Ololade Aderonke Odogiyon

University of Notre Dame, Mendoza College of Business

“I am a courageous and resilient young leader, intentional about giving the best experience and a smile to everyone I meet.”

Hometown: Ondo State, Nigeria

Fun Fact About Yourself: I eat only white colored ice creams.

Undergraduate School and Major: Bowen University, Industrial Chemistry

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Sterling Bank; Team Lead, Voice of Customer Analytics

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? Community, Community, Community. It is not lip service when people mention the amazing network and community at Notre Dame. I am yet to find an explanation for how people can be so supportive, encouraging, attentive and kind. The Notre Dame network is closely knit and filled with so much support and love. Before arriving at Notre Dame, I spoke to some students and staff to just get a feel of things and I felt so warm and welcome. I imagined what the energy will be like when I physically arrived, and I have never been let down. This support system is truly the backbone of success and growth here at Notre Dame.

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? When I think about my MBA at Mendoza, I always remember our mission to Grow the good in business. I’ve always known schools to be educational institutions that work towards excelling majorly in that space. So, it amazed me how and why this one school is not just interested in my educational pursuits but also wants to see me do good, be ethical, and strive for excellence and impact while at it. The Leadership Launch sessions we had during orientation definitely set the right foundation for me to internalize the lessons, uphold my core values and see the many opportunities available to do good in every day. That quote has now become a personal charge and it reminds me every day to be intentional about my actions and my speech.

What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at Mendoza? The Marketing and Consulting clubs have been great resources and always provide support through the course selection and recruiting processes. They have also organized Marketing and Consulting treks, where we were able to meet and chat with staff at highly reputable companies to set us on the right path and build the right networks. The Black Graduates in Management Club have also done outstanding work helping international students navigate their boats as we set sail on this new journey at our amazing college. They set up a financial literacy program with an investment firm to help us better plan our finances as internationals and build good credit.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I developed a customer survey and product observation framework at Sterling Bank Plc to assess our digital loan product efficiency. I used the data gathered to drive actionable insights and engaged the product managers and technology team in resolving the issues highlighted by the survey, which increased product subscriptions by 113% and customer conversion rate by 10.25%.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far? Being able to share my experience and knowledge as I serve as a resource for incoming students has been amazing. I am able to be an ambassador for Mendoza, improve myself as I learn leadership and collaborative skills, and invite others to enjoy a similar experience at Mendoza.

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 in life is to have completely emptied myself when I depart from this earth. I do not want to take my gifts or talents with me. I want to offer help wherever I can, serve others, make people laugh heartily, make myself smile, honor God, and be a force for good in my professional and personal pursuits. Mendoza daily reminds me to be a values-based leader, to ask more of myself and to become a force for good not just within my space but also in the world at large.

What has been your best memory as an MBA so far? It would be Thanksgiving. Our Accounting Professor, Michael Meyer, invited all international students to his residence since most of us were unable to go home because we are many miles from home. Some of us have never even had Thanksgiving before and he wanted us to have a first experience with family and friends. It was the extension of the Notre Dame hand of fellowship and community; it seeks you out wherever you are and offers unwavering support and friendship. It was amazing to meet his family and put faces to all the names from examples in my course packet and I truly went home thankful and tank full.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into the Mendoza MBA program? Be your authentic self. Be intentional about improving yourself and your community and do not downplay your successes. You may consider it routine because you do it every other day, but it is exceptional to us at Mendoza because no one else does it how you do it so be bold about that story and do not forget to document your wins.

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