Meet Notre Dame Mendoza’s MBA Class Of 2026

Faith is the foundation of business.

People start businesses because they have hope. And they believe their solution can bring value and make a difference. At its core, a business is a call to serve and take responsibility for others. More than that, a business is a commitment to growth, a never-ending quest to be bigger and better.

At the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College, business taps into something more profound. It is a means to learn and grow, a daily duty to pursue an ethical path that serves the greater good. That’s why you’ll hear maxims like “Grow the good in business” or “Ask more from business” bandied about at Mendoza. The school takes this faith in business very seriously.

“The connection I felt to the school went far beyond that of a typical business program,” explains Katie Wiggin, a first-year MBA who most recently worked at Goldman Sachs. “Growing in my faith and choosing a school that emphasizes not only academic and professional excellence but also the importance of building character and serving others was incredibly meaningful to me. You can sense that the people at Notre Dame are genuinely committed to being here and dedicated to shaping our future leaders – leaders like the one I aspire to become.”

A FOCUS ON ETHICS

This point was driven home for Wiggin during orientation, when she completed the campus tour. Stopping at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, surrounded by the frescos of saints and stained-glass depictions of Catholic history, Wiggins realized that the Mendoza MBA would be so much different than a traditional business school experience.

“It wasn’t just about academics or career goals; it was about personal growth and faith,” she explains.  “When I graduate and find myself in a new city, looking back on my time at Notre Dame, I will picture myself sitting at the Basilica, surrounded by people I care deeply about and remind myself of the meaningful moments and relationships that have shaped my MBA journey.”

Among the Class of 2026, you’ll find students whose visions for themselves align with the Mendoza mission. In the Gospel, the apostles fanned out across the known world to spread the Word. For Alex Jensen, business is a global purpose, “a force for meaningful global change” that touches areas ranging from economics to politics. This philosophy has pushed her to pair an MBA with a Master of Global Affairs at Notre Dame. Her classmate, James Smart, studied Marketing as a Mendoza undergrad. Unlike many programs, Smart notes, Mendoza teaches Business Ethics in the first term core. The course, he says, better prepares students for post-MBA life, when they may be pressured or tempted to take shortcuts or skirt important details.

“This has allowed me to view subsequent classes through an ethical lens, creating an environment where students are encouraged to ask questions and challenge assumptions and offering opportunities to help practice business skills while bringing Mendoza’s mission of “growing the good” in business to life.”

FOLLOWING THE VISION OF FATHER SORIN

Before enrolling in the Mendoza MBA, Shubharika Sharma worked for S&P Global. Her mission, she says, is to “lead with resilience, empathy, and purpose.” Early in her career, Sharma learned a tough truth: leading isn’t decision-making. Instead, it is about the relations you build, the priorities you set, and the purpose you carry that enable you to make the best decisions. Thus far, she says, Mendoza has helped her grow to better fulfill her mission.

“The program has provided me with the tools to be adaptable, to lead with a sense of responsibility, and to focus on forming genuine connections. Through Mendoza’s curriculum and culture, I’m learning how to integrate these lessons into my professional life to drive meaningful change, much like Father Sorin rebuilt his vision after adversity.”

By Father Sorin, she refers to the founder of the University of Notre Dame. In the 1840s, Sorin left France to slog through snow-covered and frigid rural Indiana to build Notre Dame. The school was a monument to his belief that students can’t just know but must act for the good of all. It wasn’t an easy process, with Sorin even watching his university burn to the ground at one point. His response: He renewed his commitment and made the campus even bigger! Such stories connect the Notre Dame community – past and present – providing inspiration when the purpose seems too big and its believers feel too small.

“After arriving on campus, I learned that Notre Dame began as a humble missionary outpost in the Indiana wilderness,” writes Beth Schaller, an English Literature major who became a merchant at Abercrombie & Fitch’s corporate office.  “Father Sorin’s prescient words at the time continue to amaze me: “This college will be one of the most powerful means of doing good in this country.” From attending mass with my MBA peers to praising Our Lady at the end of every football game, the Catholic experiences of daily life here have been incredible blessings.”

STRENGTH THROUGH DIFFERENCE

When people think of Notre Dame, they picture Catholic ritual and Saturday football, the Golden Dome and Touchdown Jesus – a devotion to the dignity of others and the pursuit of deeper meaning. Brian Byers associates the university with four qualities: “academic excellence, Catholic values, athletics, and long-standing traditions.” He also points to “pray(ing) in the Grotto and learn(ing) the ND football chants” as first-year highlights. Beth Schaller enjoys how faculty don Notre Dame swag and lead a “Go Irish!” chants after class on Fridays before games. At the same time, James Smart has been struck by the university’s sense of community, which is anchored around making the world better.

“This shared intentionality and the recognition that we are each developing business skills to give back to our communities creates a common thread on which we build our community,” he observes. “This culture of service fosters a truly supportive community, where members of the Mendoza program go to lengths to help others. This includes students hosting their own informal office hours to review statistics before the exam or casing with one another for upcoming interviews.”

While Mendoza MBAs share a commitment to making an impact and driving change, it is their differences that really bring out their best. That was the big takeaway from Mark Giesey, a P&Q Best & Brightest MBA from the Class of 2025.

“Although the university is deeply rooted in Catholic tradition, the community is incredibly diverse in thought, faith, and background,” Giesey adds. “The university encourages reflection and ethical leadership, but not in a dogmatic way. Themes like human dignity and the common good, core elements of Catholic social teaching, are frequently reflected in university programming and communications. Yet these principles closely align with widely accepted best practices in the business world, such as corporate social responsibility and servant leadership.”

CLASSES CHANGE HOW YOU SEE YOUR WORK EXPERIENCE

James Smart took these practices to heart at Kroger, where he acted as the strategic lead for customers on government benefits (SNAP). While Smart was in this role, Kroger leaders would query him on the impact that inflation was playing on its most vulnerable customers. Following up, he discovered that there was woefully limited data in this area. And that’s when Smart sprung into action.

“I created and led the SNAP Customer Connect, a committee of leaders across both Kroger and 84.51° whose work directly impacted SNAP customers. The committee met quarterly to discuss changes to government benefits and align on a consistent SNAP customer story for the quarter. As a result, responses to Kroger executives were streamlined and we were able to more effectively advise them on how to invest in strategies and activations that were truly meaningful to the SNAP customer.”

In the U.S. Army, TJ Siva supported his comrades as a Squadron Fire Support Officer. Soon enough, his scope expanded to something much larger. “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,” he writes. “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.”

At Banco de Crédito de Bolivia (BCP), which boasts over 2,200 branches, Jorge Ortuño was promoted to being one of the youngest account managers in the firm’s history. Seyi Olasimoju led 24 professionals in developing one of Nigeria’s most popular digital banking apps. At Progressive Insurance, John S. Cappuzzello worked with the executive team to “refresh” the vision statement for the 60,000-employee firm. For Beth Schaller, the COVID-19 downturn provided her with an opportunity to re-imagine her category and develop a strategic playbook better aligned with shoppers’ “new priorities.” As a Mendoza student, Schaller has been freed from the details of her job so she can better see the bigger picture.

“I am very proud of the newfound understanding I have of my past experiences in corporate retail. When I began my career at Abercrombie & Fitch, I was a business neophyte. I learned how to be a merchant entirely on the job. Over time, I mastered the processes and the lingo and saw great success with the company. However, my scope was limited to the product-facing division. It wasn’t until I took Notre Dame’s core MBA classes that I grasped the bigger picture. In Accounting I and II, for example, Professor Meyer taught us about the four main financial statements; he showed me how my actions buying and selling merchandise were translated into revenue and expense lines on Abercrombie & Fitch’s income statements to be presented to shareholders.”

MAKING THE TRANSITION ACADEMICALLY

Alex Jensen, a research associate at HACER, experienced a similar transition. “My biggest accomplishment as an MBA student has been learning to translate my research and non-profit skills into a business context. By building on the strategic and analytical frameworks I already possessed, I’ve developed greater confidence, adaptability, and a distinctive perspective that bridges the non-profit and business worlds.”

That said, adapting to business school has been easy for some. TJ Siva commuted to class from Chicago, where his wife works. Still, he has been easy to maintain a high GPA “while balancing the travel, interviews, networking calls/events, and so on.” Indian-born Shubharika Sharma made an even bigger transition – and achieved similar results.

“My biggest accomplishment has been stepping out of my comfort zone—moving countries, embracing a new culture, and meeting diverse people, all while excelling academically. It’s been a rewarding challenge that’s helped me grow both personally and professionally.”

NOTRE DAME TRADITIONS

In South Bend, you sometimes hear about the Notre Dame Mystique. For many, that mystique is the aura surrounding Notre Dame football. Over the past 100 years, the team has collected 11 National Championships. And there are so many stories around them. Picture the Four Horsemen and Knute Rockne; Win one for the Gipper and Rudy making a tackle; Joe Montana’s inspiring comebacks and Rocket Ismail’s electrifying returns; the Midnight Drummer’s Ciricle and the Victory March. From epic tailgates to green fireworks, Mendoza MBAs enjoyed all of it – and come away closer because of it.

“These gatherings were the perfect introduction to the excitement and tradition of game day,” observes Cristina García Abedrabbo, a ’25 grad. “More than just a pre-game celebration, they brought our community together, strengthened friendships, and deepened my appreciation for the school spirit that defines Notre Dame. This past season was especially thrilling, with the team reaching the national championships and winning two bowl games.”

That mystique is also derived from other traditions, explains Diab Eid, a Harvard-trained economist.  

“My best memory so far [has been] attending mass at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart with my dad during Welcome Weekend. Aside from witnessing the beauty of the Church and the Dome for the first time, it was extra special to do it all with my dad, who sacrificed so much for me to experience the innumerable blessings this country has to offer. Looking back at that memory, I feel a great duty to offer myself back in whatever vocation God is calling me toward, here and beyond.”

For James Smart, the best memory isn’t rooted in a hundred years of lore. Instead, it happened when Mendoza rented out South Bend’s Potawatomi Zoo for a dinner at orientation (and let the first-years feed the animals too). A few months later, Shubharika Sharma participated in a more informal tradition: Thanksgiving dinner at Professor Michael Meyer’s home.

“As international students far from home, many of us had never celebrated Thanksgiving. Professor Meyer invited us to his home, offering a warm, welcoming experience that truly reflected the Notre Dame community. It was a reminder of the fellowship and support here, and meeting his family added a personal touch to the experience. I left feeling incredibly grateful for both the meal and the connections I’ve made.”

Next Page: An interview with Gianna Bern, Associate Dean for the MBA Program

Page 3: Profiles of 11 Members of the MBA Class of 2026

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