Growing up in the barrio of Detroit, JoAnn Chávez ’86, ’90 J.D. could have found herself trapped in the cycle of poverty and addiction that surrounded her. Yet, though that cycle afflicted her own family, Chávez made her way to Notre Dame, where she was determined to write her own narrative—not in spite of her upbringing, but because of it.
“My father told me to never forget where I came from—and I have not,” Chávez says. “He knew I was going to college. He believed in me. He believed in me when I didn’t even know I should believe in myself.”
After earning her bachelor’s and law degrees in South Bend, Chávez found success in the business world, ultimately rising to become chief legal officer of DTE Energy. But while she found success in the boardroom, she found purpose in helping la próxima generacíon as the founder, president, and CEO of the Michigan Hispanic Collaborative, a non-profit organization that focuses on economic equity and providing opportunities for first-generation students to graduate from college.
“The idea is to give them the things that some kids learn at home,” Chávez says. “We’re teaching them about more than going to college; we’re teaching them about how to expand their horizon.”
For her work with youth for the betterment of their quality of life, Chávez was honored with the 2025 William D. Reynolds Award by the Notre Dame Alumni Association.
