When I think of what to write about my time at Notre Dame, I am flooded with far too many memories to count. I tried to put a portion of my experience into words last November, but when thinking of constants throughout my four years, sunsets immediately come to mind.
I’m grateful for the beauty of this campus, and for the moments of stillness and wonder each Notre Dame sunset provided me with. Some of my favorite memories are tucked into those ordinary sunsets spent going for a walk, sitting by the lake, laughing with friends as we left the dining hall or pausing on my walk home just to watch the horizon glow and snap a picture from my vantage point. I also think of bigger moments associated with sunsets, like my first trip to the Grotto with my dorm, cheering in Notre Dame Stadium as the sun dipped behind the rim or taking graduation pictures as the sky turned orange and pink.
No matter what the day held, whether joyful or heavy, the sun always rose and set again. Whether it lingered until 9 p.m. or faded just past 5 p.m., the sunset offered me the same quiet reminder: pause, breathe and be present. As someone often caught up in the pace of a busy day, I’ve learned that stillness and appreciating little moments have to be chosen.
Notre Dame has been a place to grow, to reflect and to find beauty in both the extraordinary and the everyday. As I leave this campus, I carry so much more than just memories, among that the peace and perspective those sunsets gave me.
Here’s to many more sunsets on the horizon — and to the people I will share them with.
Madeline Ladd is a graduating senior studying management consulting with minors in social entrepreneurship and innovation, and sports, media and culture. She began her journey with The Observer as a freshman covering Notre Dame football and went on to serve as assistant sports editor and later assistant managing editor. Beyond the paper, she was as a senior manager for ND Listens, co-president for Consulting Connect, vice president for Undergraduate Women In Business, teaching assistant for the Mendoza Management department and a proud PDub Weasel. Following her graduation, she will begin full time as a Finance Transformation Associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers and continue chasing sunsets.
