In this issue of ND Today, Ximena Navarro ’85, international director on the ND Alumni Board of Directors, discusses the upcoming Latin American and Caribbean Reunion in Panama.
As most of you have heard, Notre Dame will host its first-ever Latin American and Caribbean Reunion June 5-8 in Panama.
Personally, I am very excited about this new endeavor. Just as a seed—with good care and some fresh water—flourishes into something meaningful, I can see the Notre Dame Latin American and Caribbean Reunion growing into a feasible and appealing initiative that will be the highlight of the year for many Latin American Domers.
The idea for the event developed at the Latin American and Caribbean Advisory Council in the fall of 2006. By definition, the purpose of the Advisory Council is to “advance the interests of the University of Notre Dame—serving as ambassadors for the University in the many cities where the members reside, assisting with development efforts as appropriate, and acting in an advisory capacity for deans and directors when requested.”
With that in mind, all the members of the council, including Council President Juan Cintrón ’64, have devoted their time and effort to realizing the dream of getting Latin American and Caribbean Alumni together—as the family we are—this year.
Our goal for the Latin American and Caribbean Reunion is to reach out to alumni living in other countries and provide for them some of the same experiences, information and opportunities that those living in the United States have.
This event is important for Notre Dame. It represents an opportunity for University officers to share ND’s vision for the coming years in areas such as academic standards, the Catholic mission of the University, the internationalization of the student body and faculty, scholarship support for international students and support systems for international alumni.
Panama’s location, along with its good transport services and the extraordinary enthusiasm and support from the Panamanian Club of Notre Dame, has made Panama City the obvious choice for this reunion.
It is expected that this initiative will be repeated in other parts of the world in the near future. This way, the University will truly be much closer to all of its alumni, and they in turn will be able to understand even more how they can participate in the mission of the University.
Many Domers left Notre Dame after graduation and never got the chance to go back to campus or see classmates again because they were living in different countries. My hope is that all the Latin American and Caribbean Alumni take advantage of this great chance to meet again at the Panama Reunion. Until then, may God hold all of us in the palm of His hand.
