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The Dunne Duo: Nichole ’09 and Jay ’07
ALUMNI PROFILE The Dunne Duo: How Holy Cross has shaped Nichole ’09 and Jay ’07 Dunne
by Madelyn McBride, Gateway 7.0
“The competence to see, and the courage to act.”
Every Holy Cross College student – past and present – has undoubtedly encountered the college’s mission statement, for the saying weaves throughout courses and the community. Blessed Basil Moreau, C.S.C. the founding father of the Holy Cross Congregation, encapsulated the Catholic education and spirit through these nine words.
Two alumni have found themselves continuing to live by Blessed Basil Moreau’s belief years after graduating and leaving South Bend. Jay ’07 and Nichole Dunne ’09 trace their lifestyles, mindsets, and marriage to their formative experiences as Holy Cross students. Now married and living in Indianapolis, IN (with a new Dunne on the way!), Jay and Nichole dove into their respective careers but continue to treasure and live by the theme of service to others.
Through involvement in Holy Cross today, Jay and Nichole hope to inspire current students by sharing their respective journeys and the perks of being alumni. If students embrace the liberal arts program, lean-on Holy Cross’ Catholic identity to build their character, expand their worldview through global opportunities, and invest in the Holy Cross tight-knit community – all of which the Dunne’s did – then success is in their future.
PART I: Background
Jay graduated in 2007 with the third class to obtain a bachelor’s degree from Holy Cross. Transferring into the new program as a junior, he earned his degree in Liberal Studies, with a focus on global issues. Jay traveled to Ghana twice as a student and taught at a Holy Cross School in-country for a year after graduation. After a year, he traveled to Washington, D.C. to earn his master’s from George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution. He also revisited West Africa while studying peacebuilding in Liberia. Jay now works as a global security and intelligence professional, helping multi-national companies protect their employees and assets around the world.
Nichole graduated in 2009 from Holy Cross with a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies and a concentration in Business. Right out of graduation, Nichole continued to embrace the college’s emphasis on internships with a completion of the Walt Disney Company’s College Internship Program. Following six years working in the staffing industry as a recruiter, supporting global finance and pharmaceutical companies, Nichole has recently advanced her career into the health and wellness industry as a Client Services Manager at American Specialty Health.
PART II: Competence to See
A few months ago, Jay and Nichole decided to re-watch their old capstone videos. While viewing the presentations, they were pleased with how the overall themes and concepts addressed in their projects remain relevant in their lives today.
The capstone course urges Holy Cross seniors to synthesize and reflect on their college experiences in order to reveal their values and beliefs. These findings are shared through a polished presentation at the end of the year. “The capstone experience was unbelievable. While the trajectory of my outlined life was different, the themes and the topics I discussed then are as relevant now as they were then. Through this, I know who I am, what I believe in, and why I believe in it,” Jay explained.
As they watched their capstones, the Dunne’s remembered back to their college classes, ranging from mathematics to philosophy. Through this, they recognized that the liberal arts education and Catholic identity of Holy Cross truly creates well-rounded, action-oriented students. Holy Cross does this by exposing their students to alternate ways of analyzing problems: competence to see.
“The liberal arts education is a very scholarly approach to educating young people. Sometimes, in today’s age, the idea of getting a really in-depth, generalized education is a little lost. It was an excellent opportunity to become an intentional learner and to gain skills to approach any subject through Holy Cross,” Jay shared.
For Nichole, theology courses brought for exploration of her faith within a new perspective. “ Associate Professor of
Theology and Director of Global
Perspectives Dianne Barlas assisted in building upon my knowledge of Catholicism. In her course, ”I gained a greater understanding of how to serve God through serving others, along with the components of evangelism,” Nichole said.
The Dunne’s have also witnessed that the ability to articulate ideas and analyze issues translate seamlessly into their own and many other Holy Cross alumni’s careers. Employed right alongside Notre Dame and Ivy League graduates, Jay and Nichole know that their education has set them up for success, especially when it comes to their communication skills.
“A Holy Cross College student is expected to be a strong communicator combined with their hard skills for career advancement, and I have heard other alumni agree that developing in communication and open-mindedness is fundamental to graduating from the college.”
– Nichole Dunne ‘09
PART III: Courage to Act
Although Jay and Nichole’s involvements and interests differed during their time as students, both tackled issues that they witnessed in their own community and beyond. Feeling confident to make a difference using their developed skillset, the two of them have created waves of lasting impact: the courage to act.
During their time as students, three main components formed the college’s curriculum: a global, community, and internship focus. With this came a mandatory global immersion trip and internship during a student’s tenure.
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H O LY C R O S S
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
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These three factors are still highly relevant today. For instance, every student must complete an internship before graduation. While students are no longer required to participate in a global immersion trip, they are highly encouraged. In addition, the core curriculum requires all students to take at least one global perspectives class with the hope that it plants new perspectives and cultures that influence future decisions and careers.
Nichole found herself deeply drawn to the internship opportunities; she completed three as a student. In addition, Holy Cross’ small community motivated her to become a leader. As a senior, she served as president of the Social Concerns Committee. Through her involvement with the committee, she helped manage the Thanksgiving food baskets initiative and executed events at Dujarie House, thus merging two closely located communities together.
“The Social Concerns Committee definitely helped me learn my passion and interest for helping others. Post-college, I realized I wanted to work with smaller communities where I can make a greater impact in whoever I’m serving,” Nichole said.
Her heart for service did not disappear after graduation; instead, it seemed to grow. From volunteering with event management for the American Cancer Society to assisting in Thanksgiving food basket initiatives at her own church, Nichole continually puts others first. This concept also translates into her career that focuses heavily on building client relationships.
Moreover, Jay truly valued his two years on campus by immersing himself in other cultures through Holy Cross’ global initiatives, participating in clubs like the Africa, Faith, and Justice Network, and facilitating Cross & Anchor Workshops.
“Through my time at Holy Cross College, I learned that even though we find ourselves in the Midwest, you always have to have a global perspective. Despite where you are in your immediate surroundings, knowing what’s going on and having empathy for human welfare around the world is incredibly important. It’s a part of being a
complete person.” – Jay Dunne ‘07
As a college senior, Jay went to Ghana twice. These experiences broadened his worldview and inspired him to challenge others to reassess their understanding and relationship with the world around them, either through activism or meaningful conversations. Because of his strong empathy for others, Jay travelled back to Ghana as a teacher, and later to Liberia to support peacebuilding efforts. He also permanently enhanced Holy Cross by working with associate professor Dianne Barlas to create the Center for Global Perspectives. Being able to cultivate his mind and heart during his time as a student, Jay has positively impacted every Holy Cross student’s time after him through this addition.
PART IV: Impact, Innovation, & Involvement
The values and mission have not changed since the Dunne’s time on campus; however, they have witnessed numerous positive enhancements throughout the years that continue to strengthen the college’s place in South Bend and the country. Jay and Nichole remember a Holy Cross without a quad, athletic facilities, residence halls, and fewer majors; therefore, they admire the rapid growth of the campus, addition of sports programs, new faculty, and new degree programs. In short, they are seeing the continued formation of Holy Cross’ identity.
With these advancements come a strong, diverse, and exciting network of alumni. As alumni themselves, Jay and Nichole hope to serve as resources to current students and assure them that their education is not to be undervalued. For instance, Nichole was honored as the graduation alumni speaker and Jay as the senior brunch presenter in 2017. Additionally, they have worked directly with senior capstone classes through resume help and professional advice. With students lined up for Nichole’s assistance on resumes due to her experience in staffing, it is obvious that the Dunne’s talents and contributions are cherished within the college’s community. Only a short drive away, they love coming back to campus, speaking directly with students, and catching up with professors and administrators that shaped their lives.
In every presentation and conversation, Jay and Nichole confirm for students that the college’s attention to writing, communication, and presenting skills paid off tremendously in their personal and professional lives.
Jay and Nichole sum up Holy Cross’ emerging identity and benefits best with “we have come to realize that as a Holy Cross graduate you are bound by nothing. You have received a top-quality education and have been guided towards the discovery of your vocation, your calling, your purpose. We feel fortunate to share this message with current students. It’s even more wonderful when this message is confirmed by other alumni.”
The Reality of Literature
by Anthony Monta, Ph.D.
The truth is, I never liked The Norton Anthology of English Literature.
A single volume weighs over four pounds and contains over 3,000 pages, its content crammed onto paper as easily-tearable as the skin of an onion.
I understand economics: in an anthology, you get centuries of literature in freeze-dried form, ready for re-hydration in any classroom. The scholarship accompanying such an anthology is impressive.
But the overall impression is that literature is “done.” The poems, plays, and stories on those pages have no life or context. They stand next to each other like taxidermied animals in an empty museum.
That means introducing students to literature as something real.
To that end, I took my class of fourteen students in English 324: The Long Nineteenth Century to Special Collections in Hesburgh Library.
Julie Tanaka, one of the marvelous curators there, brought out over twenty books and journals on my students’ reading list so they could pick them up, turn their pages, and see for themselves what the readings actually were.
“Is this really Charles Dickens’s signature, on this first edition?” “Yes.”
“This is calf-skin? hand-lettered ink? Really?” “Yes!”
Their readings came to life — and those reanimated books, those genuine articles, turned out to be more complex and interesting than they had imagined.
If we want good scholarship, we need students to engage with realities that are bigger than their preconceptions.
Literary scholarship, done well, does precisely that.
– Anthony Monta, Ph.D., English Professor
Anthony Monta, Ph.D. is the chair of the English Department at the College. Before joining the faculty at Holy Cross, Monta worked for the Nanovic Institute for European Studies in the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame, serving as assistant director from 2007 to 2011 and as the associate director thereafter. He holds master’s and doctoral degrees in English literature from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Before moving to the Midwest, he taught English literature and composition at Louisiana State University.
