Stories

Geraldine Mukumbi ’16 left her native Zimbabwe to come to Notre Dame in search of a kind of academic freedom. Still entertaining aspirations of a “practical” future, the Hesburgh-Yusko scholar entered as a finance major. But her heart was always with the arts.

Ask Micah Allred ’22 J.D.  and Nick Mohr ’22 J.D. about their work in Notre Dame Law School’s National Immigrant Justice Center Externship, and they’ll tell you two seemingly disparate things: it was ordinary and it was life-changing.

Ever since he was a high school student in Jacksonville, Florida, Conor Hanney ’14 has had two passions: television production and championing individuals with cognitive disabilities.

In a commitment to public service, DeJorie Monroe ’16 is pursuing a career in diplomacy and international affairs as Notre Dame's first Charles B. Rangel Graduate Fellow.

Working with under-resourced children and families has brought Emily Rupchock EMNA ’20 a lot of satisfaction over the years, but that wasn’t the only outcome. Her work with these communities brought another beautiful — if unexpected — gift: a daughter.

Each year, the Notre Dame Alumni Association distributes free postcards for students, faculty, and staff to write and send messages to the mother figures in their lives. This year, we asked five students to write and narrate their cards on camera.

As a psychiatry resident, podcast host, ABC News medical correspondent, children's book author, and mental health advocate, Nick Nissen M.D. '16 is working to destigmatize mental health struggles and to teach emotional intelligence and empathy.

As the first in her family to graduate college, Joan Mileski '79 now works to support today's first-generation students as a professor and head of the Department of Maritime Business Administration at Texas A&M-Galveston.

In 2017, former teacher and principal Krystal Hardy Allen ’07 founded K. Allen Consulting, an educational and management consulting firm that supports a variety of organizations in diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

After graduating from Notre Dame’s ROTC program, Kelechi Ndukwe '02 was one of two African American officers on the ship in his first Navy posting. Now a commander, in 2021 he became the second Nigerian American to command a U.S. Navy destroyer and now serves as a mentor to younger sailors.

As a Notre Dame law student, Tia B. Paulette '18 J.D., resurrected a latent Innocence Project chapter and helped turn it into the Notre Dame Exoneration Justice Clinic, which seeks to correct the miscarriage of justice for the wrongfully convicted.

Jessica Pedroza ’17, a 2021 Domer Dozen honoree, is working to increase equity in the U.S. education system through legislative action.

His sister's experience fighting cancer lead Dr. Rene Bermea '12 to a career in medicine. Now, the lung transplantation specialist not only treats patients, but continues to pursue research in an effort to understand and better treat interstitial lung disease.

“Whether it’s an unjust food system or healthcare system inequalities or social determinants of health, I think partnership and policy are the best ways for us to achieve the scale of change that’s actually needed for it to be felt broadly,” Maria Hinson Tobin ’14 M.S. said.

Domer Dozen honoree Zoe (Rote) Kourajian ’16 teaches her middle school history students history through a lens that reflects their own experiences.

Lisa Herb '88 founded the Alliance for International Women's Rights to support women in developing countries. Until August 2021 when the country fell back under Taliban rule, AIWR focused its efforts in Afghanistan and is now working with other groups to help Afghan women leaders flee the country for their safety.