75th Anniversary Making a Difference Gala

Notre Dame Academy is thrilled to honor Chris Cervenak, alumna of the Class of 1978, with the 2025 St. Julie Billiart Making a Difference Award. This award acknowledges an alumna who exempifies the school's mission of making a difference.

With over 30 years of experience in human rights and international law, Christine Cervenak has focused her efforts on advocacy, strategic consulting, teaching and research.

Chris served in the Office of the Legal Advisor of the U.S. Department of State, as Legal Officer for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency’s West Bank Operations, and with the UN’s peace operation in El Salvador. She worked extensively in strategic planning and conflict resolution, consulting to such clients as The Asia Foundation, Harvard Law School’s Program on Negotiation, USAID and Mercy International Association. While living in Santiago, Chile, she was a director at the University of Chile Law School’s Human Rights Center. For six years, she was the Associate Director at the University of Notre Dame’s Center for Civil and Human Rights, where her teaching and research focused on issues of human rights and human trafficking.  She also taught on these topics on the inside, with the Moreau College Initiative at Westville Correctional Facility.

A University of Notre Dame graduate, she studied at the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva, earned a J.D. from UCLA, clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and was a Visiting Fellow at Harvard Law School’s Human Rights Program. In 2001, she was honored by Notre Dame with the Rev. John J. Cavanaugh, CSC, Award for public service. From 2021-23, she successfully completed the C.G. Jung Institute of Chicago’s Jungian Studies Program.

Chris currently leans into non-profit board service, now on the Board of Directors of Geneva-based International Bridges to Justice and the U.S.-based Alliance to End Human Trafficking. She is married to Steve Reifenberg, with three children: Natasha, Alexandra and Luke.

Congratulations to Chris!

The Making a Difference Gala promises to be a vibrant celebration of the spirit, legacy and bright future of Notre Dame Academy.

The evening begins at 5:30 p.m. with a lively cocktail party in front of Rosa Mystica Hall (formerly the convent). Guests will indulge in passed hors d'oeuvres and an open bar while mingling with friends, alumnae and NDA faculty and staff. Enjoy upbeat live music, strike a pose at photo-worthy installations and immerse yourself in the energy of a community united to honor 75 years of excellence.

At 7:00 p.m., the celebration continues as guests step into the transformed gymnasium, reimagined into an elegant gala setting. The space will come alive with dynamic decor, creating the perfect backdrop for a program filled with inspiration, entertainment and the joy of celebrating Notre Dame Academy’s incredible legacy and vision for the future. Guests will savor a thoughtfully curated dinner served during the program. 

As the program concludes, the celebration carries on under the stars with lively dancing on the school’s front lawn. Together, we’ll close the night on a high note, toasting to 75 remarkable years and the bright horizon ahead!

If you have any questions regarding the Making a Difference Gala, please do not hesitate to contact Liz Roland, director of advancement, at advancement@ndala.com or by phone at (310) 839-5289 x212.

Go Regals!