Meet Notre Dame Mendoza’s MBA Class Of 2025

You don’t go to business school for the money. You don’t go for the job, the company, or the move across the world – let alone to fill some void or prove some point. An MBA is all about intention, or it won’t mean anything. If there isn’t something more, you’ll study to the test and do the minimum. It’ll be transactional, not transformational. For two years, you want far more than a degree on the wall and an acronym after your name.

That’s the real difference at the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame. On the surface, you’ll receive a world-class education at Mendoza. In The Princeton Review’s annual survey of MBA students and recent alumni released last week, Mendoza ranked among the ten highest-ranked business schools for the quality of its Classroom Experience and Faculty, not to mention its Finance programming and Resources for Women. However, the Mendoza mission takes on an extra dimension. It is an MBA program that demands its students become alive and active in the world. As a Mendoza MBA, you are expected to leave South Bend fearless and tireless – a force, a fighter, a servant, and a champion.

At Mendoza, MBA students will meet amazing people and enjoy substantial support. After graduation, they’ll come away with great memories and probably their dream job too. Still, the Mendoza MBA is designed to answer this question: What am I called to do next? That is the great takeaway of a program: a mission that matters – and the tools to bring it to life.

A CHALLENGE TO BE A BETTER PERSON

“There is only one shot at business school, so I wanted to enroll in a program that would open doors and set me up for the greatest success in the long-term,” explains Mitch Morecraft, who’ll be entering his second year at Mendoza this fall. “As a counterbalance to that ambition, however, I wanted to build a meaningful community with peers who believed in pursuing a well-rounded life. Additionally, I wanted a program that held a sincere commitment to leveraging commerce for the greater good without sacrificing excellence and a competitive spirit. I have been pleasantly surprised over my time here, as I have watched peers exhibit incredible commitment to serving society while also landing incredible jobs.”

Maybe the biggest lesson that Mendoza MBAs learn is that the purpose is bigger than the person. The school itself is nearing its 200-year anniversary, while its principles stretch back nearly 2,000 years. These values connect over 130,000 alumni – a community grounded in being optimistic and selfless, willing to sacrifice and committed to being an example for all. In other words, a Mendoza MBA becomes someone who is worth following.

“For me, Notre Dame has always embodied rich tradition, academic prowess, strong alumni network, and, of course, the iconic Fighting Irish spirit,” explains Cristina García Abedrabbo, a member of the Class of 2025. “These impressions have been further solidified during my time in the Mendoza MBA program, where the unwavering commitment to excellence, values-driven education, and sense of community mirror the core ethos of Notre Dame. During “Becoming Irish,” our program’s emblematic orientation week, I encountered a quote attributed to Coach Lou Holtz: “You don’t go to Notre Dame to learn something. You go to Notre Dame to be somebody.”…I wholeheartedly agree with his sentiments. Notre Dame and Mendoza both serve as transformative platforms, shaping individuals into tender, strong, and true leaders to be a force for good in business and beyond.”

García Abedrabbo’s classmate, Erin Stevens, echoes these sentiments. “When I think of Notre Dame, I think of a university committed to service. I think of a university dedicated to growing and embracing community and strong relationships across the globe. I think of a university that asks more of you than to just be a good student, Notre Dame challenges you to be a better person. My experience here thus far has only reinforced these impressions.”

AN ACCOMPLISHED CLASS

Stevens herself came to South Bend as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force – an active-duty role she continues to hold as an MBA student. She wasn’t the only member of the Mendoza Class of 2025 to devote herself to service. Mitch Cucinotta, a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, was deployed to Afghanistan in 2018 to open and supply a base. Just one hiccup: all roads going into the base were controlled by the Taliban. Being the lead logistician, Cucinotta led a team responsible for everything from fuel to food. In response, they created an airlift initiative that provided enough food and water for the unit, which had swelled from 90 to 350 soldiers, to survive the four-month winter.

“This experience taught me important lessons in planning forecasts, working with other people to acquire supplies, and cross-communication with multiple units and countries,” he explains. “Since the base could only be supplied by air, we had limited weight that we could bring in any one time, and each aircraft that came to us was controlled by the Middle Eastern command. I had to learn how to make my case for more aircraft so we could bring in supplies from water to mail.”

Jacqueline Herrick also learned through trial-by-fire. At 23, she was promoted to being her company’s general manager. Mitch Morecraft synthesized the ideas of over 3,000 people into the University of Colorado-Denver’s 2030 Strategic Plan. At Hallmark Cards, Marlon Taylor saved the company over $100,000 through a process improvement project he spearheaded. By the same token, sitar-playing Shiney Fotedar ran point on a business transformation initiative for a Japanese client that boosted their client base by 60%.

And how is this for results…

“In 2018, I was part of a team that acquired Alabama Shipyard from BAE Systems,” writes Alexander Renzi, a physics major and amateur bull rider who transitioned to finance. “When the facility was purchased in late-2018, it employed only 6 or 7 people and had no revenue. We were able to grow the facility to over 200 full-time employees (with hundreds more contracted and part-time employees) and grew revenue from zero to over $150 million a year. The facility contributes tens of millions of dollars each year to the local Alabama economy and provides high wages and salaries to skilled production professionals.”

SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENTS

Similarly, Cristina García Abedrabbo boosted savings and surpassed goals when she restructured import-export efforts in two free trade zones. In New York, Lee Ana Hess grew a non-profit internship program known as CASH (Creating Assets, Savings, and Hope). At the same time, Madhujit Mohan Narayanan threaded the needle by boosting revenue and avoiding layoffs during COVID-19 by creating a new digital asset management framework.

“The framework successfully captured a gap of around $2 million in the initial discovery phase. Due to the success of the engagement, I trained several associates to implement the framework after landing multiple new clients, including a global financial technology services firm.”

Since starting business school last year, the Class of 2025 has racked up an impressive series of achievements. This summer, Marlon Taylor earned an internship with IBM in finance. Alexander Renzi is currently interning at Evercore’s Houston office, while Mitch Morecraft’s first-year efforts led to an offer from EY-Parthenon. Among school honors, Erin Stevens was elected by her classmates as its first-year representative. Those same classmates conferred the Tender Leader Award onto Lee Ana Hess for being “empathetic, approachable, grateful, forgiving, fair, patient, open-minded, understanding, encouraging and kind.”

That said, the class’s big achievements couldn’t always be quantified by job offers and class recognition. Just ask Mitch Cucinotta. “My biggest accomplishment so far has been surviving as a new dad for a second time. My daughter, Gia, was born two weeks before school started. Luckily, my wife and I had a lot of help from our parents, and I had to travel back on weekends until both of them were medically cleared to move to Notre Dame. The first month of school was hard without them, but now everyone is together and doing well.”

In the case of Madhujit Mohan Narayanan, his biggest moment involved giving back to his classmates. He organized the annual Mendoza Diwali Celebration – an event, Lee Ana Hess says, that was the highlight of her time in business school…thus far.

“From a lively dance performance to an engaging trivia game, it culminated in a feast of delicious Indian food. Witnessing their dedication and efforts unfold into a joyous cultural celebration was heartwarming. I felt blessed to be part of this vibrant and united community.”

FOOTBALL FEVER

For most, football – in some way, shape, or form – is intertwined with the best memories in business school. Despite not claiming a National Championship since 1988, the campus remains abuzz on Saturdays, forever paying homage to Knute Rockne and The Four Horsemen, Rudy Ruettiger and Joe Montana, Touchdown Jesus and Victory March, “Play Like a Champion Today” and “Win one for the Gipper”. It is a tradition backed by an aura of miracle plays, mythical figures, hated rivals, and iconic seasons…the underdogs in blue and gold – Catholics against the world.

Before business school, Mallory Dubay, a media strategist, backpacked across South America. After she settled at Mendoza, she introduced her parents to her new life by taking them to a football game. Madhujit Mohan Narayanan can remember racing the field after the Fighting Irish blew out previously-unbeaten USC, even joining thousands of fans in singing the “Alma Mater”. On 9/11, the student body runs the stairs of the football stadium, says Mitch Cucinotta, a ritual led by the ROTC and firefighters in full gear. Of course, there are the tailgates, with MBAs hamming it up with classmates, alumni, and faculty before walking to the stadium and hanging together in the bleachers.

“We have tailgates organized by different MBA clubs during game days,” adds Mohan Narayanan. “One specific tailgate I enjoyed was the International Students tailgate where MBA students got food and beverages that are native to their countries. It was a wonderful experience getting to understand different cultures and food.”

Indeed, food and football act as a unifying force. These moments don’t just happen around the stadium either, adds Cristina García Abedrabbo. “A classmate and his gracious wife generously opened their doors to host a watch party. The day unfolded amidst the backdrop of a fine Midwestern autumn afternoon, with each classmate bringing in a delicious dish made by them…The shared joy of watching the game seamlessly blended with a spirited cornhole tournament, culminating in the warm glow of a bonfire as night fell. These moments have transformed us from mere classmates into a tightly-knit family. Beyond the excitement of the game itself, these gatherings symbolize a deeper connection — one that transcends the ordinary. These shared experiences have not only fostered a profound sense of belonging and unity within our group, but also elevated our collective MBA journey into a meaningful and unforgettable chapter in our lives.”

A COLLEGE TOWN

For Mendoza MBAs – past and present – South Bend only enriches the MBA experience. Mitch Morecraft enjoys “passing glimpses” of the Golden Dome and joining the Midnight Drum Circle that happens the night before games. Alexander Renzi has developed an affinity for 2:00 a.m. runs to Dave’s Hot Chicken after drinks at The Linebacker. Among alumni, ’24 grad Josephine Emanuelli loves how the city embraces the university. The school itself offers plenty of activities for students, such as an MBA Bowling League.

“Notre Dame puts on several events, such as $5 movie screenings for students, cultural events, or crafts fairs, for students looking for activities on campus,” adds Bailey Harrison, a 2024 Best & Brightest MBA. “Notre Dame has such a beautiful campus; it was always nice to just take a walk around the lakes or through various buildings!”

After a year at Mendoza, the Class of 2025 would describe the Notre Dame mystique in different ways. Kingsley Ukaulor, a general manager from Nigeria, associates the school with specific core values: “Excellence, respect, integrity, teamwork, accountability, ethical leadership, spirituality, and cultural fitness.” Shiney Fotedar would tack a spirit of community onto Ukaulor’s list.

“I am part of a close-knit cohort where everyone is deeply invested in each other’s success, while our professors and the business school staff go above-and-beyond to help us succeed,” Fotedar adds. “With rigorous courses and professors at the forefront of their fields, Notre Dame delivers on its reputation for academic excellence. Yet, the deep commitment to ethics and service-oriented leadership is what truly sets this program apart. I could not imagine a better place to become a well-rounded, values-driven business leader.”

Next Page: An interview with Joseph Sweeney

Page 3: Profiles of 12 Mendoza MBAs