Running Toward Opportunity: Camille’s MSM Experience

Motivation to Apply and Following an Unexpected Path

For Camille, the journey from Colorado to Stanford and eventually to Notre Dame has unfolded in ways she could not have predicted.

“If I could define my journey from Colorado to California to Indiana in one word, it would be providential,” she said. “Each stop along the way has been unexpected yet full of opportunities, people, and lessons that repeatedly validate that I am exactly where I am supposed to be.”

Growing up outside Denver, Camille eventually found herself competing at the highest level of collegiate athletics while studying Communications and Data Science at Stanford. Although she had always been interested in business, Stanford did not offer an undergraduate business major. Instead, she built a foundation she believed would translate well into the business world.

“I chose to study Communications and Data Science under two hypotheses,”  she said. “First, data drives business decision-making. Second, it doesn’t matter what you know if you can’t share that knowledge with others.”

Through those disciplines, Camille learned how to both analyze complex information and communicate it effectively. “Studying data science allowed me to make meaning out of statistics, while studying communication equipped me with the tools to convey that meaning,” she said.

Still, she felt something was missing. “I was seeking the vocabulary and technical skills to act as infrastructure for the practical knowledge I had gained,”  Camille said. The Master of Science in Management program at Mendoza provided that foundation.

Preparing for Strategy and Consulting

As Camille explored management programs, she focused on finding an experience that would expand her skills while connecting her to a strong professional community.

“A major emphasis in my research was the breadth and depth of the alumni base,” she said. “Wanting to eventually return to the West, I valued Notre Dame's loyal alumni network that spanned coast to coast.”

She also hoped the program would help her strengthen practical business literacy. “Coming from a non-business background, I hoped the MSM program would provide basic business literacy like reading financial statements and calculating breakeven points,” she said.

The program delivered that preparation quickly. "Thanks to the Mendoza faculty and summer curriculum, I was able to master these skills in time for case interviews,”  Camille said.

Discovering the Impact of Business Problem Solving

One of the most meaningful parts of Camille’s MSM experience has been Grow Irish, where students work directly with organizations to solve real challenges.

Her team partnered with A Rosie Place for Children, where they developed sustainable funding recommendations for the organization. “In my personal life, I strive to leave people and places better than I find them,” Camille said. “The Grow Irish experience taught me that I can have a career that accomplishes the same mission.”

“It was so fulfilling to know that the recommendations my group made are being implemented at the organization,”  she said. Experiences like this reinforced Camille’s interest in consulting. “I love asking questions and understanding root causes,”  she said. “That helps me identify and eventually remedy the needs of a client.”

Her success in consulting competitions throughout the semester further validated that direction. “Winning each consulting case competition that I participated in helped confirm that business problem solving not only brings me joy but also brings out the best in me,”  Camille said.

Learning From Diverse Perspectives

Working alongside classmates from a variety of academic backgrounds has also shaped Camille’s approach to collaboration.

“My Business Problem Solving groupmates studied Economics, Chemical Engineering, English, and Communications,” she said. “We each had different frameworks to approach problem-solving.”

Rather than creating friction, those differences strengthened the team’s performance. “My group learned how to play on everyone’s strengths,” Camille said. “That ultimately helped us win three out of four case competitions in the class.”

She also gained valuable experience presenting and communicating ideas under pressure. Between coursework and her internship in the Notre Dame Athletics Business Office, Camille delivered multiple presentations during finals week alone.

“Between classes and my internship, I delivered five presentations during finals,” she said. “That experience has prepared me well for a high-stakes, client-based problem-solving career.”

Where Athletics Meets Strategy

Camille sees clear connections between her athletic background and the work she hopes to do in business.

“I love optimization,” she said. “On the track, shaving off a thousandth of a second can be the difference between gold and silver. In business, reducing costs even by a cent at scale can be the difference between thriving and not surviving.”

For her, consulting offers the chance to pursue that same mindset. “What attracts me to consulting is the ability to use creativity and strategy to help businesses achieve new personal records,” she said.

Her academic background supports that approach. “My academic training allows me to analyze data to identify opportunities for efficiency and then create a cohesive narrative to present solutions,” Camille said.

Building Leadership Through Athletics

Balancing graduate school with Division I track and field required Camille to develop a new level of discipline.

“I mastered a new level of time management,”  she said. “That experience will serve me well in a fast-paced work environment.”

She often compares consulting teamwork to her favorite track event, the 4x400 relay. “Each member puts their best foot forward to get the baton across the finish line,” Camille said. “Just as a relay team can move faster together than any single runner, collaborating on consulting recommendations allows our team to maximize efficiency and quality.”

Athletics has also shaped how she approaches leadership. “Competitive athletics has taught me when and how to step up, step forward, and step back,” she said.

Learning when to step back has been especially important. “In the workplace, stepping back as a leader looks like delegation and surrounding yourself with people who have complementary skillsets,”  Camille said.

Community and a Cohort That Feels Like Family

Camille’s introduction to Notre Dame was fast-paced. She graduated from Stanford on a Sunday, moved to South Bend on Monday, and began classes the next day.

Despite the quick transition, she immediately felt welcomed by the MSM community. “I was met with open arms by my friendly cohort,” she said.

Because the MSM students begin their program in the summer, the group quickly formed close friendships. “We spent a lot of time together having burgers at Brothers, singing karaoke, and going to  the pool after class,” Camille said.

Those shared experiences created strong bonds. "Spending time with the same people every day for eleven months felt daunting at first,” she said. “But the friendships that formed have been the best part of my Notre Dame experience.”

Advice to Future MSM Students

Reflecting on her experience, Camille believes the most important takeaway from the MSM program extends beyond the classroom.

“The people make the place,” she said. “You may come for a master’s degree, but you will leave with so much more.”

She encourages future students to focus on both the academic and personal sides of the experience. “The friendships, memories, and career connections you make will have a far longer-lasting impact than your academic transcript,”  Camille said.

For prospective students considering the program, her advice is simple.

“If you are looking for a crash course in a broad range of business functions, the MSM program is for you,”  she said. 

“At Notre Dame, you will have incredible faculty, a true college experience, and the chance to meet some of the most genuine people you’ll ever know.”