Brandon Jones

Yale School of Management

“A genuine dude who is looking to connect with and uplift those around him.”

Hometown: Tallahassee, Florida

Fun Fact About Yourself: The first time I skydived, I was solo.

Undergraduate School and Major: United States Air Force Academy, Management

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: U.S. Air Force, Flight Commander and UH-1N Instructor Pilot

The Yale School of Management is regarded as a purpose-driven program. What is your mission? How will your MBA at Yale SOM help you fulfill that mission? My mission is to leverage my skills, abilities, and access to be helpful to others. Pursuing my MBA at Yale SOM provides a unique opportunity to connect and build community with the city of New Haven, utilizing the abundant resources of broader Yale University.

What word best describes the Yale SOM MBA students and alumni you’ve met so far and why? Conscious. Regardless of their field of interest/expertise, the conversations that I have had with Yale SOM students and alumni often carry a holistic lens on their role as citizens within society and how they can improve their impact on it.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of Yale SOM’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? The Integrated Core Curriculum was a huge draw for me to Yale SOM, as it builds a foundational business education from various stakeholder perspectives. From my experiences in numerous military training programs, I also know that real bonding happens through shared struggle. The first-year core gives my classmates and me the opportunity to have such a common bonding experience.

What course, club, or activity excites you the most at Yale SOM? Inclusive Economic Development Lab. Among other things, 2020 laid bare the tensions and challenges arising from various societal inequities. It’s imperative that these inequities are addressed for us to have a healthy and functioning democratic society. Economic inequity at the community level is one I explored this summer through the IEDL’s CitySCOPE podcast, led by Professor Kate Cooney.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: One of the Airmen with whom I worked had a dream of becoming a pilot, and I was able to play an integral role in his professional development, leading to his selection for pilot training.

How did COVID-19 change your perspective on your career and your life in general? COVID-19 raised my awareness of how quickly things previously taken as facts can be turned upside down and shown actually to have been assumptions. This understanding drove me toward a lot of introspection, which was perfect for the MBA application process. I expect to be more focused on the blend of my professional and personal lives going forward.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point and what do you hope to do after graduation? 2021 was the end of my active-duty commitment from attending pilot training, and I was interested in continuing my service but in a different capacity. An MBA provides an excellent opportunity to diversify my professional network, build foundational knowledge of the business landscape, and develop my leadership skills in a different context. As a career switcher, I have a lot to explore, but ultimately I want my professional efforts to result in expanded access to resources and capital for underserved communities.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Fuqua, Tuck, Haas, Ross, and Johnson

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Yale SOM’s MBA program? Take the time to reflect on your experiences, who you are, and who you want to be. With this knowledge, you’ll be able to present yourself in an authentic and consistent manner throughout the application process.