The Real Humans of the Notre Dame Mendoza MBA Class of 2027 showcase the program’s signature blend of values-driven leadership, close-knit community, and career momentum.
The cohort includes career-changers like John Epley, who leveraged early ownership in pharmaceutical sales and a student-athlete’s competitive edge to make a deliberate pivot into finance. Margo Miller brings experience in sports marketing and partnerships at Publicis Media, using the MBA to move closer to the decisions that shape brands. With a deep analytics toolkit built across defense manufacturing and market research, Jameson Foran moved to Mendoza to regain the client-facing impact he craved and prepare for strategy consulting.
The class also brings together powerful perspectives from finance, technology, and service. Diana Stephanie Lara spent seven years at Citigroup at the intersection of risk, governance, and community reinvestment, and now aims to expand her financial leadership capabilities. Kelly Niewolak, a former software account manager, came to close the gap between advising strategy and executing it. Finally, Will Kelly adds a rare combination of operational leadership as a Marine Corps aviation supply officer and boardroom exposure from executive search at Spencer Stuart.
Together, these students reflect what Mendoza does best: attract grounded, high-achieving leaders who value community as much as outcomes, and who see the MBA not as a transaction, but as a transformational experience. Read on for their stories.
