Veterans find BYU Marriott’s MBA program to be a transformative experience and one where they experience continual respect and support while furthering their education and training.
Hear what some of our veteran students say about the MBA program.
Military Alumni Profiles
A Career after Military Service
Timothy Holley
From:
Undergrad:
BS, philosophy, Utah Valley University
Pre-MBA:
Marine Corps Signals Intelligence
MBA track:
General Management
Hobbies:
travel, gym, dogs
Like a lot of officers in the military, I was looking for a path to follow after my service was done. I wanted to find something fulfilling that would best use my skills and experience. An MBA is usually the logical step, as it fits in neatly with the leadership, organizational structure, problem-solving skill set, and discipline of the military.
BYU offered a nationally ranked program at an affordable cost and shared the same values that are a foundation for my life.
Recruiting was fairly easy because a lot of companies understand the value of hiring veterans due to our work ethic and ability to get things done no matter what. At the same time, there are not a lot of veterans, so we bring unique experience to the organization. I chose Chevron as my summer internship because in many ways, the military and a large oil-and-gas company are quite similar. Within the program, my experience was unique because there were few veterans at BYU.
Living and working in places such as Hawaii and Afghanistan also gave me geographic diversity and a perspective not typical of people in the private sector between undergrad and grad school. I am still in the reserves and can do my job as a salesman at IBM while also supporting the work of the Marine Corps in the Indo-Pacific region.
Fantastic Reputation and Great ROI
Michael Wakeham
From:
Undergrad:
Civil engineering, Portland State University
Pre-MBA:
Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, consulting
MBA track:
Finance
Hobbies:
Baseball, baseball cards, family history, chasing my kids, and organizing
I served as an enlisted member of the US Navy’s Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program for six years.
During that time, I gained incredible experience in a highly technical field, but I never intended the Navy to be a lifelong career. After the Navy, I finished my undergraduate degree in civil engineering and worked for a civil engineering consulting firm.
As I worked on projects, I found that I was more interested in the business than engineering. I set my sights on pursuing an MBA. BYU was my first choice due to its fantastic national reputation and great ROI.
I brought to the program above-average years of experience in leadership and unique experiences from traveling the world on a submarine. Veterans are uncommon in the program, and this helped me stand out during recruiting. Employers respect BYU, and having the added benefit of being a veteran was extremely helpful. I found a new passion in the healthcare space, specifically pharma and biotech, and was able to secure an awesome internship and full-time position in the industry. I could not have done that without the top-quality education at and name recognition of BYU.
The program has also afforded my wife and children fantastic opportunities to be involved.
We have created lifelong friendships with incredible people from the program. The decision to come to BYU for my MBA has opened up many new opportunities for me and my family. It has been the best investment of my life.