A Double Domer’s Nine-Year Journey Under the Dome

An Early Dream

This summer, Megan will leave South Bend to begin the next chapter of her career in Chicago, joining PwC’s M&A Deals Advisory group. The move marks both an exciting beginning and the close of nearly a decade spent at the University of Notre Dame.

Years before Megan ever stepped onto Notre Dame’s campus, she was an Irish Catholic girl from Northwest Indiana with a vision for her future. In fifth grade, tasked with writing a paper about what she wanted to be when she grew up, she wrote that one day she would be a Notre Dame graduate. When her teacher told her to redo the assignment because it wasn’t “realistic,” it didn’t discourage her, it became her origin story.

“That doubt sparked my ‘I have to get there,’ mentality Megan recalls. “Notre Dame was the end-all-be-all, and there were no other options for me.”

Building Her Foundation

Megan’s dream became a reality when she first stepped onto Notre Dame’s campus in the Fall of 2017.

Her undergraduate years were defined by a rigorous double major in Marketing and History, complemented by a minor in Real Estate and active involvement across campus. A proud resident of Howard Hall, she served as the hall’s alumni commissioner, first intern for the Fitzgerald Institute for Real Estate Investing, and Senior Fellow for Internationalization in 2021.

Upon graduation, Megan pursued a path that combined her passion for investing and finance by working in the Notre Dame Investment Office (NDIO). While many of her friends moved to new cities, she remained in South Bend to help manage the University’s endowment.

Stepping into her first professional role in a place that felt familiar — yet suddenly entirely different — brought new challenges. Megan learned how to navigate the responsibilities of a full-time career while rebuilding routines, friendships, and a sense of community outside undergraduate life. While at the NDIO, Megan learned from incredible investors and mentors and forged relationships that will last her entire life.

After three years at the Investment Office, another dream started to take shape: earning her MBA. When considering where to go, Notre Dame again rose to the top of her list. Between the community, the education, and the culture, Megan was eager to step back into the role of student and accomplish something few people have the opportunity to do—earn two degrees from the University of Notre Dame.

Becoming A Double Domer

In August of 2024, Megan  began her journey as an MBA candidate as part of the class of 2026.

Megan’s footprint on the MBA program was immediate and expansive. Serving as the Executive Vice President of the MBA Association (MBAA), she became a central pillar of the student body, managing general elections and ensuring the graduate community remained connected. Her involvement didn’t stop there; she leaned into her professional passions as a Vice President of the Real Estate Club and as a consulting case coach, helping her classmates navigate the recruitment cycles she had already mastered.

Yet when asked which role has meant the most to her, Megan doesn’t point to a title. Instead, she reflects on her unofficial role as the “friend” to the next generation of Irish leaders. Through mentoring ten undergraduate women in the Business Honors Program, she provides advice on academics, internships, recruiting, and life beyond the classroom offering both perspective and reassurance.

“I like to think of myself as a friend that has recently faced similar challenges and has been in their shoes that they can reach out to because sometimes you need someone that’s a few years separated, but has been in your shoes.”

A Nine-Year Legacy

With tears in her eyes, Megan is now preparing for her move from South Bend to take on the next chapter of her journey: PWC’s M&A Deals Advisory group in Chicago, IL. The move is bittersweet. For nine years, she has built her life in the shadow of the Golden Dome—years that shaped her professionally, personally, and spiritually. Gratitude outweighs the sadness, but leaving a place that has given her so much is not easy.

As she prepares to trade the South Bend winters for the Chicago lakefront, she reflects on the tradition that binds her legacy together: the Alma Mater. In nine years on campus, she hasn’t missed a single home football game, each one ending the same way, with a moment that never lost its meaning. “Singing the Alma Mater at the end of football games is a tradition I genuinely hope never ends… it’s just so beautiful.”

Megan’s story isn’t just about academic success; it’s about a woman who took an unrealistic fifth-grade dream and turned it into a decade of service, leadership, and love for Notre Dame.

About the author:

I’m Caroline Buckley, a second-year MBA student at Notre Dame. This story is the culmination of two years of getting to know Megan and witnessing firsthand how she embodies what it truly means to be “Irish.” Megan’s love for Notre Dame is paired with her grit and work ethic, making her the perfect example of somebody who gives back as much as she receives. Megan is an inspiration to many, and I am incredibly lucky to call her one of my closest friends.