When most people think of business school, they think of fierce competition among self-centered people in search of salary increases. At Notre Dame, however, MBA students are different.

In January, 30 Mendoza MBA students, led by Father Tom Doyle, CSC, joined Dean Woo and a handful of faculty and staff members at the Sacred Heart Parish Center on campus for the third annual MBA retreat - 24 hours of reflection, meditation and honest communication about issues facing business students today. Mainly, we discussed how to balance spiritual needs with family and school pressures.

Not everyone at the retreat was Catholic, or even Christian. But we are all part of the Notre Dame community - within and beyond the classroom.

Accounting Professors Ken Milani and Kevin Misiewicz, Management Professor Ira Harris and Marketing Professor Mike Etzel shared their experiences as business leaders in search of balance in their lives. Dean Carolyn Woo led us in a discussion about our perceptions of ourselves, of others and of God.

The weekend offered students an opportunity to examine our friendships and life-partnerships. We shared stories of battles with cancer, heartache and the loss of loved ones. Many of us talked of old friends we have lost touch with because we have become too busy with school or work.

We took stock of the "big picture" and made sure that the pressure of exams, projects and the inevitable job search did not cause us to lose focus.

We gained a sense of peace and were reminded of what it means to truly connect with one's self and with others.

The weekend closed with Mass said by the College's chaplain, Fr. Tom Doyle.

In business school, it is not usually one's spirituality that garners the most attention. But for one very special weekend, the Mendoza MBA community took the time to ensure that our spiritual "compasses" were set in the right direction.