Lorraine Armstrong (Physician, Alum, Mother of Students)

I cannot be quiet after hearing recent developments for the future curriculum at Notre Dame. When both of my children were looking at colleges I stayed out of their decision making process even though I was a graduate. They looked at a combined total of at least 27 colleges and universities. Although admitted at most of their choices, they withdrew applications from some, such as University of Pennsylvania...because of their strong secular emphasis and lack for respect for core values. With both of our children, when it came down to the difficult decision on the night before the required moment that they had to submit their choice, Notre Dame won. 

Notre Dame won over Georgetown's School of Foreign Service, and over the Naval Academy. I quietly celebrated because I recalled my amazing experiences at Notre Dame 35 years ago. I am now a physician but have no significant memories of my premedical courses...other than Dr. Hoffman's amazing methods of teaching. My life changing courses were in Theology and Philosophy. Father Malloy and Father Dunne were powerful beyond words. They and my other theology class work transformed my life. My husband, who attended an Ivy, had no such experience. When my children looked at the syllabus for theology at Georgetown, it seemed to almost treat religion as a problem, or simply an interesting topic, not a way of life. In talking to students there, and at the Academy, their faith life, study and practice of religion were definitely not a priority. They were on their own to try to find it. Notre Dame filled that gap.

So that is why my children are at Notre Dame. They received no scholarships, no merit awards, or in-state tuition that so many other place offered. It was very hard let hundreds of thousands of dollars of financial aid slip away. 

But how do you put a price tag on someone's soul? We can't. And we hope you won't either.

Please don't let Notre Dame be just another nondescript expensive school on that list of top schools. Don't take away the theology, and do not allow it to be taught by those who are not Theology faculty.