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Sharon Bain held a mug of tea in her hands as she spoke, and she took occasional sips throughout the afternoon. It was rooibos tea, native to South Africa. She had just returned from a weeklong trip to Italy the day before.

“I never thought I would stay in South Bend,” said Bain.

Bain, the daughter of a Notre Dame professor, was born and raised in South Bend, Indiana. She attended Edison School for kindergarten through eighth grade, then John Adams High School after that.

“I did like [South Bend] as a child. We didn't lock our doors, and I had a bike, and I could ride that bike anywhere I wanted to go. And, of course, it was the seventies and eighties, so we were quite free in those days,” said Bain. “We had artistic events to go to and we would go to the farmer's market regularly. We would go see the South Bend Symphony since we were very involved in music, and the symphony would do things with our music groups.”

Music played a major role in her education and life. Bain met her husband through a band program, and she praised the “very good music programs through the public school system in South Bend.”

“I think I had a good experience. My husband had a good experience, even in our schools here in South Bend.”

Bain also highlighted her and her husband’s time at their local church, St. Thérèse of the Little Flower on Ironwood Road.

“We also were very involved in our church youth group, which was at Little Flower, which was often staffed by people involved at Notre Dame as well,” said Bain. “We were really active in our church life. So that made this town something special.”

Bain described her decision to attend the University of Notre Dame: “Since my father taught there, right, the value of that education was greater than any other school. You know, it would be like giving up such a valuable benefit to not go there. But also, I was very interested in the faith component and the community of faith component at Notre Dame [...] The dorm life, the community, the fact that people stay on campus for three years, the fact that people go to Mass together, you just can't get that anywhere.”

There was one thing Bain did not appreciate during her time at Notre Dame.

“I didn't like being a townie. I guess that is a difference; I don't mind being a townie now, but as a student, when I moved on campus, I just wanted to be treated like every other student, and I really didn't want to go home much, and I just wanted to have the full Notre Dame experience. And I did.”

Despite her feelings on being a “townie,” Bain stayed involved with her local community. She volunteered with a runaway shelter, did an urban plunge program in South Bend, and cantored at a church downtown. As a student, she played the french horn in the band, studied abroad in London and eventually graduated from Notre Dame in 1990. She left South Bend to volunteer with the Claretian Missionaries in Chicago, and stayed in Chicago for a few years as she and her husband attended graduate school. Eventually, work and family called her back to South Bend, where she raised three children.

“Since I grew up here, it seemed like a good town to raise kids in,” said Bain. “The complaints about the weather are valid. And then, also, I think, opportunities for young adults is an area that needs improvement around here. But for raising a family, aside from the school problems — the problems with the South Bend schools and the expense of private schools — raising family here is really great.”

Her family also made the most of South Bend’s proximity to Chicago and Michigan. She mentioned taking her family to museums in the city, as well as beaches and hiking trails in New Buffalo, Warren Dunes and Saugatuck.

As Bain and her children were growing up, so too was the city of South Bend. She noted several improvements to infrastructure and transportation, especially over the past decade. She pointed out the improvements to the South Shore Line, the greater number of direct flights from the South Bend Airport, the appearance of the downtown area, collaborations between the city and local gyms for community fitness events, and the betterment of the parks as a few points of positive growth.

“I think the city is on a good trajectory, but they've still got more work to do for sure,” said Bain.

Another relationship on a good trajectory is that of Notre Dame and South Bend. “It's getting better. For too long, I think, Notre Dame kept to itself a little too much.” Bain, who sings with the South Bend Chamber Singers, drew particular attention to Notre Dame and St. Mary’s support of local music and performance.

“Notre Dame is allowing musical groups including the South Bend Symphony to perform on campus sometimes. And then, when we perform in downtown South Bend, Notre Dame will often send the Glee Club to sing with us, or with Chorale. So there's just a lot more interaction between the city and the university, and that seems to have helped a lot.”

She hopes that Notre Dame students will enjoy the fruits of that interaction more going forward: “I hope that students can have more of an opportunity to check out, you know, the farmer's market, the symphony, the opera, those things that are going on,” said Bain. “And I think some students don't know about things that are going on, especially events in the arts. And the parks as well.”

Eventually, Bain finished her rooibos tea and the conversation came to a close.

“Thanks for asking me about South Bend,” said Bain.