Mark and Monica’s Notre Dame story didn’t start with a campus tour or a family legacy; it started with a blank line and a stranger’s suggestion. For Mark, attending college meant securing financial resources through an ROTC scholarship. As he finalized his application, the sergeant who received it noticed a vacant line in his list of schools. At the officer’s casual suggestion, Mark added “University of Notre Dame.” Filling in that final line of his ROTC application was a leap of faith that led to an acceptance letter and a life-changing “That’s where he’s going," from his mother. Today, Mark and Monica look back at that unknown sergeant as divine providence at work—a moment of grace that guided Mark to the Golden Dome and defined the legacy the Augustines share today.
A percussionist in high school, Mark quickly became immersed in Notre Dame spirit as a member of the Band of the Fighting Irish as well as the Varsity and Concert bands. While his electrical engineering coursework was rigorous, Mark’s career path took an unconventional turn. Rather than following a traditional route, he sought out industrial chemical firms, recognizing that his specialized skill set would be a unique asset in that industry. His strategic intuition proved correct, leading to a position with Allied Chemical in Wyoming.
It was there that Mark met Monica. In the small town of Green River, Wyoming, they found themselves as the only young Catholics in their age group at the local parish. To the other parishioners, their union seemed inevitable—a match clearly made in heaven. After eight years in Wyoming, Mark and Monica, along with their infant daughter, Melissa, moved to Wichita Falls, Texas, where Mark became a partner in a promising startup. As they rooted themselves in Texas, they welcomed their second daughter, Marie, and Monica completed her nursing degree. Then, in a final stroke of providence 39 years later, Mark and his partners sold their business in August 2019—timing the transition perfectly just months before the global pandemic.
Now residing in Owensboro, Kentucky, Mark and Monica enjoy being closer to their grandchildren and, of course, much closer to campus, where they can be found cheering on the Irish for every home game of the season. When asked what inspired them to establish a Charitable Remainder Trust with the University, Mark’s answer was simple, yet profound: “The University made me who I am.”
Feeling deeply blessed by the path laid out for them, they chose to give back so future students could have the same opportunity. We are profoundly grateful to Mark and Monica for their vision and generosity. Their legacy will support generations of Notre Dame leaders.