Minority MBA Applicants Rub Elbows with ND's Powerful Alumni Network

The first annual Mendoza College Black MBA Alumni Reunion - sponsored by the College's MBA Alumni Relations Office and the Notre Dame League of Black Graduates in Management - took place on campus January 18 through 21. The reunion was held in conjunction with the Ford Preview Weekend, a four-day

event for minority applicants interested in applying to ND's MBA program. Sponsored by the Ford Motor Company - one of the most active recruiters of Mendoza MBA students - the Preview Weekend gives applicants a flavor for the MBA program and for student life at Notre Dame. "Alumni enjoyed catching up with former classmates and socializing with current students, faculty and staff," said Katie Anthony ('85, MBA '96), director of MBA alumni relations. "The weekend also gave alumni the chance to make new professional contacts and to discuss diversity initiatives at the MBA program. Alumni were honored to represent the University and the MBA program to this elite group of potential students."

Elite is right. "Ford Preview Weekend participants, whose expenses are underwritten by Ford, are the cream of the crop," said Brian Lohr, assistant director of MBA admissions. "They have high GMAT scores and highly developed leadership skills. To give them a glimpse of Notre Dame's powerful alumni network, we combined the Preview Weekend with the Black MBA Alumni Reunion."

Over the course of four days, Ford Preview Weekend participants visited MBA classes and attended a luncheon in the ND football stadium press box with Chandra Johnson, (ND '96), assistant to Notre Dame President Rev. Edward ("Monk") Malloy, CSC. During the luncheon, Johnson outlined the University's efforts to increase diversity among the student population at ND.

Left to right: Marc Fields (MBA '00), Stephanie Welch (MBA '00) and Calvin Daniels (MBA '01)