Q&A: Business Analytics Major and Athlete Yashna Yellayi '24 Finds a Balance Between Business and Coding

Curious about business analytics? This major is one of the five undergraduate majors within the Mendoza College of Business at Notre Dame. Yashna Yellayi is a sophomore business analytics major who loves the combination of business concepts and coding within the major. She's also a member of the Women’s Tennis Team, a women’s tennis representative on the Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SACC), and is a member of the Irish Strong subcommittee, which advocates for the mental health of student-athletes. Here, she answers questions about her major in business analytics and being a student-athlete.

How did you choose a Major in Business Analytics?

Business Analytics (BAN) was perfect for me because I wanted a strong background of coding, but wasn’t too inclined to do a Computer Science major. Mendoza is an amazing business school and I wanted to have access to the resources and learning opportunities they provide for their students. I thought BAN was the perfect balance between Business and Coding, and can set me up really well for a future in a business-oriented career.

What kind of support do you feel you benefit from as an athlete and as a woman in business and Notre Dame?

The support at Notre Dame, I believe, is unmatched. As an athlete on the Women’s tennis team, we have an incredible support system of academic advisors, trainers, coaches, and more, who help us do our best and balance our heavy schedules. Both athletically and academically, the support staff really wants us to thrive in both and help us achieve our goals in both areas. Additionally, Mendoza provides their business students with amazing professors who are always ready to help their students, and extra resources that set you up beyond your time at Notre Dame.

What has been your favorite business class so far?

I think my favorite business class so far has been Coding Fundamentals with Professor Duan! She is an amazing professor who is the most willing to help her students. The class was also so interesting. I was terrified walking into that coding class but learned so many skills, and had a lot of fun working through challenges. I walked out of that class feeling so accomplished of what I had learned that semester!

How do you think Notre Dame's business analytics program stands out from similar programs at other universities? 

I think Business Analytics is a really unique and amazing addition to the majors that Mendoza has to offer. Specifically for me, I wanted to have a business background that gave me a really good coding and data-based background, without having to do a computer science (coding heavy) major. This is exactly what the Business Analytics program has, and there isn’t any other university that I looked at with a major like this. Especially since it is under Mendoza, I think it makes it so much more enticing for students and powerful for post-grad work.

What has your experience as a student-athlete been like here? 

My experience as a student-athlete here has been amazing. It has been equally challenging and rewarding for so many different reasons. Being on a team, getting to compete in tennis, and representing Notre Dame at the collegiate level is a dream come true. Not only do I get to share experiences with an amazing group of girls, I get to be mentored by incredible coaches as well. I think being a student-athlete at Notre Dame is unique from many other schools because of how high our academic standards along with athletic standards. This makes it extremely challenging to balance school, tennis, traveling, social life, and extracurriculars. However, it’s extremely rewarding and in the short time I’ve been here, I have grown and learned so much through the experiences I’ve had. Originally posted on ND Admissions.