Joe Santoro

University of Notre Dame, Mendoza College of Business

“Former Army officer with a profound enthusiasm for life and people.”

Hometown: Mundelein, IL

Fun Fact About Yourself: In college, while pitching at Fenway Park, I gave up a home run over the famed Green Monster during the Army-Navy game. I told my soldiers about it after I graduated West Point, and their going away gift for me was a signed “Go Navy, Beat Army” flag by the guy that hit the homerun. Apparently, they direct messaged him on Instagram four years after the fact and made it happen. That flag hangs proudly in a shut closet back in my parent’s house.

Undergraduate School and Major: United States Military Academy at West Point – Business Administration/Management

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: U.S. Army – Operations Officer (Captain)

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? Growing up in the Chicagoland area in a Catholic family, the first thing that comes to mind when I think of Notre Dame is its aura. Now being at Notre Dame and in the Mendoza program, my impression of it growing up has only been solidified. To avoid being overly sentimental, I am extremely proud to be a part of this university. It makes any student who enrolls feel like they’re at home, and the MBA program is every bit a part of the university at large. At Notre Dame, everyone is rowing in the same direction, and I firmly believe you’d be hard-pressed to find an institution predicated on such a sense of togetherness. To put it simply, life works the way it’s supposed to around here, and that all emanates from the profound respect everyone has for this school and what it stands for.

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? For me, it’s the focus on character inside of the curriculum. You will largely find institutional business knowledge taught wherever you go, but I wanted to identify with a school that took it one step further. At West Point, there was a significant amount of ethics being taught, and I wanted to be part of an institution that took it as seriously. I think graduate school is an opportunity to find a place where you align yourself with like-minded individuals, and Notre Dame was that for me. From the outset, ethical leadership was taught. Though that is sometimes difficult to improve upon, the fact that they are thinking about it every single day here is what set the school’s programming apart for me.

What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at Mendoza? Going to go out on a limb here and say the football games. I understand everyone probably feels the same way, but it’s such an awesome aspect of the program. In the fall, it is a focal point of the social experience. With the rigors of recruiting and schoolwork taking up the week, everyone looks forward to getting together on Saturdays for the game, be it home inside Notre Dame Stadium, or away and watching it at a bar with your classmates. It is truly incredible to see how much South Bend and specifically Notre Dame transforms on gamedays, and at no point during the year is the togetherness I referenced above better exemplified.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: To put it broadly, my biggest accomplishment was leading over 45 soldiers in Infantry and Reconnaissance platoons in the Army. I feel like that was a seminal moment in my life, which occurred at such a young age. Having the ability to impact soldiers’ lives while learning about the importance of maintaining competence and character in real time is an accomplishment I will always cherish. Knowing what it feels like to have even one soldier personally tell you how much your leadership meant to them is my biggest accomplishment. I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far? As an MBA student, my biggest accomplishment is securing an internship with the Investor Relations team at the Black Rifle Coffee Company. Notre Dame was essential in that process through their commitment to ensuring career success for their students. I first met Black Rifle at the MBA Veteran’s Conference in Atlanta, and the trip was fully subsidized by the MBA program. From the first few days during Grow Irish (orientation), MBA leadership made it clear that they would do whatever they could to ensure we have career success, and I can personally attest to that fact.

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 do something that positively impacts those I meet. Whether that’s in the Veteran, South Bend, or Notre Dame community – Mendoza will provide you with all the tools necessary to make as much of a difference as you can. There are countless events every week made available to students, and the expectation is that you do what you can to improve the lives of others while you’re here.

What has been your best memory as an MBA so far? It has to be the MBA Veteran’s tailgate, when Notre Dame hosted Navy. I didn’t have the same undergraduate football experience as most, so that has been a hallmark experience for me. Getting the chance to set up an awesome tailgate for all our classmates and their families was something I won’t forget, and I can’t wait to do it again next year. As an Army guy, Notre Dame beating Navy 49-10 didn’t hurt either. Beyond that, it’s every day that I get to wake up and walk around this campus. As I said in the beginning, I’m immensely proud to be part of Notre Dame and Mendoza, and the subtle reminders I receive daily have made my time here worth it and more.

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