Celebrities from the arts and the media, sports figures, and national leaders reflect on their experiences at Notre Dame and reveal the university’s crucial place in their lives and careers. Regis Philbin, Nicholas Sparks, Joe Montana, and Phil Donahue all attended Notre Dame. And like generations of graduates, they remain fiercely loyal. Hannah Storm, born into a family of Notre Dame alumni and a proud member of the class of 1983, set out to discover why the university exerts such a powerful hold on its graduates, their friends, and their families, and why it elicits the admiration of “unaffiliated” people throughout the world. Notre Dame Inspirationsbrings together the reminiscences of alumni who have distinguished themselves in a variety of fields. Each essay focuses on one pivotal Notre Dame event that helped to crystallize the author’s dreams and became the first step on the path to success. Nicholas Sparks recounts how he found his writer’s voice as a student; Joe Montana recalls the football game that changed his life; WNBA superstar Ruth Riley discusses how she got in touch with her spiritual side during her junior year; and Regis Philbin reveals how football coach Frank Lahey helped him overcome disappointments and achieve his ambitions. Illustrated with wonderful “then and now” photographs of the contributors,Notre Dame Inspirationsis a tribute to a place where inspiration, faith, and the drive to achieve go far beyond the ordinary. From the Hardcover edition.