a shot, pull down a rebound and share it with your other team members makes it all work well. This sort of team work goes on every day in our practice. So it is okay to not be the high point person, not be the highest rebounder, and not be the best foul shooter, as long as you work with the team in achieving its goals, you have succeeded.
Name : Theresa Mullins Shorey
Sport : Basketball
Dorm : Breen Phillips
Graduation Year : 1984
Major : American Studies
Occupation : Teacher
Spouse : Les
Children : Mary Elizabeth 15, Devin Ryan 11
Hometown : Wilmington,DE
Residence : Hockessin, DE
What are your thoughts on celebrating 35 years of women's athletics at Notre Dame? : I am very proud to have been a part of such an amazing sports heritage at the University of Notre Dame. I was privileged to be a part of the University's commitment to a Division I women's basketball program. To see how the program has grown, and witness the success it has achieved with such grace has been awesome. I feel as though I had a small part in laying the foundation for such a strong competitive program.
What is your best memory of your time as an athlete at Notre Dame? : My best memories as an athlete at Notre Dame revolve around the friendships forged with my teammates, gritting it out in practice, traveling on the road, studying and laughing. Our common drive to be the best we could and our love for the game made every moment on and off the court special and FUN. We traveled to Alaska my freshman year to play in the Northern Lights Invitational - incredible! My sophomore year we brought the program to a new level by earning a national ranking in defense. Being named a co-captain both my junior and senior year was an honor and a highlight.
Why did you choose to come to Notre Dame? : My oldest brother, Brian, graduated from ND and I had always loved the idea of attending Notre Dame. However, I only decided to apply after finding out that the basketball program was jumping to Division I;playig Division I basketball was a dream of mine. And, while I was an all-state player in little old Delaware, I was not highly recruited. I was a hard worker, though. I knew that if I worked my tail off I could walk on to the team and really contribute as a player, at least in the first two years. As it turns out, my stats won't impress too many people. But, I was able to contribute more significantly, as a leader to the young blue-chip players joining a growing program by setting an example for what it takes to prepare to win.
What has been the most rewarding experience for you in your professional career since leaving Notre Dame? : As a teacher, everyday is a rewarding experience in its own way! The direct and indirect impact my life has on the lives of those I teach constantly amazes me. I have influenced teenagers to examine their own lives as they devour good literature and I have guided Prekindergartners to grow in their play. Short of being a parent and spouse, there's been no greater reward. Helpcareer : The discipline of being a student athlete at Notre Dame has helped to shape my work ethic. The spiritual aspects of campus life helped to strengthen my faith.
Name Terri Taibl
Sport Golf
Dorm Walsh Hall
Graduation Year 2003
Major(s) Spanish (Minor: Anthropology)
Occupation Currently applying to law school
Spouse N/A
Children? Names/Ages N/A
Spouse/children who attended Notre Dame? N/A
Hometown Elm Grove, WI
Current residence Chicago, IL
What are your thoughts on celebrating 35 years of women's athletics at Notre Dame? Being a part of the ND Women's Golf Team was an experience that I will always treasure. The friendships I made with girls on the team are lifelong; after spending day after day at practice and tournaments I feel like they are family. Being a Notre Dame athlete helped to make my college career one of the best times in my life. I learned so much about myself during those four years and I am extremely grateful to all those women before me who made the athletic program possible.
What is your best memory of your time as an athlete at Notre Dame? There is no one memory that stands out, rather it is a collection of them- like a slideshow- that I remember most. Team dinners, van rides, winning tournaments, losing tournaments, and most of all, lots and lots of laughs.
Why did you choose to come to Notre Dame? I chose Notre Dame for a couple of reasons. On my recruiting trip, I had a great time meeting the girls and felt as though I would really fit in with them. The school was the perfect size and I felt that the combination of athletics and academics was one of the best in the country. I also felt right at home the first time I visited the campus.
What has been the most rewarding experience for you in your professional career since leaving Notre Dame? Getting my first "real" job out of college was the most rewarding experience for me. It can be a daunting task when you realize that you finally have to step up to the plate and put that degree to work!
How has your Notre Dame experience helped you in your career? Because of my golf experience at Notre Dame, I was able to continue working in the golf industry after I finished school. I first had an internship with the PGA TOUR and then took a full-time position with Titleist. I don't think I would have had either opportunity had it not been for my experience at ND. Being an athlete at such a high profile school will definitely open doors for you. The alumni network is also amazing and can be very helpful!!
Name : Katy Verduzco
Sport : Women's golf
Dorm : Lewis
Graduation Year : 1995
Major : Accounting
Occupation :Mother
Spouse : Steve Verduzco
Children : 3 Children-Will (5), Sara (3), Nicholas (1)
Spouse/children who attended Notre Dame? Graduation Year?Spouse (Steve Verduzco) attended - did not graduate from ND as he left school to play professional baseball for Houston Astros. Played baseball for 2 years at ND.
Hometown : Kalamazoo, MI
Residence : Kalamazoo, MI
What are your thoughts on celebrating 35 years of women's athletics at Notre Dame? : Very excited about 35 years of women's sports at ND. They just keep getting stronger and stronger and I am so proud to have been a part of it.
What is your best memory of your time as an athlete at Notre Dame? : Breaking 80 on the golf course in a tournament!
Why did you choose to come to Notre Dame? : Always wanted to attend ND and when I was accepted, I was so happy and that I knew that is where I wanted to be.
What has been the most rewarding experience for you in your professional career since leaving Notre Dame? : I was a CPA for 5 years and now I am a stay at home mother of three young children all under the age of 5. It is rewarding for me to see them grow and develop each and every day. I couldn't think of anything better than being a mother.
How has your Notre Dame experience helped you in your career?ND taught me morals and values to live my life by and to teach to my own children.
