Bulldogs for Life

The moment I stepped on Butler's campus in the fall of 1999, I knew it was where I belonged. There's a special feeling you get on Butler's campus. A feeling of community, friendship, tradition. A feeling of family.

I've always been so proud to be a Butler Bulldog for so many reasons. In addition to the outstanding education and amazing teachers that made my academic experience so fulfilling, Butler offers a little extra something that keeps us alumni coming back for more -- a place to call home.

Butler was my real home for four years. It's where I grew up, essentially, into the woman I am. It's where I made the most amazing, life-long friends. It's where I fell in love. It's where I learned some early life lessons. It's where my life changed forever. Butler was more than where I went to college. It was, and is, a lifestyle. One of character, integrity, intellect, class, and tradition.

As the Bulldogs progress to the Elite Eight in this year's NCAA tournament, I've never been more proud to be a Butler alumna. And it's not because our boys are playing so well on the court. It's because they are exemplifying to the nation what Butler's all about.

No doubt you've heard the term "the Butler Way" after last year's run to the championship game. It sounds like a marketing ploy, but I assure you it's real. The Butler Way is bigger than our basketball team and has been around longer than Matt Howard's stretched out socks. The Butler Way is about the team, about supporting each other, about working together. It's also about character, integrity, and class.

Did you know Butler's team has the best academics in the whole tournament? Check out Inside Higher Ed's take on what the NCAA tournament would look like if teams advanced based on their outcomes in the classroom.

Did you know Butler's star senior Matt Howard is frugal, shy, and has an odd sense of humor? Check out the Washington Post's post-ODU interview.

It's these kinds of stories that make me so proud. Our boys may not win another game in the tournament. They may not even make it to the tournament in the next 10 years. But it doesn't matter to us, and it certainly doesn't make us any less proud. It's not about winning, it's about playing the game. And at Butler, we're all about playing every game, on the court and in life, with dignity and class.

Am I Bulldog? Hell yeah.

Categories: life or something like it, matters of the mind