Christmas was in the air on the Staten Island campus when the women of the Notre Dame College Alumnae Association (NDCAA) gathered at Flynn Hall in December for a Christmas Tea.
Photo Gallery Ever since Notre Dame College became part of St. John’s University in 1971, their histories have become linked in ways that, while bringing them closer together, allow each institution to both respect and maintain their separate identities. One of the ways that Notre Dame lives on at St. John’s is through the Notre Dame College Alumnae Association Sister Helen Flynn Endowed Scholarship. Since its inception the alumnae have contributed nearly $1.2 million to support deserving students who wish to study at St. John’s Staten Island campus. The recipients of the scholarship are selected by the NDCAA Sr. Helen Flynn Endowed Scholarship Fund Committee in conjunction with the University’s Office of Student Financial Services.“I was a Sister Helen Flynn Scholarship recipient,” said Regina Cranston ’82NDC, “and the alumnae of Notre Dame College will always be important to me because of their generosity when I was a student. I come to as many of their events as possible as a way to show my appreciation for what they did for me and continue to do for today’s students who need their assistance.” Those attending the Christmas Tea had the opportunity to mingle with old friends and recall the simpler and more genteel days of their youth. Many remembered chatting quietly under the watchful eyes of Sr. Helen Flynn, trying hard to balance their delicate china cups without spilling anything. “Our teas were an occasion to dress up, and we always wore hats and white gloves,” remembered Marianne O’Donnell Cummins ’60NDC. “We held the teas in a large dining room with a coffee server at each end, and it was a privilege if we were chosen to pour. We’re trying to encourage more of our alumnae to come back for these special events.”