Shelby Carroll '05: Everything Happens for a Reason

Everything happens for a reason. Shelby Carroll '05 fully expected to follow in the footsteps of her older siblings and go to the University of Notre Dame. God had other plans. Flash forward to 2025, and Shelby has been on staff at Notre Dame for over 10 years. Her journey was not a straight line but a winding path – one that has made all the difference. 

Shelby attended Grinnell College, where she was recruited to play volleyball, gaining experience she didn't know at the time would be helpful in the future. Her journey took its first turn when she was offered a job in Grinnell's development office and found herself able to blend what she cared about with making a living. She was also surrounded by great friends and colleagues she liked and learned from; people who eventually helped her get to the place she always wanted to be. One day, a job posting slid across her desk for an opening in development at Notre Dame, and everything changed. 

Happy to be at Notre Dame, Shelby continued her career in development for 10 years, raising mission gifts for the University President's Discretionary Fund and serving as a Senior Regional Director of Development while also earning her MBA. Then, one day, just over a year ago, she met with Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua. It was just a conversation; however, in two weeks, Shelby's path had a new direction.

As Senior Associate Athletic Director - Media, Brand and Marketing at Notre Dame, Shelby oversees several main areas: video production, graphic design and branding, marketing and fan experience, social media, and more. The department serves 26 teams and over 600 individual student athletes to help share their stories, create a brand identity, and help them navigate the new world of name, image, and likeness. Shelby and her team help the fans experience the voice and brand of Notre Dame Athletics.

Shelby is enjoying the learning curve the new position has given her and speaks highly of her team, "They are extraordinary-so good at what they do. I am not the expert, and that is my favorite part of this job. I am working with amazingly talented human beings who aren't me. I love that - I love being able to push myself to think outside the box and be a lifelong learner. And I think it's really rare to find a job where you get to be in that environment. I help them strategize, be better planners, and put processes in place to make them more efficient. But ultimately, I spent the first nine months just learning what my team does and who they are."
Shelby acknowledges that the most challenging part of her new career has been the pace. "In development, you can plan a year or even three years in advance—it is a long game, working with families, building relationships over time. In athletics, things change so quickly that the planning process is different, and decisions are often made quickly. It is being in a constant state of readiness for anything. You must be okay with a bit of chaos."

She also juggles an additional leadership volunteer role as secondary administrator for Notre Dame's women's basketball team. Shelby admits it is extra work, but an experience that she loves. "I manage their budget; I go on trips with them and travel. I am a liaison that cultivate better relationships and communication between the team, coaches, and our athletic director."

While her new position has inspired future career options, Shelby is unsure of where this role will take her, but plans to enjoy every moment of this experience. "I am not sure what the future holds, but I do know what kind of person I want to be. It is of the utmost importance for me to be surrounded by people who help me grow as a person and as a professional, which is what I have found at Notre Dame. Instead of big plans, I focus on learning, growing, and putting myself around good people." As Shelby thinks back to her time at Mayfield, she is quick to make a connection to the growth she has experienced as a leader. "Watching my teachers collaborate and invest in their students inspired me to be a good teammate. I saw how working together towards a common mission can lead to amazing results and close relationships. That is how I approach my work—with relationships, collaboration, and communication at the forefront. To this day, I am still close with friends I have had since kindergarten. Between these friendships and my family, I have had the foundation to help me take risks, make mistakes, and turn failures into learnings that have helped put me on a trajectory of leadership. I am grateful every day for all the things that have led me to this point, and I look forward to continuing to grow in my current role."