TJ Siva

Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame

“Army veteran with a passion for operational and team-based excellence.”

Hometown: Beavercreek, OH

Fun Fact About Yourself: When I get time, I like to travel the country on my Harley-Davidson Motorcycle.

Undergraduate School and Major: Xavier University, Business Management and Entrepreneurial Studies

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: US Army, Squadron Fire Support Officer

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? When I think of Notre Dame, I think of an institution founded on strong values, and dedicated to making the world a better place at every turn.  At Mendoza, these early impressions have been heavily reinforced, as each touchpoint I have with professors, alumni, and fellow students have been impactful to myself and the overall good of others.

Aside from your classmates, what was the one key part of the Mendoza MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? Mendoza’s supply chain minor was a driving aspect of the curriculum for my decision, as I am targeting supply chain roles post-graduation.

What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at Mendoza? The Notre Dame Veterans Club is a tight-knit group of military Veterans that supports one another and the program in a powerful way.  My participation in the club has been very rewarding, and they truly “Grow the Good in Business” at every turn.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: While deployed to a combat zone, I led a team that equipped, instructed, trained, and certified a foreign national fighting force on several key combat operations. This was a very challenging task in supply chain, language, cultural, educational and other barriers.  Through deliberate planning and ability to adapt quickly to changes, my team and I were able to train the foreign nationals, who went on to do great things for the stability of the region.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far? I commute to South Bend from Chicago, so that my spouse can keep her job in the city, so finding time for networking, studying, and researching can be a challenge. My biggest accomplishment so far is achieving an above average GPA while balancing the travel, interviews, networking calls/events and so on.

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 make the world a better place by enabling operational effectiveness and efficiency, through people-leadership and teamwork.  This is directly aligned with Mendoza’s mission, as well as that of essentially everybody I have met at Notre Dame, so the connections I have made in the program have been the biggest help in achieving my mission.

What has been your best memory as an MBA so far? Watching the Notre Dame Football team win multiple playoff games with peers, alumni, and mentors whom I am certain are now my lifelong friends.

DON’T MISS: MEET NOTRE DAME MENDOZA’S MBA CLASS OF 2026

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