During the COVID-19 pandemic when the world slowed down, Notre Dame College and five trailblazing students took a leap of faith: The College launched an accelerated MBA program both online and on campus, and those students became the first to enroll and graduate with the newest Notre Dame credential.
The College recognized the commitment and persistence of these students, the faculty and staff, advisors and administrators who started and shepherded the graduate program through its initial two years with an “MBA@NDC Pathfinder” celebration.
J.R. Andrejcik, Leah Allison, Katherine Elsenbeck, Taylor Olson and Erika Wilson pioneered through the pandemic and completed their coursework at the end of this summer to become the first MBA alumni of the College. They will be joined at commencement in December by eight others who have completed the MBA program at Notre Dame in 2021.
“The five kept going during a tumultuous and uncertain time. None of us would be here tonight without their spirit of persistence,” said Joyce A. Banjac, Ph.D., developer and director of the MBA program at Notre Dame. “And it wasn’t a cakewalk to be the first students in a new start-up program, and then to add the uncertainty of classroom learning during COVID. Despite the burdens along the way the five persevered.”
The Guest Speakers
Another highlight of the Pathfinder program featured inspirational addresses from two guest speakers: Jeff Snowden and Nakeysha Hamilton, both undergraduate alumni of Notre Dame who have been pursuing the MBA.
Snowden is a 30-year veteran of the U.S. Navy who has served in three executive leadership tours as a Command Master Chief. He has been working with the Veteran’s Administration while earning his graduate degree. He is a certified resilience instructor and is earning his education at Notre Dame with the help of veterans’ tuition benefit programs.
Hamilton has been the director of alumni relations and annual giving at Notre Dame and is one of the students completing their degrees in December 2021. She has experience in corporate leadership and marketing with Verizon and has been tapped to teach a management course at the College in spring 2022 after earning her graduate credential.
The MBA Advisory Council
The students were awarded certificates to mark the occasion, as were MBA Advisory Council members Robert Vaughn, Ph.D., and Phyllis Marino, MBA. These two leaders worked with Banjac and Florentine Hoelker, Ph.D., dean of online, graduate programs and strategic initiatives at the College, to align the needs of students with the interests of business.
Vaughn is a consultant, author, teacher and trainer with Avron Management Services LLC and worked for 30 years as a member and chair of management faculty, as well as serving three terms as dean of business, at Lakeland Community College. Marino has worked as Vice President of integrated marketing at University Hospitals Health System.
“Each has contributed in unique ways to support the program … and reduce the gap between the world of business and the higher education system,” Hoelker said.
The MBA Volunteers, Faculty and Staff
Volunteers, faculty and staff from the College who contributed to the successful first years of the MBA program also were presented with certificates of appreciation.
Hoelker recognized volunteers Sr. Eileen Quinlan, SND, Ph.D., professor emerita of English at Notre Dame, and Rita Williams, MBA, and executive coach and alumna of the College. Quinlan also is a Notre Dame alumna. She and Williams helped the students in their transitions to graduate school.
In addition, Banjac acknowledged the MBA faculty and College offices of Academic Affairs, registrar, Human Resources and Payroll for their “time and energy in building a new graduate business program, destined to become a future model for Northeastern Ohio.” While the instructors were developing, teaching courses, the staff scheduled courses and managed other logistics to ensure positive experiences for the faculty as well as students.
“We have all heard it takes a village to raise a child. Likewise, it takes a college to launch a new program,” said Notre Dame President J. Michael Pressimone, Ed.D. “Thank you for taking part in one of Notre Dame College’s newest graduate programs. We humbly appreciate how you have joined us in seizing opportunities to make NDC an even better institution of higher learning than it was one year earlier.”
The First Graduates
J.R. Andrejcik earned his MBA while coaching wrestling at Notre Dame. He graduated from the College with a bachelor’s degree in sports management and business administration, with a minor in entrepreneurship. He is a retired collegiate wrestler himself and plans to work in the medical sales profession.
Katie Elsenbeck also earned a bachelor’s degree in sports management from Notre Dame. She has been an assistant lacrosse coach and stepped in as interim head coach at the College while earning her graduate degree. She will be returning to New York State to help manage her family farm.
Taylor Olson earned his undergraduate degree in accounting from the College, where she was a pitcher on the women’s softball team. Formerly from New York, she is now involved with a northeastern Ohio-based company.
Leah Allison attended the University of Toledo where she double majored in marketing and accounting. She served as a softball graduate assistant at Notre Dame and is an aspiring event planner.
Erika Wilson earned her undergraduate from Kent State University. A resident of Barberton, Ohio, she is working in management with Village Pizza, her family’s business there.
The MBA Program
Notre Dame 10-course MBA can be completed at a fraction of the cost of comparable programs, at $15,000, or less with transfer credits. The program constitutes 30 graduate credits, at $500 per credit hour, and may accept up to six transfer credits, reducing a student’s investment to $12,000 for the program. For MBA students working full-time, some companies offer tuition assistance which further reduces students’ out-of-pocket expenses.
“The College embraced graduate business because we recognized that the MBA is still one of the most in-demand academic credentials in the U.S.,” Pressimone said.
On campus and online MBA courses are available in accelerated eight-week terms, with students enrolling at convenient times throughout the year. Full-time students can complete the program in as few as 12 months, if admission and prerequisite criteria are satisfied. Part-time students can complete the program in 24 months or fewer.
The MBA is open to graduates of regionally accredited institutions of higher learning who hold a minimum GPA of 3.0. Non-business majors are accepted, provided they have met the admissions criteria by enrolling in, or transferring, three business-related courses prior to full acceptance. Applicants with GPA’s slightly below 3.0 may be considered by the Graduate Admissions Committee on a case-by-case basis, upon review of relevant documentation and scores.
Whether enrolled in campus or online classes, students pursuing an MBA at the College learn key business principles from experienced business educators. MBA professors have terminal degrees and significant teaching experience.
The Notre Dame MBA emphasizes the hard and soft skills employers demand, stresses servant leadership and ethical decision-making at the managerial level, with communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking infused throughout the program. Classes in leadership, marketing, accounting, finance and operations round out the program. Business Strategy, the capstone course, integrates program content, offering students the opportunity to practice the knowledge, skills and abilities they have mastered along the way.
December 2021
About Notre Dame College
Notre Dame College is a private, Catholic, liberal arts college in South Euclid, Ohio, committed to teaching students how to make a good living and live a good life. Founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame in 1922, the College offers bachelor’s degrees in 30 disciplines plus a variety of master’s degrees, certification programs and continuing and professional development programs for adult learners on campus and online. For more information, visit NotreDameCollege.edu.