A Sign of What We Stand For

The first thing many visitors notice when they arrive at Ave Maria University is the entrance sign—a landmark that now stands as a first introduction to the University’s identity and mission. However, when First Lady Christine Middendorf and Dr. Marianne Monaghan, wife of university founder and Chancellor Tom Monaghan, first turned their attention to the entrance, they saw something very different: faded paint, broken lighting, overgrown landscaping, and most strikingly—a missing letter “V” in “University”.

“The V is missing!” Mrs. Middendorf recalls exclaiming to her husband, President Mark Middendorf, as they passed the sign on his very first day as president—before he had even been formally installed. “It was our first impression of driving into the university.” What struck her was not just the aesthetic, but what it communicated to the families, students, and visitors arriving for the first time. For an institution rooted in the pursuit of truth, beauty, and excellence, the entrance was falling short.

The vision that emerged was collaborative from the start. Dr. Monaghan, an accomplished iconographer with a trained artist’s eye for design and color, took the lead on the sign itself, while Mrs. Middendorf channeled her lifelong love of gardening into reimagining the surrounding landscape. Together, they approached the project with two guiding principles: budget consciousness and long-term sustainability. “We want it to reflect the beauty of what’s happening inside campus,” Mrs. Middendorf explained. “We strive for excellence. We want the best, we want it to look the best.” Dr. Monaghan shared the same conviction, noting that the university’s physical presentation should rise to meet its reputation. “If you’re going to be a great university,” she said, “then you have to show it in every way.”

The renovation that followed was anything but simple. Navigating county permits, coordinating contractors across multiple trades—stone masons, painters, electricians, and landscape specialists—the project required patience, creativity, and considerable coordination. One of the most transformative decisions was Dr. Monaghan’s suggestion to add stone veneer to the previously flat sign face, a detail that gave it warmth, depth, and a timeless quality. Illuminated lettering replaced the dim spotlights, ensuring the sign could be seen and celebrated at night. Lush perennial plantings in the university’s colors of blue and white now frame the sign with life and color throughout the year—chosen specifically because they are hardy, native, and require minimal replacement.

A project of this scope does not happen without generosity. Beautification projects like this one rely entirely on the support of donors who believe that the landscaping of a great university should reflect its inner life. Particularly meaningful has been the contribution of John Gargano, an Ave Maria University alumnus who now runs Rise Landscaping and has invested countless hours of his time, expertise, and resources into the campus grounds. His involvement speaks to something Mrs. Middendorf hopes current students will one day carry forward themselves—the desire to give back to a place that formed them.

Today, the entrance to Ave Maria University greets every arriving student, parent, and visitor with a beauty that was once missing. This corner of campus—where the university’s land begins and its mission takes shape—now speaks for itself. And to the donors whose generosity made it possible: thank you. Your investment in the beauty of this place is an investment in its mission and everything it stands for.