“I see myself in 5-10 years still being here and loving the Notre Dame community,” said Ms. Cassidy Hempel, one of NDA’s newest staff members.

Hempel is the Enrollment Coordinator replacing Ms. Molly VandenHouten, who is training her for her role and expected duties, such as coordinating freshman orientation and middle school dances. VandenHouten is now a counselor in Student Services.

Before Hempel came to NDA, she attended Verona Area High School where she played soccer, graduating in 2018. In 2021 she graduated from University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with her bachelor’s degree and then received her masters degree from UW-La Crosse in 2023.

Before coming to Notre Dame she worked at Marquette University and was involved with the new student and new family programming there.

Hempel’s favorite part about NDA is that the people here are “amazing” and “the community is amazing too.”

Among Hempel’s hobbies are reading and baking.

She mostly reads romance books like Court of Thorns and murder mysteries like Sherlock Holmes. She admits she doesn’t like classical books too much.

“I love to talk and I would talk if anyone would listen,” said Hempel.

If she could choose a dream job, Hempel acknowledged she would choose to be a professional reader.

She also enjoys watching shows like Gilmore Girls and One Tree Hill as well as movies like Miracle.

Hempel’s dream vacation is going to Germany during winter because that’s when the Christmas market is out.