The Graduate Alumni Relations office, in conjunction with the MBA program and the MBAA (the student governing body), has added a new dimension to the already strong Notre Dame Network with the launch of an MBA Mentor Program in 2008. An initiative of the students, the program matches high quality mentors with MBA students in their job focus areas. In introducing the program, Notre Dame registered a phenomenal response from Notre Dame alumni, with more than 400 from across the country signing up. More than 200 have been matched with MBA students; over the next several months, more will be connected to students in the class of 2010. In the future, mentors will include other executives and recruiters in addition to ND alumni.

MBA Alumnus Sarah Ewing, a "double domer" and part of the core group that developed the Mentor Program, worked in high tech and marketing in Silicon Valley before becoming an MBA student. Last year she was paired with an executive mentor from Starbucks, touching base every few weeks by phone or email. They discussed job-related issues, such as how to break into a field or how to handle specific interview questions. Sarah says, "My experience was very positive, helping me to understand the power of the Notre Dame Network."

The goal of the program is to strengthen the connections between the students and corporate members of the Notre Dame family. According to Cindy Proffitt who manages education and programming for MBA Career Development, "The mentor program allows the students to connect with real world experts: the students receive the expertise, and the mentors stay connected to the University in a meaningful way."

Although the program does not serve as a job search mechanism, some students have received jobs as a result. Recent MBA graduate Patrick O'Brien says, "I have always been interested in the airline industry. Through the program, I was matched with a graduate who is employed by Delta Airlines; while I didn't have any job expectations, he forwarded my resume to the financial group at Delta and I received an offer. It couldn't have worked out better for me." O'Brien is currently employed with Delta.