Alumni Perspective: Elie El-Zammar, MBA ’13

Elie El-Zammar, MBA ’13, and current Worldwide Sales Lead – Azure Applications and Infrastructure at Microsoft, reflects on his time at Notre Dame and his life since graduating. 

I take pride in being well prepared, organized and structured in my professional and personal life. So it came as quite the shock to my friends and family when I decided to join the Notre Dame 1 year MBA program without ever visiting the Notre Dame campus. For me, the decision was easy – the tradition and history of Notre Dame are unparalleled, and the quality of education is top ranked. And so, the two top priorities of the school, faith and learning, sold me on relocating my life to South Bend.

Moving from Vancouver (Canada) to South Bend was an adjustment, but what I most recall is the overwhelming feeling of support throughout the entire transition. At Notre Dame, you are part of a family from the moment that you receive your acceptance and you remain part of it for the rest of your life. The life-long relationships developed at Notre Dame exemplify the defining aspects of the school. The sense of family and community exists not only within the student body, but transcends to the alumni network. This feeling has remained with me as I transitioned into the professional world. During my job search, the engagement from the Notre Dame alumni base was a huge advantage not only in terms of getting a foot in the door, but for further career development.

The emphasis on learning primes the students to probe life’s greatest questions and share perspectives with one another. This philosophy has served me well in the workforce. The Notre Dame brand carries a far-reach and can be leveraged throughout your career. As you look at life after Notre Dame, remember these tips:

• Stay connected: irrespective of your physical location, the Notre Dame family is consistently present. For example in my organization, we have a distribution list of Notre Dame alumni which keeps us connected and reminds us of our common values.
• Pay it back: we have all needed help along the way, and Notre Dame has always ensured there is someone to lend a hand. When someone knocks on your door – make sure you’re the one saying yes.
• Learning doesn’t stop once you graduate: Notre Dame has a way of bringing people back together to support common missions and goals. Whether you’re engaging in the annual Notre Dame day, volunteering with your local Notre Dame club, or simply attending a game-watch with your old friends, there is always a thirst to learn about a new interest, discuss a new project, or build a new relationship.

I chose to come to Notre Dame for a high-quality education, but I’ll be forever impacted by the sense of community and family that I built along the way.