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 was commissioned as an Infantry Officer through Army ROTC in May 2017. My first assignment was with the 101st Airborne Division as an Assistant Operations Officer, Rifle Platoon Leader, and Specialty Platoon Leader, and I deployed with them to Iraq in 2019. I was promoted to Captain in 2021 and transferred to the Military Intelligence branch. I finished out my career as an Intelligence and Targeting Detachment Commander at Fort Liberty, NC. I value the people I worked with and the lessons they taught me above all else – especially my former First Sergeant and partner in command.
What are your thoughts on mentoring other students while at Vanderbilt? As a role model, what values do you want to share?
We’re all going to make mistakes along the way on our various professional journeys. Not only is that okay, it’s also sometimes by design because mistakes are how we grow, and failure can be an excellent professor. I never stress over making a mistake, provided I don’t make the same mistake twice. But the one thing we cannot afford to get wrong is how we treat other people. You can recover from a failed interview or exam, but it’s very difficult to recover from betraying one of your colleagues or even just making a bad first impression by being rude or unprofessional.
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 intend to concentrate in Strategy primarily, with a dual focus in either Operations or Human and Organizational Performance. I will be recruiting for consulting and strategy roles, and I suspect that my studies in economics, human capital, operations, and organizational leadership will all come into play on the various cases I may be assigned to.
What would you tell other veterans about the Bass Military Scholars Program?
Every veteran who wishes to pursue a degree through Vanderbilt should apply to the BMSP. Not only is it a way to network and connect with people who have shared experiences, but it may just end up being the most rewarding organization you will be a part of during your tenure. It’s a phenomenal way to give back to a deserving community. If anyone is curious about the program, I would highly encourage them to reach out to a Bass Scholar so that we can get to know you better and help you determine whether or not the program is the right fit (it is).