Skyler Brown 

University of Washington, Foster School of Business 

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: Adventurous and engaging innovator with a very high tolerance for calculated risks.

Hometown: San Jose, California

Fun Fact About Yourself: I spot and assess cryptocurrencies for growth potential with a group of friends.

Undergraduate School and Major: United States Military Academy at West Point, BS in Law and Legal Studies (International Focus)

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: I was commissioned into the U.S. Army after graduation and initially served in a ballistic missile defense unit as an engagement control officer and trainer. I went on to complete the Special Forces Qualification Course (for “Green Berets”) and deployed as a mountain team detachment commander. I finished military service as a special operations planner.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Helping a contingent of Afghan entrepreneurs create lasting economic benefits for their community with an incredible team of business-focused and people-focused Green Berets.

Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? Deliberately plan to ideate, produce, review and improve both your essays and your talking points. Add time for others to review your products. 

What was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? Foster is uniquely positioned in the epicenter of the Pacific Northwest tech boom. Foster’s graduate network and faculty have developed the infrastructure for MBA students to benefit from special access to companies that are pushing the tech envelope. These advantages will give me the skillsets to make an immediate impact in business.

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school? I am starting a challenging internship, I have built strong bonds with my classmates, I have worked hard to get the maximum benefit from faculty and I have properly balanced work time with family time.