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 Infantry Officer in the U.S. Army for eight years. My first assignment was with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, KY, where I served as a Platoon Leader in 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment. In 2019, I was assigned as a Company Executive Officer and deployed to Anbar Province, Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. My next assignment was as an Instructor at the Infantry Basic Officer Leader Course at Fort Moore, GA, where I trained and certified newly commissioned Infantry Lieutenants. After my instructor time, I was assigned to the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, CO where I served as Chief of Operations (CHOPS) for 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team and finally as the Commanding Officer of Company B, 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment. The things I value most from my time in service were the experiences I had being a part of and leading teams towards the accomplishment of difficult tasks in often unforgiving conditions and the chance to work with and learn from some of the most outstanding and high-performing people our nation has to offer.
What are your thoughts on mentoring other students while at Vanderbilt? As a role model, what values do you want to share?
The experience we gain as service members working in and leading teams is something that is not commonly replicated in the private sector, particularly under some of the conditions we find ourselves in during our time in service. With this in mind, I look forward to passing on lessons learned from these experiences to my classmates so that they may apply them in their future roles. However, as keen as I am to share my own knowledge, I am even more excited for the opportunity to learn all I can from the varied experiences and unique perspectives of my peers over the next two years.
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 am pursuing my MBA with a concentration in Strategy. I hope to combine the leadership, team building, and problem-solving skills I acquired during my time in the Army with the corporate fluency and business acumen I will gain during my time as a Vanderbilt student to pursue a career in Management Consulting.
What would you tell other veterans about the Bass Military Scholars Program?
This program is an extremely unique opportunity and one of the most significant reasons I chose to pursue my graduate degree at Vanderbilt. The chance to continue to serve, remain tied-in with the military community, and share our unique experiences as veterans with our peers at Vanderbilt and the city of Nashville at large is something that is simply not replicated at any other University.