Debbie McGraw-Block ’77
Debbie Mc-Graw Block was born and raised in Fullerton California, 3rd generation southern Californian. From about the 6th grade (1967) she wanted to attend Notre Dame even though there was no hint that women would be admitted.
Debbie graduated in 1977 with a BA in Government and experienced dramatic seasonal changes for the first time. She always loved the changing seasons and still keeps her dried leaf collection from the Fall of 1973. Even though the winter snow and wind was brutal she persisted in wearing her southern California flip flops. Debbie spent sophomore year in Innsbruck, Austria and made her closest friends among that small group of Domers. Debbie graduated a semester early, but walked in May 1977 when President Jimmy Carter was the commencement speaker.
Upon graduation, Debbie applied to graduate programs in International Studies. With a full scholarship, she went to the University of Denver’s Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS). It was a small two-year MA program that was the perfect fit. She met her husband, a native San Diegan there and the two have been together for 39 years.
Debbie got an internship in the Colorado Governor’s office after graduation and her natural bent towards analysis and numbers led her into financial and budgeting positions. After three years in the Office of Planning and Budget for the State of Colorado, Debbie took a position as a budget analyst at the School of Medicine, University of Colorado. She later became the Assistant Dean at the School of Medicine and then had the opportunity to transfer to a similar position at the University of California San Diego. That led to a 30-year career at UCSD, half at the School of Medicine and the remainder working as the Assistant Vice Chancellor in the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor. Debbie retired in the Fall of 2015 after a very fulfilling career and gets to choose what she does each day. Supporting Notre Dame has become a high priority!