When you talk to Joe Mindak ’95 you can feel his love for the University of Dayton baked into every word. It’s sort of like you’re talking to Rudy himself (or some other very knowledgeable and qualified mascot). It’s in the animation with which he captivates you with stories from his time on campus or tells you about fellow alumni he’s connected with since graduation. One thing’s for certain: Joe Mindak bleeds chapel blue.
And there’s one experience Mindak reminisces on with such detail and emotion, you feel like you’re experiencing it yourself: UD Reunion Weekend.
The UD Bubble
UD Reunion Weekend is so special, that according to Mindak, leaving the happy UD bubble after Reunion Weekend can cause one’s emotional pendulum to swing the other way. And that’s exactly how he was feeling on the plane ride home from his 30-year reunion. Even though he had a blast reconnecting with old friends and meeting new ones, he couldn’t help feeling a bit melancholy.
“You get that little taste again of what UD was like,” Mindak said. “And of course it's just so great to go back. But it can be sad when you're leaving at the end of that."
Legacy at Marycrest
Luckily for Mindak, he now has a big reason to visit campus these days beyond Reunion Weekend.
When Mindak’s daughter began her journey as a first-year student in the fall of 2025, move-in day felt like a “totally surreal” full-circle moment for him, especially as he watched her settle into Marycrest Complex. Now, he gets to see her experience the same milestones he did 30 years ago, from figuring out dorm life to exploring campus.
Seeing his daughter at UD as a student reminded him how much happens during those four years and why continuing to connect with campus is so important.
“It will change her. It will shape her. She's about to be surrounded by a whole new network of people who will root for her happiness,” he said.
“She is loving it, every minute of it,” Mindak said. “She couldn’t wait to get back to school over Christmas break. She just wanted to go back home. That’s what UD has become for her and how we all feel when we go back to our reunion.”
Once a Flyer, Always a Flyer
Even though he now lives and works in New Jersey, Mindak is a Flyer through and through. Connecting with other UD grads has always been a priority for him. Whether it is working toward the same philanthropic goals as fellow alumni or simply meeting new friends at reunion, Joe finds the UD bond bridges any gap.
The magic of UD often happens in unscripted moments, like during a visit Mindak made to his old house at 403 Stonemill Road. While walking by the porch with his old roommates, he met the current students living there. The gap between generations disappeared instantly.
What started as a quick "I used to live here!" turned into a porch hang and a night out at Timothy’s Bar and Grill. The current students treated the class of ’95 like old friends. The decades may change, but the Flyer spirit stays the same.
Making Time to Come to UD Reunion Weekend
For those who haven't made it back to campus lately, Mindak emphatically recommends making time to attend UD Reunion Weekend, especially those milestone years. He views the experience as a pause button on the pressures of adult life.
“You get to relive UD with all those people you were with for those four years, just enjoying yourselves and not thinking about work or responsibilities,” Mindak said. “You have no obligations except to just hang out and talk and see how everyone’s doing. It’s just so great to go back.”
According to Mindak, UD Reunion Weekend can bring you right back to being a Flyer, chilling on porches and experiencing the euphoria only real connection, conversation and community – not based on status, job title or salary – can give you.
“I would say find the time and just get back,” he said. “Just put it in your calendar for a year out or two years out and make sure you don't book anything else that weekend. You'll be happy that you did it.”
UD Reunion Weekend 2026: June 12–14, 2026
Experience the magic for yourself. Register for this June’s UD Reunion Weekend today.