2015 IMPACT REPORT
LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR As the year comes to a close, I would like to thank you for supporting our student-athletes through your Rockne Heritage fund donations. You make the dream of wearing the blue and gold a reality. As a University, we strive to provide an education focused on the advancement of human knowledge in the pursuit of truth for all of our students, while striving for excellence in athletic competition. Your generosity enables us to provide this unique combination of education and athletic excellence for our, more than 700, student-athletes. In the last year, we have seen great success in competition including: Men s and Women s basketball won ACC championships, Molly Seidel won the NCAA Championship in the 10,000 meter race, and Fencers, Lee Kiefer and Francesca Russo, won individual National Championships. While we enjoy success in competition, we are extremely proud that our student-athletes have achieved the nation s #1 Graduation Success Rate for the 9th consecutive year and participated in over 11,000 hours of community service. In the following stories, you will see a few examples of our fantastic student-athletes and the impact that your gifts, through the Rockne Heritage Fund, have on the Fighting Irish. In Notre Dame, Alex Romagnolo Director, Rockne Heritage Fund 1
OUR STORIES Molly Seidel Class of 2016 Major: Anthropology Supplementary Major: Pre-health Track and Cross Country The 2015 NCAA 10,000 Meter Champion and 2015 NCAA Cross Country Champion continues to succeed on the course while maintaining her outstanding status as a student-athlete. Molly has been named to an all-academic team each year since she has stepped on campus. She strives to represent Notre Dame to the best of her abilities, no matter the setting. Throughout Molly s time at Notre Dame, Molly has constantly displayed the ability to overcome adversity. She is a great example for all other student-athletes and the Notre Dame family as a whole, as it is this ability to deal with adversity that is necessary for all of us to have when carrying out Fr. Sorin s mission of being a force for good in a world deeply in need. 2
OUR STORIES Anna Kottkamp Class of 2015 Major: Environmental Science Rower Speaking at graduation, Anna reflected on her experience at Notre Dame stating, Our moral education here at Notre Dame has challenged us to care about a range of issues Now it is up to each of us to respond to this challenge. It is evident from her Notre Dame story that Anna constantly responded to these challenges: first earning a varsity rowing spot, then earning a full athletic scholarship, and finally being the first student-athlete to be named Valedictorian. Anna is a prime example of what sets Notre Dame student-athletes apart the desire for success in athletic competition and in the classroom. Diamond Thompson Class of 2017 Major: Management Consulting Women s Basketball Since I stepped foot on campus during a visit, Notre Dame was my dream school. Earning a scholarship here was my motivation each time I walked onto the court or into the classroom. When Diamond was offered a scholarship by Coach McGraw during a recruiting trip, she committed before Coach could finish her sentence. Since entering the University, Diamond has been a part of one of the best women s basketball teams in the country. While she has enjoyed team success on the court, it is her off-court experiences that she believes have made her experience distinct. In the summer of 2015, Diamond was part of a group of students that traveled to South Africa to work with Hoops for Hope and Grassroots Soccer in rural communities. Having the opportunity to be with classmates in another country, while working with kids, was an experience like no other. 3
OUR STORIES Michael Shipp Class of 2016 Major: College of Science Preprofessional & Spanish Men s Soccer Evan Panken Class of 2016 Major: College of Science Preprofessional & Spanish Men s Soccer While Michael and Evan each strive for excellence on the field (they were a part of the 2013 National Championship team and won the Coastal Division of the ACC in 2014), they are also driven to succeed in the classroom. In the summer of 2015, they traveled to El Salvador with a group of college students from other universities to work with the House of Solidarity. On this month-long trip, they were each able to have hands-on learning experiences by working in the community, administering health screenings and checking on the well-being of newborns in impoverished areas of El Salvador. After mornings consisting of 4-5 hours of working in the community or local hospital, they would spend their afternoons in class and studying. Finally at the end of each day, they would find time to train in order to stay in shape for the upcoming soccer season. Evan Panken When asked about his Notre Dame experience off the field, Michael said, Growing up, I knew I wanted to come here. Notre Dame has always been part of my family. However, since I arrived in 2011, I have noticed that just like my own family, this Notre Dame family truly wants me to succeed. Everyone from Coach Clark to my academic advisor, Fr. Foster, is interested in my success on and off the field. Evan s first experience with Notre Dame was during a soccer camp after his sophomore year of high school. Since playing alongside his future teammates that weekend, he knew Notre Dame was the school for him, saying, The sense of family created by the coaches and the team is second-to-none. We all hold each other accountable for reaching our individual and team goals each and every day. This unity helps drive us all to succeed on and off the field. Michael Shipp 4
ALLOCATION BREAKDOWN In the 2014-2015 academic year, Rockne Heritage Fund members made gifts totaling $1.85 million. Your donations have helped provide the Notre Dame experience to over 700 student-athletes. The distribution of the total Rockne Heritage Fund gifts is below. Thank you for your continued dedication to the Fighting Irish. ROCKNE HERITAGE FUND FY15 Student-Athlete Scholarships...$1,531,068 Baseball...$21,320 Basketball Mens... $1,805 Basketball Womens... $7,810 Fencing...$25,157 Football...$22,188 Golf Mens... $2,095 Golf Womens...$14,095 Hockey...$31,030 Lacrosse Mens...$33,145 Lacrosse Womens... $9,375 Rowing... $1,985 Soccer Mens...$16,995 Soccer Womens... $7,185 Softball...$79,559 Swimming Mens... $4,360 Swimming Womens...$19,188 Tennis Mens... $3,400 Tennis Womens... $1,735 Track & Cross Country... $2,775 Other Sports...$13,728 YOU MAKE THE DREAM OF WEARING BLUE AND GOLD A REALITY. 5
1100 Grace Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556 Visit the Rockne Heritage Fund website: U N D. C OM/ROC K NE