An MBA journey from career certainty to purpose-driven leadership at Notre Dame

Student Spotlight: Katie Wiggin, MBA Class of 2026

Katie Wiggin was on a clear path. Four years into her career at Goldman Sachs in Dallas, she was on track for a Vice President promotion. But instead of feeling energized by what came next, she felt something else. “It was a strong gut feeling. I knew I wanted the title, but that moment wasn’t the right time for me,” she says.

That instinct, paired with a long-held desire to pursue graduate study, led Katie to leave her position and instead pursue a Notre Dame MBA, where she was named a Meyer Fellow, receiving full tuition and a stipend, and where she built the relationships that ultimately led her to join PwC’s Mergers and Acquisitions consulting practice in Chicago upon graduation.

Along the way, she found what she was looking for: a business education grounded in values, a community that supports her faith, and a network that helped shape her next step.

A family story that shaped her ambition

Growing up in New Jersey, Katie saw firsthand what it looks like to build a meaningful career while keeping family at the center of her life. She describes a close-knit household: “Both of my parents are very involved in my life and I have an older sister who’s two years older than me. So me and my sister are super close.”

Her mother’s story became a defining source of inspiration. “She’s the first person in her family to go to college and the first person to ever get her MBA,” she explains. Her mother spent 20 years at the Federal Reserve before moving into a chief compliance role, an example of leadership and perseverance that continues to guide her daughter’s goals.

Seeing her parents navigate demanding careers also influenced how she thinks about motivation and success. “I grew up always seeing two parents working and figuring out how to raise a family,” she says. “And I feel like that’s been super helpful for me, showing me how to stay motivated, and also seeing what a woman can do even when they’re coming from a family not having that college background.”

Why an MBA and why full-time

Katie’s undergraduate path began in accounting, with an expectation that she might move straight into a master’s program. But an internship changed her perspective.

“I got an accounting internship and I realized immediately it wasn’t for me,” she recalls. Instead of starting a masters program upon graduation, she entered the workforce, ultimately joining Goldman Sachs. As she gained experience, she noticed a pattern among the leaders she admired.

“I started to realize that all of the leaders that I aspired to be at Goldman had some sort of graduate degree,” she says. “And the two they had were either their MBA or they had a law degree.”

With a strong interest in becoming more client-facing and building a broader leadership foundation, she chose a full-time MBA, an intentional pivot that would allow her to explore new paths and expand her network.

Guided by faith and drawn to Notre Dame

Katie’s faith has long been central to how she approaches major choices. She attended an all-girls Catholic high school after spending her early years in public school, and she noticed immediately how the environment shaped the way she learned.

“I feel like that’s what made me appreciate faith-based education so much is having both experiences of going from public to Catholic school,” Katie shares. “It’s just a different perspective.”

That clarity became even sharper during her undergraduate years at a public University. While she valued her experience there, she realized something was missing. “I missed that,” she says, reflecting on the absence of faith as part of everyday life. “All of my friends, they didn’t go to church so I was the only one that would go on Sundays after a night out or just going another day when I needed to reset if I was really stressed.”

She knew that when she returned to graduate school, she wanted a Catholic university, one where shared values would be part of the daily rhythm, not something she carried alone.

At first, her search was practical. Because of a planned move, she focused on MBA programs in the Chicago area. But an unexpected connection soon reframed that search. Through a chance introduction at her Pilates studio, Katie connected with a Goldman Sachs colleague who had completed Notre Dame’s Executive MBA in Chicago.

“He just spoke so highly of the program,” she says. “I remember ending that call, going on Notre Dame’s MBA website, and immediately thinking, ‘this is the school I’m going to.’”

What resonated wasn’t just Notre Dame’s reputation, it was the alignment she felt between her faith, her values, and the way the alumni community showed up long after graduation. “Because of the way he talked about the values that were instilled in him through his coursework, the way the alumni have changed his life and how much it was able to change his career,” she says. “I knew this was the school for me.”

That sense of alignment only deepened once she stepped onto campus. Before classes even began, Katie traveled to Notre Dame for Welcome Weekend to see if she could picture herself there. During that weekend, she met a fellow student who would become one of her closest friends in the program and as her friendships grew, so did the role of faith in her daily life. Only this time as something shared with a community rather than a solitary activity.

“I’ve never gone to church with any of my friends ever in my life,” she says. “And now every Sunday, me and three of my friends go to church together.” She also credits a student-created Mass group chat with creating a deeper sense of belonging among classmates.

“A group of 15 of us that ever since year one, we’ve gone on Sundays together and they save a pew for all of us,” she says. “And I just had never… had a shared experience with the rest of my classmates.”

Together, those early moments confirmed what Katie had felt all along: that Notre Dame was a place where her faith, friendships, and career could grow in tandem.

What it means to be a Meyer Fellow and a Forte Scholar

Katie’s journey to Notre Dame was already rooted in intention, but just before she officially began the MBA program, it took on deeper meaning. Shortly before classes began, she received an unexpected call. She was told that the Kenneth R. Meyer Fellowship is awarded to only eight students per MBA class, and that an unexpected opening had placed her next in line. The timing made the moment especially powerful. It was her last day at Goldman Sachs, and she had already committed to Notre Dame. The Meyer Fellowship is awarded to a small group of MBA students each year and recognizes both academic promise and leadership potential. For Katie, it felt less like coincidence and more like affirmation.

As a Meyer Fellow, Katie is part of a close-knit cohort that gathers throughout the year for small dinners and conversations designed to build connection and community. The fellowship also provides full tuition support, an annual stipend of $25,000, comprehensive health insurance coverage, and priority registration—resources that allow Fellows to focus fully on their academic and leadership development.

Overwhelmed with gratitude, Katie felt compelled to respond in a way that felt authentic to her. “My love language is gift giving,” she says. After learning about causes important to Ken Meyer, she made a donation in his honor, an act that led to an unexpected response. “Ken wrote me a three page letter thanking me,” she says. “That was so incredibly rewarding.”

Before being named a Meyer Fellow, Katie was also awarded the Forté Scholarship. Part of the Forté Foundation’s mission to support women pursuing leadership roles through MBA education. Through Forté, she attended the Forté Conference and began building early relationships within the Mendoza community, connections that helped shape her transition into the program.

Together, the Meyer Fellowship and Forté Scholarship reflect two sides of Katie’s Notre Dame experience: recognition of her potential and the support of a community that values who she is, how she leads, and what she hopes to give back.

Leadership through relationship-building

Throughout the program, Katie has leaned into what she considers one of her greatest strengths: connecting with people in ways that are genuine and lasting. “I think my biggest strength is relationship building, I genuinely like to talk to people and build real connections,” she says.

That mindset shows up in her leadership roles, including a position created specifically for her in the Consulting Club. “I’m the chief networking officer,” she says. “Which is a brand new role that last year’s second-year class made for me.”

In that role, Katie led the Chicago Consulting Track, coordinating with senior leaders across firms and expanding the event significantly. “Usually at the event, you have four presenters and we had eight,” she says. “So I doubled the amount of people and it was a very successful event.”

She also supported first-year students as they prepared for recruiting—helping with everything from behavioral interviews to coffee chat preparation. In the MBA Association, she serves as Vice President of Alumni Relations, focusing on strengthening the connection between students and the Corporate Advisory Board.

A pivot that led to what’s next

Katie entered the Notre Dame MBA intending to recruit for consulting, drawn to project-based work and the chance to build relationships across industries. When that path didn’t unfold as planned during her first year, she pivoted to a summer internship doing a leadership development program at Target. The experience surprised her in the best way: new industry exposure, a strong cohort, and a clearer understanding of what she wanted.

Back on campus for her second year, everything began to come together. The relationships Katie had intentionally built with classmates, alumni, and Mendoza’s corporate partners turned into real momentum. One of those connections, with a PwC partner tied to the Notre Dame network, opened the door to a role that brings together her finance background, passion for client work, and long-term vision. Upon graduation, Katie will join PwC in Mergers and Acquisitions consulting in Chicago.

Boldly stepping forward

As Katie prepares to graduate and join PwC, her Notre Dame experience reflects the themes that have shaped her story from the beginning: faith, community, courage, and relationships built with intention.

And she sums it up best in her own words:

“The ND MBA has been a transformative season – stretching me academically, strengthening my faith, and preparing me to step boldly and confidently into God’s plans for what’s next.”

Are you ready for the next step?
Learn more about Notre Dame’s MBA program.