10 Military Veterans To Watch From The Class Of 2019 - Poets&Quants

On Our Watch List: Ten military vets now getting their MBA degrees

What makes an impressive MBA resume?

For many, it comes down to big names like Google and big titles like Vice President. For a resume that really stands out, look for names like Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines – and titles like Company Commander or Logistics Officer.

EARLY EXPLOSURE TO LEADERSHIP AND TEAMWORK GIVE VETERANS AN ADVANTAGE

Business schools love military veterans! According to a 2017 analysis performed by MBA Data Guru, tier one schools accepted 23% of military applicants, nearly 10 points higher than “traditional” populations. The gap grows to a 39%-to-25% margin among tier two MBA programs (defined as programs like Tuck, Ross, Stern, and Darden).

It’s easy to see why. Military veterans may lack exposure to the finer points of Pareto or PowerPoint, but they’ve lived-and-breathed the essentials of leadership. Before returning to campus, they’ve already managed teams – some numbering over a hundred. In terrain where bundling and blitzing are replaced by bullets and bombs, veterans have been tested under fire. Amid the fog and ambiguity, they’ve learned poise, flexibility, and accountability. Add to that, they all started as followers – perfect preparation for operating in diverse teams where roles are often fluid.

Creative and capable and dynamic and deliberate, veterans bring a hard-won maturity and know-how to the MBA classroom. That’s particularly true of the ten first-years who made P&Q’s list of the veterans to watch. It is a group who has done everything. They have commanded Navy SEAL squads, graduated from TOPGUN, and helped rebuild devastated Afghan infrastructure. These are the students who won’t need much direction. And that’s because they’re carving out their own paths – and providing an example for their peers to follow. Here are their stories.

(Editor’s Note: These MBA candidates are not ranked in any order.)

Adam Scheer / U.S. Navy / NYU (Stern): How tough is U.S. Navy SEAL training? Just 1% of candidates make it through 52 weeks of training. That pretty much makes NYU’s 21% acceptance rate seem like a sure thing, huh?

Adam Scheer did more than just make it through SEAL training. He eventually became a SEAL Platoon Commander, where he oversaw 16 highly-trained operators. Now, Scheer is looking to beat the odds again – this time by transitioning into a career in finance. Considering that he has already survived an avalanche on Mount Whitney, you can bet that he’ll be commanding his own platoon of quants in the coming years.

While the Big Apple may be the perfect starting point for a finance career, Scheer credits something altogether different for his decision to enroll at Stern. “It was the passion, warmth, and propensity for mentorship displayed by the Stern Military Veterans Club that made the choice easy,” he writes. “They really took me under their wing early on in my application process, and continued to do so during my interview and campus visits. Coming from a small, tight-knit, specialized military community, their behavior really resonated with me and was something I was looking for in an MBA program.”

Megan McGee / U.S. Army / Duke (Fuqua): In business school, you learn the advantages of being the first and the only. In practice, it isn’t always that easy. Just ask Megan McGee. After working as a staff assistant to the U.S. House of Representative’s Armed Services Committee, she was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division in Afghanistan, where she served as a Military Intelligence Officer. On the surface, it was an enviable opportunity…but it came with one caveat.

“I was the only woman directly assigned to an airborne infantry regiment of over 800 soldiers,” she writes.

It was a rite of passage for McGee, who proved to her regiment – and herself – that she could meet the physical and intellectual demands of the job. Through her example, she opened doors for other women to follow. “Four years later, I took those experiences and helped integrate the first 10 women into the infantry as the Gender Integration Officer-in-Charge for the Army’s Chief of Infantry. I advocated for women in Ranger school and combat arms jobs by providing personal experiences and professional feedback.”

Now, McGee plans to tackle tech. Chances are, she will tackle the hard jobs and set the bar for those who follow her there too.

Andrew Bayne / U.K. Army / Warwick Business School: In the army, you are always preparing, hardening your body, sharpening your mind, and honing your responses. Despite the training and discipline it takes to be a solider, no training could prepare Andrew Bayne for the toughest assignment of his military career…holding a pop music concert.

Yes, Bayne had parachuted in Sydney’s Palm Bay– and served in hotspots like Iraq and the Balkans. The real test came when he had to organize a concert for 5,000 Afghans featuring singer Farhad Darya Oh…and Afghan President Hamid Karzai had RSVP’d too.

No pressure, right?

Sure enough, Bayne channeled his inner Bill Graham and pulled off an event that ranks among his most rewarding experiences. Now, this commissioned officer is stretching his comfort zone…by joining Warwick Business School’s full-time MBA class. Thus far, he says, his biggest achievement is one that many take for granted.

“I view the knowledge I have built up to this point, where I can now confidently ‘read’ and comprehend a financial statement and possible implications for a business’ future strategy and profitability to be a real achievement.”

Looking ahead, the Scot is hoping to work for an “innovative global company.” If that doesn’t work, he can always reach out to Simple Minds and Runrig before tour season.

Matthew Kaczynski / U.S. Marine Corps / USC (Marshall): Matthew Kaczynski wanted to become a Marine Corps aviator. Just one problem: He didn’t possess any flying experience. That didn’t stop him from beating the 30-to-1 odds to earn his wings– and graduating at the top of his class to boot.

How? In his words, he “persisted,” staying true to a calling to “serve my country, to be part of something extraordinary, and to leave an impact on the world, if only in my own small way.”

Indeed, Kaczynski left his mark. He served four combat deployments, where he mentored members of the Afghan National Army and helped to build the country’s aviation program. At Marshall, he is tackling his biggest challenge yet: breaking into the entertainment industry! Think it’s an impossible dream? Don’t tell that to this “unabashed comic book geek.” He has already dreamed big and realized his potential before. Only now, he enjoys the support of the Trojan Network behind him. And he plans to repay these same blessings.

“Sometimes it takes our peers to push us to reach our full potential,” he admits. “In that sense, I hope the measure of my success will be in how much I helped my fellow classmates become strong leaders, empathetic listeners, and enduring learners. Being a Trojan is as much about celebrating each other’s achievements as it is about accomplishing personal goals. It’s about empowering each other to reach great heights, together, rather than apart.”

Taylor Sheppard / U.S. Navy / University of Virginia (Darden): Success isn’t always measured in rank or commendation. Instead, it is reflected in the respect that superiors earn from their subordinates. That’s how Taylor Sheppard measures success. By that token, she can sleep easy at night.

A Notre Dame grad and Nuclear Submarine Officer aboard the U.S.S. Georgia, Sheppard takes great pride when her sailors re-enlist. That’s because she understands the commitment involved –and the trust it requires.

“This is a huge milestone in their careers and it is extremely personal for them – they get to choose how they want their re-enlistment done, right down to the location and dress-code, as well as an officer they admire to read them their oath,” she shares. “Mentoring the sailors in my divisions and working with my crew makes all the deployments, shift work, and high-stress scenarios on the submarine worth it. Seeing them succeed, and getting to be a chosen part of their career advancement gives me the highest satisfaction.”

What drew Sheppard to Darden? It was the case method, of course! However, it was the reason why the case method appealed to her that shows why she will be as successful at Darden as the U.S. Navy. “The case method…would force me out of my comfort zone every single day,” she writes. “I knew that learning in this environment would be so much more developmental for me as a leader than if I just played it safe.”

William Vuillet / U.S. Navy / Wharton School: “My day job used to be flying F-18s off a carrier.”

That’s not the kind of modesty you’d expect from a fighter pilot. In fact, William Vuillet isn’t just any U.S. Navy pilot. He also earned an invite to TOPGUN. Yes, you can almost imagine Vuillet hot-dogging across the desert, gushing about the “need for speed” before he buzzes the tower. However, he is more Iceman than Maverick, a down-to-earth guy who also spent three years teaching at the school.

Not surprisingly, his advice to MBA applicants is equally reserved. “Stay humble but don’t undersell yourself,” he urges. “It’s easy to get caught up and be in awe of other applicants that you may run into. As a veteran, I was impressed by the background of everyone I came across and would often question my own contribution, not having any background in any of the common post-MBA sectors. Remember you bring a unique set of skills to the table that will ultimately contribute to your program’s dynamic just as much as the financier, entrepreneur, or consultant.”

Shawn Driver / U.S. Army / Cornell University (Johnson): Shawn Driver calls himself “passionate.” He is passionate about aviation, travel, and family. He has, in his words, “an insatiable desire to learn and experience life.” In other words, business school is the perfect spot for him.

That passion is reflected in his work. Over a decade-long military career, Driver has risen from being a Platoon Leader to the Assistant Operations Officer for the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. Known as the “Night Stalkers,” this fabled unit provides support for U.S. Army Special Forces and are considered among the best military aviators in the world. In his role, Driver planned, resourced and managed operations for a unit boasting 600 soldiers and 27 helicopters.

Translation: organizing campus events will be a breeze for Driver.

His advice for getting into a top business school? Don’t try to be something that you’re not. “The MBA application process is designed in part to learn about yourself by reflecting on your past experiences, strengths, weaknesses, and motivations. In order to effectively connect the dots and think about the next step in your career, you have to be authentic. If you’re not, it will come through in every aspect of the application.”

Jorge Tellez / U.S. Navy / U.C. Berkeley (Haas): Jorge Tellez loves adventure! He claims that he is always planning his next trip…but he has his limits. “I’ve completed two cross-country road trips. Never again.”

This appetite for adventure may be one reason why he joined the U.S. Navy. It was here where the Fairfax native identified a fatal flaw in his destroyer’s security: The training was lecture-based and failed to provide real world experience. “You don’t learn how to combat a vehicle-borne IED or stop an active shooter by simply reading about it; you learn by doing,” he writes.

Taking a page out of an experiential project conducted at business schools, Tellez gathered his team and developed an “unconventional” training that better simulated a real attack. The results speak for themselves. “We flawlessly passed seven subsequent inspections, delivered program certification three months ahead of schedule, and were lauded by inspectors for operating the best security program on the waterfront,” he crows.

One secret to Tellez’s success, however, was the backing of his commanding officer. It was this same support system that he sought in an MBA program. When he arrived at Berkeley, the students made his decision easy for him. “I knew I found the right program when current students spontaneously created a victory tunnel for us to run through before meeting our interviewers,” he jokes.

Stephane Manuel / U.S. Army / Northwestern (Kellogg): Think you have a big load on your plate? Imagine being Stephane Manuel. A West Point grad, Manuel gained a lifetime of leadership experience in five years.

As a Platoon Leader, he orchestrated a 35-member bomb clearance team – one with a 100% success rate that earned him a Bronze Star. A year later, he served as a Battle Captain, where he was responsible for the defense of Bagram Airfield, home to over 18,000 people. This earned him another Bronze Star. Still, his success was hard-won. “My team included military and civilian personnel from the Cezch Republic, Georgia, Nepal, Afghanistan, and the U.S. I had to quickly learn how to lead in an environment with language barriers, cultural clashes, and lots of rocket attacks.”

At Kellogg, Manuel is pursuing an MBA coupled with a Master’s of Science in Design Innovation. He describes the school using terms like “camaraderie,” “collaborative,” “diverse,” and “global.” His best advice for landing a spot in a program like Northwestern? Carefully choose the stories you use in your essays and interviews.

“Your favorite moments of your career may not be the ones that best highlight your unique attributes and convey fit for a school,” he argues. “Spend time researching the school’s values, and choose stories that highlight how you have shown those values in your own way.”

Joseph Maier / U.S. Army / Columbia Business School: In a first impression, Joseph Maier comes across as a mix of John Wayne and James Bond A Green Beret, Maier describes himself as an “adrenaline seeking veteran with passion, perseverance and grit” – a guy who once turned a skydive into a scuba dive.

Peel back a layer or two and you’ll find a humanitarian who uses commerce as a means to promote calm. That was true during his service in Afghanistan. He understood winning the peace took far more than pushing out the Taliban. For Maier, personal freedom goes hand-in-hand with financial freedom. That’s why he began working closely with the villages to re-build their infrastructure and provide business tools and expertise to their people.

“Knowing that Afghanistan relies heavily on its agriculture as a driver for economic stability and growth, I consulted with the village elders to facilitate the growth of the local agribusiness by rehabilitating irrigation canals. These changes enabled greater quantity and better quality of crops which allowed the Afghan government, under the guidance of USAID, to connect the farmers with access to financing as well as organize international trade.”

Turns out, such generosity was reciprocated when Maier applied to Columbia Business School. “I had the fortune of meeting an overwhelming number of students during my application process who were eager to help me due to a ‘pay-it-forward’ mentality,” he notes. “Most of these students had been in the same situation, had been helped, and felt it their duty to return the favor. I will undoubtedly be ‘paying-it-forward’ myself.”

To read 30 profiles of military veterans who joined top MBA programs last fall, click on the links below.

DON’T MISS: SAVVY ADVICE FROM MILITARY MBAS IN THE CLASS OF 2015 OR  THE PIONEERING MBAs OF THE CLASS OF 2019

Name	Hometown	Branch	Role	MBA Program
Oron Amsalem	Ashdod, Israel	Israeli Air Force	Control Tower Manager and Air Traffic Controller	HEC Paris
Jack Barnes	Victoria, MN	U.S. Army	Field Artillery Officer	University of Minnesota (Carlson)
Shannon Boyle	Vernon, VT	U.S. Army	Financial Management Support Detachment Commander	Cornell University (Johnson)
Skyler Brown	San Jose, CA	U.S. Army	Special Operations Planner	University of Washington (Foster)
Travis Cyphers	Blue Earth, MN	U.S. Army	Executive Officer	Dartmouth College (Tuck)
Brady Dearden	Princeton Junction, NJ	U.S. Army	Blackhawk Helicopter Pilot	London Business School
Derek Debruhl	Davie, FL	U.S. Army	Gray Eagle UAV Company Commander	University of Virginia (Darden)
Nathan Dyer	Bristol, ME	U.S. Army	Headquarters Company Commander	University of Texas (McCombs)
Sam Freakley	Woodstock, VA	U.S. Army	Infantry Company Commander	Duke University (Fuqua)
Ryan Fritsch	Edwardsville, IL	U.S. Navy	Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician (EOD)	IESE
Kailey Good-Hallahan	Muncie, IN	U.S. Army	Staff Sergeant	Indiana University (Kelley)
Dave Greenberg	Horseheads, New York	U.S. Marine Corps	Operations Director, Houston Recruiting Station	Emory University (Goizueta)
Donald A. Gustavson	San Diego, CA	U.S. Army	Engineer Officer	Rice University (Jones)
Reed Hayes	Hingham, MA	U.S. Army	Special Forces Detachment Commander	Vanderbilt University (Owen)
Sam Lamson	Mukilteo, WA	U.S. Navy	Surface Warfare Officer	Columbia Business School
Kyle Lewandowski	Muskego, WI	U.S. Army	Military Intelligence Officer	Indiana University (Kelley)
Benjamin Mackey	Great Falls, VA	U.S. Marine Corps	Logistics Officer	Georgetown University (McDonough)
Mark Martinez	Rockford, IL	U.S. Army	Military Intelligence Officer	Indiana University (Kelley)
Brandon McCampbell	Warrenton, VA	U.S. Coast Guard	Career Management Advisor	Columbia Business School
Barrett Moorhouse	Corpus Christi, TX	U.S. Marine Corps	Amphibious Assault Vehicle Officer	Rice University (Jones)
Ian Murphy	Old Greenwich, CT	U.S. Army	Psychological Operations Sergeant	New York University (Stern)
Andrew Peppler	Pensacola, FL	U.S. Army	General Manager	University of Washington (Foster)
David Reyes	Fort Lauderdale, FL	U.S. Army	Assistant Operations Officer	University of Texas (McCombs)
Matthew Rosebaugh	Youngstown, OH	U.S. Army	Helicopter Instructor Pilot	Ohio State (Fisher)
Will Ryan	Bloomfield Village, MI	U.S. Army	Company Commander	Yale SOM
Daniel Shaffer	Pittsburgh, PA	U.S. Army	Brigade Operations Officer	MIT (Sloan)
Robert Singley	Ballston Lake, NY	U.S. Army	IT Project Manager (Company Commander)	Notre Dame (Mendoza)
Sam Spletzer	Cedarburg, WI	U.S. Navy	Naval Special Warfare Officer	University of Chicago (Booth)
Arthur Yang	Bainbridge Island, WA	U.S. Navy	Electronic Key Management System Officer	USC (Marshall)

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