Tell us about your military service. What did you do? Where did you serve? What do you value the most about your military service?
I served as an infantryman with the 82nd Airborne Division and an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) officer with the 303rd EOD Battalion and 52nd EOD Group. Over my career, I deployed to Afghanistan and trained or led teams in Alaska, Hawaii, Sri Lanka, Singapore, South Korea, and Nepal. I value the amazing people I worked with during my military service. The exposure to such a diverse cross-section of America’s population combined with the high stress that comes with dynamic and volatile environments allowed me to grow in a way that would have been impossible outside of the military.
What are your thoughts on mentoring other students while at Vanderbilt? As a role model, what values do you want to share?
I’m very excited to share my experiences and lessons learned with other students at Vanderbilt and I hope to get the same from them while pursuing my MBA. I also want to share some of my core principles such as persevering through adversity, having a tireless work ethic, and punctuality.
While at Vanderbilt, what will be the focus of your studies and how do you plan to use this knowledge in your future career?
I plan to earn my MBA with a concentration in Human Organizational Performance and an emphasis in Entrepreneurship. My goal is to help organizations value their people rather than the production those people provide. My dream is to start a non-profit that helps under-resourced youth.
What would you tell other veterans about the Bass Military Scholars Program?
The Bass Military Scholars Program is a win-win for any veteran. Its mission will give you a new sense of purpose and its people will provide you with a support network of dependable professionals who can all empathize with what you are going through. The scholarship is a huge help that should be weighted heavily when deciding where to grow your career.