Annie Crider

University of Notre Dame, Mendoza College of Business

“I am a passionate, hard-working woman determined to transform businesses to improve our society.”

Hometown: Jefferson City, Missouri

Fun Fact About Yourself: I have my CF-L1 certificate and am a trainer at my local CrossFit Gym.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Notre Dame, Theology

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Diocese of Jefferson City, Junior High Theology Teacher

When you think of Notre Dame, what are the first things that come to mind? How have your experiences with the Mendoza program thus far reinforced or upended these early impressions? Faith, Family, Mission, and Football. The Mendoza program has fostered a strong sense of community with the broader Notre Dame family through many events: football tailgates, networking opportunities, and collaborating with alumni through club events. Mendoza’s own mission statement to “Grow the good in business” is tied into the fabric of the University of Notre Dame’s faith-focused mission of being a powerful force for good in the world.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of the Mendoza MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? Legendary Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz said, “You don’t go to Notre Dame to learn something; you go to Notre Dame to be somebody.” What drew me to Notre Dame is the personal formation I knew I would receive through the challenging academic course load and interactions with colleagues. Business on the Frontlines is the key part of Mendoza’s program that drew me in. This unique program offering merges academic learning with development of self, all oriented towards doing good for others. In this course, students partner with NGO’s and organizations in areas of poverty and strife to provide consulting services. Mendoza’s clear alignment of its values and actions is showcased in this course, and I am looking forward to participating in 2023.

What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at Mendoza? Notre Dame’s Innovation for Impact Club (led by Professor Wendy Angst) is partnering with St. Bakhita’s Vocational Training Center to revolutionize vocational training for women in Kalongo, Uganda. We are working to empower young women to be entrepreneurs and innovators in their communities. I’ve enjoyed the interactions I have had with these students as well as the challenge of approaching the projects using design thinking. I look forward to witnessing the growth of the brave, powerful women of St. Bakhita’s as they transform their communities.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest accomplishment as a teacher was creating a curriculum to challenge and engage my middle school students. The content required earning the trust and respect of my students, as well as their parents, by building meaningful relationships. Creating a culture where my students felt valued and wanted took time but was the most rewarding aspect of my career because students started coming to me with their struggles and trusting me to help them. They also were more willing to do what was asked of them because they trusted I had their best interests at heart.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far? Earning a 4.0 as a Meyer Fellow has been a huge affirmation of my abilities. Having no prior experience in business classes, save one Microeconomics class during undergrad, I was nervous about how I’d perform. The classes have been engaging, challenging, and rewarding, and I am excited to continue learning.

Mendoza is known as a purpose-driven MBA program that asks students to “Grow the good in business.” What is your mission and how has Mendoza been helping you realize it? My mission is to develop the gifts I have been given in order to have the greatest impact I can in the world. I want to serve others because I’ve realized that my life and my gifts do not exist for my benefit alone, but for the good of the world. Mendoza’s mission to grow the good in business necessitates developing my own talents. Here I have been able to reflect deeply on my abilities and the role that I can play to uniquely impact the world through innovative compassion.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into the Mendoza MBA program? Be yourself. Mendoza is full of authentic people with inspiring talent who want to make a difference through business. If that is you, then come join us!

DON’T MISS: MEET NOTRE DAME MENDOZA’S MBA CLASS OF 2023