Varun Premkumar

Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business

“A former marine aviator with a passion for surfing, traveling and great food.”

Hometown: Richmond, VA

Fun Fact About Yourself: Broke the sound barrier in a military jet.

Undergraduate School and Major: Virginia Commonwealth University – BS in Economics

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: United States Marine Corps – Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) Instructor.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far:  Over the course of a year-and-a-half, I have trained over 100 Marines and Navy SEALs in Close Air Support. Close air support is the ability to call in airborne munitions to include bombs, missiles, rockets, and guns from in an aircraft in close proximity to friendly forces. The individuals I have trained have gone back out into the operating forces and have supported US military forces in Afghanistan and Iraq.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Every MBA individual I have met has been selfless with their time. Whether it was a detailed question about a particular industry or a general application question, every single person has taken the time to sit down, talk and help me through the process.

Aside from your classmates, 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? The international exposure at Georgetown was very appealing to me.  Having deployed to multiple countries, international experience was a very important factor for me in an MBA program.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? – Aside from social clubs, I am looking forward to being very involved in the Veterans Association. The amount of help they provided to me during the application process was unparalleled. It is very important to me to pass on my experience and knowledge to those who are looking to take the same path.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? After nine years in the Marine Corps, I was looking to switch careers. After researching what career would be appealing to me, an MBA stood out as the degree necessary to achieve my professional goals.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? Knowing that I needed an MBA to switch careers and having the GI Bill available to me, it was a no brainer to pursue the degree.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? UVA, Duke, UNC

How did you determine your fit at various schools? The best indicator of fit was the students at the school. I visited every school on prospective student days and the openness and willingness to share their experience helped me decide whether the school was a good fit. I also reached out to every veteran association to speak to individuals with a common background to mine to find out their own experience.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? The moment I knew that I could accomplish goals that seemed greater than my ability was when I finished my first marathon in college.  That was my first experience setting such an intimidating goal for myself and formulating a path to accomplish the goal. From there, I set my sights on the Marine Corps and becoming an aviator.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? Immediately go on an epic surf trip, then come home and start a career in consulting.

Where do you see yourself in five years? Advancing through the career I started after graduation with additional responsibilities and management opportunities. Hopefully living abroad, someplace with great food and a nice beach!