Meet Indiana Kelley’s MBA Class Of 2019

Mark Martinez 

Indiana University, Kelley School of Business 

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: A lifelong athlete who enjoys staying active, traveling and spending time with family and friends.

Hometown: Rockford, Illinois

Fun Fact About Yourself: I have a fear of heights but have jumped out of airplanes and helicopters in the Army.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Indianapolis – Economics and International Business

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: US Army – Military Intelligence Officer

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I could talk about my three deployments and the intelligence I produced which aided in numerous military operations. However, I define my service on how I have added value to the soldiers that I led. When I became a supervisor, I asked one of my soldiers what motivated him and his reply was his family. He was an amazing soldier and I added value to his and his family’s life by continually pushing him towards a promotion to the next rank. I gave him increased responsibility and he excelled at every task he was given. When he was finally promoted to Sergeant, it was a privilege and an honor to pin stripes on his chest.

Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? One piece of advice I would give to future applications is to seek out advice from someone who has recently gone through the business school application process. I made it harder on myself and did not seek out advice, but I was fortunate that I saw on Kelley’s website that they were a member of a program called the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management. Therefore, I applied to Kelley via the Consortium and became a fellow in the Consortium. Although I was blessed to have found Kelley and the Consortium, make it easier on yourself and ask someone who has recently applied to business school and seek their mentorship.

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?  When deciding which MBA Program to attend, I knew I wanted to go to a program that I could count on 5-10 years after graduation. Shortly after applying to Kelley I received a phone call from a current veteran and a current member of the Consortium at Kelley. At this point I was only an applicant and had not been accepted into Kelley, but I had students reaching out to me and giving me advice and telling me about their experiences at Kelley. Once I was accepted, I had alumni and members of the graduate career services office reaching out to me. As a veteran, I knew I could rely on the veteran network, but after all the love I received from Kelley I knew I had to become a member of the Kelley family.

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school? My first year of business school would be a success if I continue to make meaningful relationships. I would not be at this juncture of my life if not for the relationships I have made in the past. My friends, family, teammates and coworkers have all pushed me to be a better version of myself. Therefore, in business school, I know I need to add my classmates to my inner circle so we can push each other to excel not only in business school but most importantly in our personal lives.