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 Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Officer in the US Navy. Over my career, I did an overseas tour in Rota, Spain, two additional deployments to the Asia-Pacific, and worked with EOD techs from over 20 countries, ranging from Israel to Vietnam. The thing I value most from my time serving has been learning to thrive outside my comfort zone – exposure to difficult environments and new skills has allowed me to grow in ways not possible 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 looking forward to engaging with other students through the Bass program, and sharing both the failures and successes I had leading teams. The value I’d like to share is that of mentorship – finding one early in your endeavors and eventually becoming one for someone else. Both ends of the mentorship spectrum are massively beneficial to growth and learning.
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 Owen, I plan on focusing in Finance and Healthcare. My goal is to pursue a career in finance within the healthcare sector, leveraging skills from both my time in the military and at Owen.
What would you tell other veterans about the Bass Military Scholars Program?
The Bass Military Scholars Program is an incredible service opportunity that exists at the cross section of Nashville/Vanderbilt and the veteran community. Transitioning from the military can be a daunting task – having a supportive network of fellow veterans to help navigate that process is massively valuable. If any veterans are considering the transition process, reach out to one of the scholars with any question; we are more than happy to help.