2023 Best & Brightest MBA: Analyse Seely, University of Notre Dame (Mendoza)

Analyse Seely

University of Notre Dame, Mendoza School of Business

“I am a people-oriented Army veteran and aviator with a passion for serving others.”

Hometown: Sturgis, Michigan

Fun fact about yourself: When I was stationed at Fort Bragg, NC, I was working on my private pilot license for fixed wing and got to do a flight into Kitty Hawk, the birthplace of aviation where Orville and Wilbur Wright first took flight. When we were coming in to land, we experienced an engine failure on short final, but still made a safe landing. It was great training and makes for a great story to tell!

Undergraduate School and Degree: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – B.S. in Homeland Security and commissioned as an officer in the Army through the Army ROTC program

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? I served 8 years of active duty service in the U.S. Army as a commissioned aviation officer and UH-60 black hawk helicopter pilot.

Where did you intern during the summer of 2022? The Boeing Company in Everett, Washington

Where will you be working after graduation? The Boeing Company, Procurement and Supplier Management, Supply Chain Contracts and Sourcing, Commercial Airplanes in Everett, WA

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

–  Vice President of the MBA Military Veterans Club: The Veterans club participates in a community service event once every 7 weeks (Cultivate Food Rescue, Habitat for Humanity, South Bend Homeless Shelter)
– Member of the Net Impact and Women in Business clubs
– Ways of Rebuilding our Community (WORC) Class: partnered with Goodwill of South Bend to help them expand their ecommerce sales and reorganize their warehouse
– South Bend Boys and Girls Club: Helped them with their marketing strategy to attract more volunteers
– Worked with the Elks National Veterans Service Commission in Chicago: Helped to try reducing veteran homelessness.
– Volunteered for Meals on Wheels during the 2021-2022 year.

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I am most proud of being one of the two female leaders of the MBA Veterans Club at Notre Dame, both the president and vice president roles – a first in club history. The club is very special to me personally because it eased the transition out of the military and gave me some amazing lifelong friends. It was an honor to help lead the club and give back to our community, classmates, and prospective student veterans.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I am most proud of fulfilling my lifelong dream of becoming a military helicopter pilot. Since I was a very little girl, I had dreamed of learning how to fly and serving in the military.

Why did you choose this business school? I wanted a career after the military that would allow me to continue helping and serving others. Since business is so broad and touches so many different people, I saw Notre Dame as the perfect place to make a big impact and use business as a force for doing good in the world.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? That is so difficult to answer because Mendoza has so many amazing professors who have had a profound impact on me during my two years. Forced to pick just one, I would choose Professor Jeff Bernel. He is a fellow veteran, former CEO, and is a prime example of using business as a force for good. He uses his past knowledge and experience to illustrate how to make an impact as a leader in business.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? My favorite course has been Climate Resiliency in Business taught by Professor Jessica McManus Warnell. I will be going into the sustainability field after graduation, and her class taught me how to clearly articulate the business case for sustainability and how to inspire others about the topic.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? The MBAA (MBA Association) tailgates for home football games because it is a deep-rooted Notre Dame tradition where we can celebrate Notre Dame, our community, and each other. I think this speaks for the unique sense of community in Mendoza.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? When I first started my MBA program, I wasn’t completely certain of where I wanted to concentrate my focus, and this caused me to feel “behind.” If I could do it over again, I would just embrace that uncertainty as an important part of the journey and trust that I would eventually find my path.

What is the biggest myth about your school? Mendoza’s mission statement is, “grow the good in business” and I believe that the school truly embodies that mindset. The courses, professors, and opportunities outside of the classroom at Notre Dame have taught me how to use business as a way to have a positive impact on myself, my community, and the world.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? I grew up near South Bend, so being back here feels like being home. As a child, I would walk campus and attend football games, someday dreaming of being a student here. It feels amazing to be near my friends and family again after being gone for so many years in the military.

What surprised you the most about business school? The thing that surprised me most about business school is how many experiences and skills from the military translate into business. Admittedly, I was intimidated by business school with not having a background or undergraduate degree in it, but was very pleasantly surprised to see how my unique life experiences and skills added to the classroom.

What is one thing you did during the application process that gave you an edge at the school you chose?  Despite being a huge Notre Dame fan my entire life, I think I was able to genuinely convey why Notre Dame was the perfect fit for me and my professional goals. I knew that Notre Dame wasn’t just going to teach me how to be a leader in business, they were going to teach me how to become a leader in business who can make a difference. That really aligned with my military experience and is exactly what I want to do with my next career.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? Katie Turner: Second-year MBA student and VP of Alumni Engagement for the MBA class. Katie gives 110% on everything that she does and always goes above and beyond both in and outside of the classroom. She is full of confidence, passion, and enthusiasm in all that she does and has a way of connecting with people that is genuine. She also has a special connection with the Veterans Club because her brother is currently serving in the Army as a fellow black hawk pilot! So cool!

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

1. Make a big impact and help people. I don’t know exactly what that looks like yet, but it is my hope that no matter what I do, it will contribute to making things better for both the environment and society.

2. Have fun and be passionate. I want to always be passionate about what I am doing and enjoy going to work every day.

What made Analyse such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2023?

“Analyse Seely is a two-year MBA student who attended two courses I teach at the Mendoza College of Business, University of Notre Dame. They include: Advanced Speaking for Business and Social Innovation. She never earned less than an A in each course.

She is a most impressive scholar, both in academic settings as well as in social or professional settings. She writes well and can speak with confidence and grace. Her current GPA of 3.78 gives a testament to her outstanding scholarship in Notre Dame’s highly competitive MBA program.

Analyse is personable, articulate, confident, and exceptionally smart. Her range of interests is matched only by the skill she demonstrates in tackling a project. She is disciplined, reliable, focused, and entirely dependable with clear and recognized excellent leadership skills.

Analyse does what’s asked of her and more. She has imagination as well as initiative. Her projects came in ahead of time, were thoroughly organized, well expressed, and right on point. Moreover, she’s a consummate team player. Others work for her willingly because she can show them how cooperating with her is in their best interests. Others work with her willingly because she can take direction, putting the needs of the team above her own as proven by her impressive U.S. Army career as a commissioned officer, skilled aviator and Black Hawk helicopter commander.

Analyse can write, she can speak, and she can solve complex problems without close supervision. She’s imaginative, personable, and, frankly, the sort of person most others wish they could be. I commend her to you with the highest praise I can offer: Analyse Seely is a person of character, integrity, leadership and exceptional quality.

Her academic credentials as a soon-to-be graduate of the University of Notre Dame and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University impressively demonstrate her ability to excel and thrive in a rigorous academic environment along with her dedicated and excellent eight years of service to our country as a commissioned U.S. Army Captain, officer and leader.

In my 20 years as a CEO of a mid-sized business and a 25-year member of Mendoza College of Business educator, I have met very few who are her equal. You would do well to honor her with inclusion in the Poets and Quants “Best & Brightest MBA” feature. It’s a decision you will not regret.”

Jeffrey A. Bernel
Teaching Professor of Management Mendoza College of Business
University of Notre Dame

DON’T MISS: 100 BEST & BRIGHTEST MBAS: CLASS OF 2023

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