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Fighting Irish The Trinity students making a splash Recent Trinity graduates Laura Brady , BA (Eng) Mechanical Engineering with Management, 2024), Rory Staunton (BA (Eng) Mechanical Engineering, 2024), and Sadbh Boylan (BA Management Science and Information System Studies, 2024) are embracing a new challenge at the University of Notre Dame – and a new nickname to go along with it otre Dame’s academic and research opportunities have consistently landed it in prestigious T20 rankings of educational institutions in the US, but its “Fighting Irish” moniker has become an internationally recognised symbol of the university’s heritage, and has catapulted the Trinity graduates into campus celebrity stardom. ‘You get a fantastic welcome,’ Staunton says of the reception at Notre Dame. ‘Everyone is delighted to hear the accent and have a talk about your hometown and where you’re from. To actually be an Irish student here, it’s really special for sure.’ Brady, Staunton and Boylan will spend a year at the university’s Master of Science in Engineering, Science, and Technology Entrepreneurship Excellence Masters (ESTEEM program). The 11-month Master’s is designed to equip students with backgrounds in STEM or other relevant fields such as design, economics, and business analytics, with the skills and knowledge they need to bring their talents to the world of entrepreneurship and innovation. Students undertake a rigorous academic curriculum to round out their knowledge of entrepreneurship, gain hands-on experience in product commercialisation, and enjoy close mentorship with faculty and the program’s vast alumni network. ESTEEM takes a “learn by doing approach” to prime students to take on leadership roles at the intersection of business and STEM, motivated by a central mission to “fix things that matter.” For Staunton, the opportunity to combine his engineering backdrop with his passion for entrepreneurship drew him to the ESTEEM program. During his studies of mechanical engineering, he got involved with the Trinity Entrepreneurial Society, which further fostered a love for enterprise first unlocked in secondary school: ‘I had a small business since I was in fifth year in school, selling coffee, so I was involved with student enterprise all through school,’ he explains. ‘The whole kind of community that came with the enterprise society was something I enjoyed, and it was an opportunity to tie it in a bit with the degree I was doing and meet cool people and work on businesses.’ Brady grew up working in a family-owned business, though admits that she didn’t initially see that career path for herself. ‘I got a lot of exposure to running a business as a child. We always used to say when we were kids, “I don’t care what job I do, I just don’t want to be self-employed, because it seemed so stressful”,’ she laughs. Now one semester into her studies at ESTEEM, Brady appreciates the irony in her reversed stance: ‘I feel like at this point in my life, I have so many skills to be self- employed, it’s probably the route I want to go down most.’ Boylan claims it was an “unexpected” turn of events that brought her to ESTEEM, after initial apprehensions about studying abroad. A “last minute decision” to apply for a semester abroad in her third year turned out to be one of the best decisions she made in college. ‘I ended up going to Notre Dame for a semester, and it completely exceeded my expectations, it really surprised me. And then, of course, I met all the ESTEEM students from Ireland, and sort of thought “they’re all doing amazing things, good for them”.’ She didn’t necessarily see herself following the same track, however. ‘I honestly had never given entrepreneurship much thought. I didn’t know if it was for me. But learning more about the
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program, seeing what it was all about, I realised it was actually more aligned with my goals that I thought, so I gave the application a go and I haven’t looked back since.’ Brady, Staunton and Boylan are part of a 52-strong class cohort, of which 28 are international, including a total of 11 Irish students. Additionally, Brady is one of five Irish students in receipt of a Naughton Fellowship that includes a full tuition scholarship, health insurance subsidy, and living stipend. The Naughton Fellowships, which were founded by the Naughton Family in 2008, have been providing opportunities for students and faculty from Ireland’s leading institutions and the University of Notre Dame to experience international education and foster stronger connections between Ireland and the US. Since 2009, it has supported 135 undergraduates in their summer research programs, 102 Master’s students, 20 PhD candidates and 24 faculty from both Notre Dame and Irish institutions. This year, Trinity will welcome two faculty members to its campus as part of the Naughton Faculty Research Accelerator program, as well as two recent Notre Dame graduates for further study and one undergraduate student for a research fellowship. Brady credits the “completely invaluable” support of the Naughton Fellowship with enabling her to embark on her studies abroad: ‘There’s no way I would be here without it. I have nothing but positive words to say.’ She highlights the value of having the Naughton Fellowship in her corner, continuing: ‘They’re a great organisation and they’re just really lovely people. It always feels like there’s someone at home looking out for you here.’ The ESTEEM program in particular is no stranger to Irish students. Since its launch in 2009, it has seen 80 Irish students graduate, with 55 of those supported by the Naughton Fellowship. The strong Irish contingent in the class and alumni network and, of course, Notre Dame’s embrace of all things Irish, has also helped the students feel a sense of community abroad. 'It honestly doesn’t even feel like we’re that far from home,' Brady admits. Nevertheless, the three are excited to dive into the stereotypical American college experience - including cheering on the Fighting Irish as football takes hold on the campus. Staunton says: 'The opportunity to go to America and really experience American college, the stereotypical American life on campus. Seeing the Golden Dome, going to football matches, being here. It really is such an adventure, such a cool thing to do,' Boylan concurs: 'It’s like something out of a film or TV sometimes, it’s kind of surreal, but it’s amazing to be here and experience it all.' Brady also vouches for study abroad as an option for those who seek a new challenge after graduation: 'I would say if you want to be outside your comfort zone, if you’re somebody who is looking for something a little bit beyond. If you’re looking for something that’s going to push you a little bit further, apply.' She recommends taking advantage of the low risk space provided by a program like ESTEEM, where students can be challenged, 'but in such a nice space where you can fail and fall backwards and there is someone there to catch you.’ Learn more about the ESTEEM progamme Learn more about the Naughton Fellowship programme
