“I wish I hadn’t retired,” said Michele (Shelly) Cowans, who started working in the Main Office in January 2016 and retired in June 2021. 

“My title was ‘receptionist,’ but I did more than just answer the phones,” she said.

In memory of their grandson, Cowans and her husband Bill recently donated and planted the fall flowers around the Mary statue in the prayer garden.

Cowans and her husband lost their grandson, Caleb, three weeks after he was born. 

Caleb was born prematurely on August 26, 2019, at 19 weeks. 

“Because he arrived early, he had lung and oxygen issues. He was baptized as soon as he was born by the chaplain at the hospital,” said Cowans.  

He lived for three weeks and continued to fight to get stronger, but God had different plans for him. 

“I visit his grave quite often and talk to him about what his parents and siblings are doing,” she said. 

She loved the Rosary/Mary Gardens when she worked at Notre Dame.

“I thought taking care of the plants for fall would be my way to support Notre Dame Academy and never let myself forget my sweet little grandson,” Cowans shared. 

Mrs. Char Dunlap is in charge of coordinating who plants the flowers in the garden. 

“Three times a year (summer, fall and winter) I reach out to families to see if they would like to ‘sponsor’ the summer flowers, fall flowers, or winter greens that are placed in the planter for the particular season,” said Dunlap.

Mrs. Cowans is in her fourth year of planting the flowers. 

“Not every sponsor does it the same way, but she and her husband choose to purchase the plants and place them in the planters themselves,” shared Dunlap. 

Cowans’ best memories of NDA are being the first person the students would see each morning, getting to know them, watching them at athletic events and school activities and watching how they mature from freshman year to graduation. 

“I really miss monitoring the doors, letting students in each morning,” said Cowans. 

She still follows all the events here at NDA despite being retired.

“I attend plays, musicals and athletic events,” she said. 

Cowans tries to attend school masses when she is able to and works the blood drives.