Join us for our first SMC/Chicago Talks Zoom Series! This is a new virtual series where we will feature Belles from all years, industries and backgrounds to speak on topics you want to learn about and give advice. Each zoom webinar will be one hour and include a discussion from our featured Belle and a Q&A.

Speaker:
Megan Osberger ‘07, Mo Homes | Kale Realty

Topic:
If home buying feels out of reach — or, you’ve bought a home before but want a refreshed take on the market — this seminar is for you!

Buying a home is one of the most common ways we can build long-term wealth, but the process can feel confusing (and a little intimidating). In this Expert Belles series, realtor and SMC 2007 grad Megan Osberger breaks it all down in plain English. She’ll walk through the homebuying timeline step by step, explain how much you actually need for a down payment (spoiler: its not 20%) and share what to watch out for so you’re building financial security and not buying trouble.

All attendees who sign up will receive a link to the Zoom webinar. Make sure to RSVP via the form below!

Read along with us this month! For February we are discussing ASSEMBLY by Natasha Brown. This month our genre is BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), but we did not limit to America only. This short book is written by a British novelist. One of our club members reached out to a SMC professor for a book recommendation based on current reading at the college.

Synopsis:

This visionary and unflinching novel is about a black woman who has spent her life carefully navigating cutthroat worlds of privilege in her career and relationships—until one day she is pulled up short by a life and death decision.

Come of age in the credit crunch. Be civil in a hostile environment. Go to college, get an education, start a career. Do all the right things. Buy an apartment. Buy art. Buy a sort of happiness. But above all, keep your head down. Keep quiet. And keep going.

The narrator of Assembly is a black British woman. She is preparing to attend a lavish garden party at her boyfriend’s family estate, set deep in the English countryside. At the same time, she is considering the carefully assembled pieces of herself. As the minutes tick down and the future beckons, she can’t escape the question: is it time to take it all apart?

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

Please join the monthly Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s College Senior Alumni lunch on Thursday, February 12th at the Emerald Loop Bar & Grill (216 N Wabash).

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.

New to Chicago and just want to meet new people or find companionship? Join the ND Young Alumni Committee and SMC Chicago East Club for Singles Night Speed Dating!

Our goal is to create a fun and welcoming experience where you can meet and make connections. Join other fellow Fighting Irish alumni and Belles at Barcocina in Lakeview on February 12tht from 6-9 pm.

Speed dating/friending rounds will begin promptly at 6:30pm and last for approximately 3-5 minutes each. We will offer games to help break the ice and begin discussions.

While this speed dating event is targeted toward opposite gender connections, we are hosting a ARC Speed Dating/Friending event next week on February 17th for LGBTQIA+ Notre Dame Alumni and allies.

Your registration includes one drink and appetizers. We hope to see you there!

All are welcome! Come make connections and build community with fellow LGBTQIA+ Notre Dame alumni and allies at the ARC ND Mixer.

At this inclusive mixer, you’ll rotate through a series of 3–5 minute conversations with fellow attendees, regardless of gender. This format creates plenty of opportunities to connect—whether you’re looking for something romantic, a new friend, professional networking, or simply a great conversation.

Meet your match, find a new bestie, or recruit for your volunteer org or trivia team—you get to choose your own adventure!

After each conversation, you can anonymously note who you’d like to connect with for a future social or friendly connection. The organizers (your personal wing-people!) will follow up after the event to share any mutual matches.

Your registration includes guided conversation rotations, one drink, and appetizers. We hope to see you at Barcocina!

Join us for our first SMC Romance/Fantasy Book Club! Our traditional book club has been meeting monthly for over a decade (and will continue to do so!), but we're exploring this niche interesting club based on popularity and demand.

For this first meeting, don't let it stop you from joining if you aren't able to read or finish reading--just be prepared for spoilers!

📖 Book: A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

💌 Host & Discussion Leader: Amelia Crowe '23

📍Location: Lincoln Park TBC (public space)

📅 Date: Sunday, February 22 afternoon (time TBC)

If you would like to attend the meeting, please fill out the form below and more information will be sent to you on location and timing.

Celebrating 35 years of genre-defying innovation, the internationally-renowned Trinity Irish Dance Company returns home to make some noise at Chicago’s iconic Auditorium Theatre on February 28, 2026! Don’t miss your chance to experience the power of this critically-acclaimed company, seats are going quickly!

Saint Mary’s alumna, Judie Moore Green ‘74, works at The Auditorium Theater and has offered a discount code for Chicago Belles!

EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT - 10% off select tickets - PL2-PL4 - select ‘Promotions & Offers’ - ‘Irish Partners of Trinity Irish Dance Company’ - enter code CHICAGOIRISH

EXPERIENCE THE POWER OF TIDC WITH A GROUP! - 15% off groups of 10+ - contact rneil@auditoriumtheatre.org for more information

More info:
Celebrating their 35th Anniversary Season and fresh off historic runs at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival and New York's Joyce Theater, Chicago's internationally renowned Trinity Irish Dance Company brings their pioneering innovation and percussive power home to The Auditorium. Hailed as “a stunning program of groundbreaking dance” by Broadway World and “irresistible” by Dance Magazine, this one-night-only performance will celebrate groundbreaking premieres and the global impact of this 35-year-old pioneering legacy.

The evening will celebrate the Chicago premiere of a new work by MacArthur Genius Grant recipient and renowned tap choreographer Michelle Dorrance, as well as a world premiere by returning guest choreographers Jamey Hampton and Ashley Roland of BodyVox. TIDC’s mixed program will be rounded out by works that showcase the range of the company's genre-defying repertoire, celebrating their critically-acclaimed vision of pushing the boundaries of a cultural form while maintaining a strong reverence for its traditions. The evening will feature original live music performed by TIDC’s band, fronted by Killarney-native, New York-based Brenoshea.

Join us for our SMC/Chicago Talks Zoom Series! This is a virtual series where we will feature Belles from all years, industries and backgrounds to speak on topics you want to learn about and give advice. Each zoom webinar will be one hour and include a discussion from our featured Belle and a Q&A.

Speaker:
Shannon Zofkie ‘17

Topic:
From Surviving to Thriving: Managing Stress, Preventing Burnout, and Practicing Self-Care

Feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, or “on edge” all the time doesn’t mean you’re failing—it means your nervous system is overloaded. Shannon will break down what stress and burnout really are, how they show up in daily life, and simple ways to care for yourself before you reach a breaking point. You’ll leave with tools you can use right away to feel more balanced, focused, and supported.

Bio:
Shannon Zofkie is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and currently holds the position of Clinical Supervisor at Grace Integrated, LLC, specializing in treating a variety of mental health concerns. With 5 years experience, Shannon has worked with individuals who struggle with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, life transitions, identity issues, school performance anxiety, relationship issues, and body image. In addition, she also specializes in mental performance for athletes and performers. Shannon's goal is to help clients recognize how they can effectively and positively work through life’s events while collaborating on their strengths to do so. Shannon holds a BA in Psychology from Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, and a MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and a MS in Sport and Human Performance from Adler University in Chicago.

All attendees who sign up will receive a link to the Zoom webinar. Make sure to RSVP via the form below!

Join us on March 10th at a Belle’s home in Wrigleyville for our Q1 Happy Hour and an early Saint Patrick’s Day celebration! Attend to meet new Belles from all different class years, learn more about the Club plans for 2026 and celebrate St. Patrick's day.

As a reminder, appetizers at happy hours are free for all active dues paying club members. Not sure if you paid your dues? Send us a message and we'll double check for you!

Walk-ins are always welcome but please RSVP below so we can have an estimated headcount. The address of the happy hour will be sent to everyone who RSVPs.

Read along with us this month! For March, we are discussing BEAUTIFUL LITTLE FOOLS by Jillian Cantor. This month our genre is a twice-told tale or a retelling. This was a fun new genre for our club to explore! Coming just a year after the 100th year of THE GREAT GATSBY, we will read this retelling of a timeless classic (and English major favorite!) from the perspective of three women: Daisy Buchanan, Jordan Baker, and Catherine McCoy

Synopsis:

On a sultry August day in 1922, Jay Gatsby is shot dead in his West Egg swimming pool. To the police, it appears to be an open-and-shut case of murder/suicide when the body of George Wilson, a local mechanic, is found in the woods nearby.

Then a diamond hairpin is discovered in the bushes by the pool, and three women fall under suspicion. Each holds a key that can unlock the truth to the mysterious life and death of this enigmatic millionaire.

Daisy Buchanan once thought she might marry Gatsby—before her family was torn apart by an unspeakable tragedy that sent her into the arms of the philandering Tom Buchanan.

Jordan Baker, Daisy’s best friend, guards a secret that derailed her promising golf career and threatens to ruin her friendship with Daisy as well.

Catherine McCoy, a suffragette, fights for women’s freedom and independence, and especially for her sister, Myrtle Wilson, who’s trapped in a terrible marriage.

Their stories unfold in the years leading up to that fateful summer of 1922, when all three of their lives are on the brink of unraveling. Each woman is pulled deeper into Jay Gatsby’s romantic obsession, with devastating consequences for all of them.

Jillian Cantor revisits the glittering Jazz Age world of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, retelling this timeless American classic from the women’s perspective. Beautiful Little Fools is a quintessential tale of money and power, marriage and friendship, love and desire, and ultimately the murder of a man tormented by the past and driven by a destructive longing that can never be fulfilled.

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

Join us for our SMC/Chicago Talks Zoom Series! This is a virtual series where we will feature Belles from all years, industries and backgrounds to speak on topics you want to learn about and give advice. Each zoom webinar will be one hour and include a discussion from our featured Belle and a Q&A.

Speaker:
Laura Stevens Powell ‘02, CFP

Topic:
More info coming soon!

All attendees who sign up will receive a link to the Zoom webinar. Make sure to RSVP via the form below!