Amber May

University of Notre Dame, Mendoza College of Business

“Proud glass-half-full advocate and the loudest person in any room you walk into!”

Hometown: Atlanta, GA

Fun Fact About Yourself: I want to visit all 50 U.S. states! I’m currently at 36.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Georgia Terry College of Business, Management Information Systems

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: EY, Senior Consultant

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?

While not a requirement for attending Notre Dame, many of my family members graduated from here and a strong love for Notre Dame was something instilled in me at a young age. To me, Notre Dame has always meant family. Now that I’ve started this MBA journey, I’ve grown my Notre Dame family beyond just blood relatives. Mendoza places a huge emphasis on developing Tender, Strong, and True leaders here, and I’ve been so fortunate to meet a number of these amazing people in my class. Notre Dame is a place that fosters community and family, and our MBA class is no different. We each are working together in the pursuit of something greater, and we’re having a lot of fun along the way!

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? I originally came from a business background and worked in consulting prior to coming to Notre Dame, so the foundational business courses have been a great refresher for me. That being said, Mendoza is incredibly unique in its emphasis on ethics. Learning at Mendoza is the first time in my life I’ve layered ethics throughout my business teachings, and it was a big draw for me to apply to Notre Dame. Not only are Mendoza students required to take business ethics classes, ethical business practices are also woven into all of our coursework. I wanted to learn in an environment that not only taught practical ways of doing business, but took it a step further to challenge our beliefs about profitable vs. ethical businesses. This opportunity for open dialogue was huge, and I truly believe everyone applying to Notre Dame can benefit from it.

What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at Mendoza? Robert Battalio’s Finance class has been a memorable highlight of my introduction to the curriculum at Mendoza. Everyone in our class came to campus with a wide array of financial experience and understanding. He did a great job of not only meeting each of us where we are, but also keeping the material relevant to current events. Instead of teaching at us, he constantly asks questions to gauge understanding, and even invites students to work problems live in-class so we can talk through the problem together. Anyone who participates gets a consolation prize, usually a coveted Notre Dame Finance hat! This unique approach to teaching a math-based class really drew me in, and some of my favorite memories on campus have been in his classroom.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Consulting afforded me a variety of opportunities to work on a number of successful projects, but my biggest accomplishment has been preparing thousands of frontline energy distribution personnel for a new customer information system. I led information sessions, collected feedback, and developed dozens of reference guides and material unique to each region’s operations. I learned so much not only about the technology and products involved in energy distribution, but also the most effective ways to mitigate change and prepare for large-scale implementations.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far? Being elected to serve as one of four class representatives was an incredibly humbling experience. While simply being nominated is an accomplishment in its own right, I’m even more excited to continue building positive change alongside my other representatives both this year and beyond.

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? Working in the energy industry ignited my passion for energy distribution and technology, and I would love to one day lead technology implementation and improvement projects for energy field services or a similar industry impacting communities across the globe. Mendoza’s reach and program curriculum has been a tremendous help for me as I explore opportunities in the technology space.

What has been your best memory as an MBA so far? Earlier this year, I competed in a Notre Dame Women’s Boxing match to raise money for Holy Cross missions at schools in Uganda. I trained and fundraised for over 3 months. I had so many of my classmates and faculty come out to support and cheer me on as I advanced to the semifinals! Their yelling, clapping, (and even barking!) spurred me on when I was getting tired in the ring. Having people both literally and figuratively in your corner made me realize just how special this class and this program is. While not everyone is going to come to Notre Dame and compete in a boxing match, my story is a testament to the unwavering and unconditional support you’ll receive here at Notre Dame across all areas of campus.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into the Mendoza MBA program? First, leverage the resources Mendoza provides to reach out to current students and alumni to learn what makes the Mendoza MBA program special. It will not only help you in building out your own application, but also give insight into every person’s “Why Notre Dame?”

Second, be able to speak to your values and beliefs beyond your professional life. Ask yourself, what do you center your life around? What is your why? Your slide presentation is a great opportunity to show Notre Dame who you are and what you will bring to the class next year!

DON’T MISS: MEET NOTRE DAME MENDOZA’S MBA CLASS OF 2024