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 Officer in the Army specializing in Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Warfare for 7 years. My first position was as a Platoon leader with the 63rd Chemical Company at Fort Campbell, under the 52nd EOD. After 2 NTC rotations and Ranger School, I moved to the 101st Airborne Division to serve as the Sustainment Brigade’s CBRN OIC. After finishing my role there, I moved over to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (A) to work as the HHC Executive Officer. While at 5th Group, I deployed twice as the SUPCEN Director for SOTF-I in Baghdad Iraq, and then as Director of Logistics for SOTF-LEVANT in Erbil Iraq. What I value most during my military service, is the people and relationships that I made along the way, and being able to make a difference for our country.
What are your thoughts on mentoring other students while at Vanderbilt? As a role model, what values do you want to share?
While in the Army, especially as I became more senior, I constantly mentored fellow officers and soldiers along the way. Being able to continue with that opportunity while at Vanderbilt is something that I truly am happy about. Giving back to others by leveraging my experiences, mistakes, and time is important. As a role model, I hope to share values such as perseverance, understanding, integrity, and team collaboration.
While at Vanderbilt, what will be the focus of your studies and how do you plan to use this knowledge in your future career?
While at Vanderbilt, I am studying to get my Masters in Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in finance. I plan to use this knowledge to land a career in finance with investment banking, building out the foundation needed to understand how businesses operate financially. Eventually, I plan on running my own business centered around dual-use defense technology.
What would you tell other veterans about the Bass Military Scholars Program?
It’s a one-of-a-kind program that every veteran going to graduate school should take advantage of. The community that the program creates has made the transition from the military to school an easy endeavor and provides its members with the tools needed to succeed in both their personal and academic lives.