From small-town Wisconsin to studying finance in Rome, Hayden Hofacker ’26 has found a sense of family that extends far beyond home. A first-generation college student, he says Notre Dame gave him both the opportunity and the community to thrive.
Hofacker considered a school closer to home, but says, “Notre Dame was always my dream school growing up.”
That dream is rooted in family stories. Hofacker’s grandmother found comfort through a transistor radio when, as a child, she was hospitalized, then bedridden for several weeks. “The only thing she brought with her was a transistor radio,” says Hofacker. “It played the Chicago Cubs and Notre Dame football.” Her affection for the University was passed down to Hofacker’s father, and eventually to him.
Hofacker’s dream was within reach when he was admitted to Notre Dame, and financial aid helped make attending possible. “I didn’t receive my financial aid package until April 27, and the deadline [to confirm enrollment] was May 1,” he recalls. “Once I saw the package, I knew it was going to be a feasible option.”
Once on campus, Hofacker found belonging in multiple communities, including Sorin Hall, and the Mendoza College of Business. “I think freshman year, starting out, I really made a community in my dorm,” he says. “As I progressed, I found community in the finance program.”
He joined the Student International Business Council (SIBC), through which he worked on mock investment banking projects and traveled to San Diego as a first-year student. Through that experience, he connected with professionals at Morgan Stanley and eventually landed a summer internship there.
“It kind of just shows all the resources that Mendoza gives you to succeed on campus,” he says. “I didn’t have any connections to the world of investment banking before coming here.”
Among his other campus activities, Hofacker has given back through First Gen Careers, where he is on the advisory board, helping other students navigate the recruiting process. “We have a board and we run resume workshops or meet with other first-gen students if they have questions about recruiting,” he explains. “I think it takes a lot of grit to be a first-gen student in the first place.”
For Hofacker, Notre Dame’s family feel is what sets the University apart. “Community is the biggest word that people use, but I want to say ‘family,’” he says. “I feel like, if I would have gone to another…school, I would never have made the kinds of friends that I made here.”
One of his favorite memories is seeing his own family experience campus life. “My dad, this is probably his favorite place on the planet,” he says. “Seeing him being able to enjoy campus is probably my favorite part of it.”
Hofacker studied abroad in Rome during his junior year, a dream he once thought was out of reach. “I didn’t think I was even able to do that before college,” he says. “Notre Dame again offered me the resources to be able to.”
To students who might doubt whether Notre Dame is within reach, Hofacker offers this encouragement: “Don’t [underestimate] yourself and think that everyone at Notre Dame is so much smarter than you. As a first-generation student, you have already demonstrated an immense work ethic, and because of this, you will be able to excel here. Just get involved in everything that you possibly can, and you’ll succeed.”
Learn More
See more info. and stories about Notre Dame's first-gen community!