In memory of Ashley Stopczynski, Class of 2013, SMC Chicago East Club Board Member and music teacher in Chicago, we are bringing back our virtual service project, Clear the List, this summer for Belles who are teachers. Ashely was a passionate music teacher in Chicago and she started this service project with the SMC Chicago East Club in the summer of 2024 before passing unexpectedly in August 2024. Join us in giving back in memory of Ashley.

Learn more about Ashley’s life and legacy here. See the results of our 2024 Clear the List Virtual Service Project here.

If you are not familiar with “clear the list,” it is a initiative focused on helping underfunded teachers get the funds or items they need for their classroom. Teachers set up a wish list of items or a donation page to accept funds. This helps teachers to provide their students with essential supplies and ensure they have a successful school year.

This summer we will be helping our Chicago-area Belles who are teachers to get set up for the 2025-2026 school year. If you are a teacher, please fill out the form below.

If you are an alumna who wishes to help these teachers, stay tuned for more details!

Teachers, fill out this form:

Please join the monthly Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s College Senior Alumni lunch on Thursday, June 19th at Emerald Loop Bar & Grill.

While this lunch is hosted by the ND Senior Alumni Committee, it is open to all ages, and open to both alums and friends.

RSVP to Jim Hynan (ND ‘74) at jhynan74@gmail.com if you’d like to attend.

Join the Notre Dame Club of Chicago and Guinness as we kick-off Summertime Chi at Guinness Open Gate Brewery on June 20th! New to Chicago? Come out to network and meet other young alumni in Chicago!

Registration includes 1 drink ticket and heavy apps. We hope to see you there!

Read along with us this month! The genre for June is a wildcard (any genre) and we chose a 2020 favorite THE VANISHING HALF by Brit Bennett.

Synopsis:

From The New York Times-bestselling author of The Mothers, a stunning new novel about twin sisters, inseparable as children, who ultimately choose to live in two very different worlds, one black and one white.

“A story of absolute, universal timelessness . . . For any era, it's an accomplished, affecting novel. For this moment, it’s piercing, subtly wending its way toward questions about who we are and who we want to be….” – Entertainment Weekly

If you would like to attend the meeting, please contact us and we will send you the address.

Join us as we partner with the ND Club of Chicago for an evening at Ravinia. All are welcome to attend! The evening will feature a variety of music from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. It is Ravinia's opening night for the CSO.

We will meet in a planned lawn location to plant our chairs, enjoy our snacks and beverages, and listen to fine music. Open to all alums and fans of ND and SMC, organized by the ND Senior Alum Committee.

$15 for lawn seat, $12 for seniors 60+. Make sure to buy tickets in advance online and then RSVP to Jim Hynan (jhynan74@gmail.com) to confirm you will be attending.

Since we will be seated on the lawn, Jim Hynan (ND ‘74) will communicate the meeting place on the lawn the week of the event.

Gate opens at 5pm and the concert starts at 7:30pm. Bring your own food, drink, and lawn chair for a very relaxing evening!

Read along with us this month! The genre for July is a "summer" book and we will be reading ONE ITALIAN SUMMER by Rebecca Serle.

Synopsis:

The New York Times bestselling author of In Five Years returns with a powerful novel about the transformational love between mothers and daughters set on the breathtaking Amalfi Coast.

Rebecca Serle’s next great love story is here, and this time it’s between a mother and a daughter. With her signature “heartbreaking, redemptive, and authentic” (Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author) prose, Serle has crafted a transcendent novel about how we move on after loss, and how the people we love never truly leave us.

If you would like to attend the meeting, please contact us and we will send you the address.

SAVE THE DATE:

On July 22nd, the Chicago Cubs are celebrating the students, alumni and fans of Notre Dame. The Saint Mary’s Chicago East Club is excited to partner with the ND clubs for this great evening.

Stay tuned for more information on how to purchase your ticket!