Why They Served: Profiles Of M7 MBA Veterans

Elle Taylor, Kellogg MBA ’22

Military service: Captain (0-3), U.S. Army, 5 years

Why did you join the military?  Starting at eight years old, I played on the national junior tennis circuit where I always dreamed about competing at the collegiate level. It wasn’t until my sister received recruitment letters from the West Point women’s tennis coach that I started to consider the service academy as an option as well. I ultimately chose West Point not only to play tennis at the Division 1 level with my sister, but also to receive a top-notch education, be a part of an organization that was bigger than myself and develop my leadership skills. My four years at West Point allowed me to make mistakes, learn from them, and grow into an Army Officer capable of leading soldiers. My journey to commissioning as an Army Officer is different than what most would expect, but I am so grateful that tennis led me to serve my country.

Immediately after graduation I stayed at West Point as an Athletic Operations Manager for the women’s tennis team, which gave me a chance to see a different perspective of Division 1 athletics after being a player. Following this position, I specialized as an Adjutant General Army Officer, which is similar to HR or People Operations. I spent most of my time stationed in Hawaii where my units focused its training and deployments mainly in the Pacific Asian region. Some highlights of my service included leading an air defense artillery training exercise in South Korea, participating in several aviation-based trainings across the Hawaiian Islands, and implementing a new Army incentive program that better aligned officers to jobs based on preferences and skills.

Why an MBA? When I decided that I was ready to leave the Army, I knew that I was going to be making significant pivots in industry, function, and geography. I felt that I was at an optimal time in my life to pursue an MBA where I could hit the pause button to reflect on my leadership lessons from the Army, learn new skills across a variety of functions and industries, and build an expansive global network that would stay with me for my entire life.

Why Kellogg? My best friend toured Kellogg in winter of 2019 and called me during the visit ecstatically telling me that “Kellogg is the school for me!” He emphasized that the student energy, professional yet “down to earth” nature of all faculty members, and impressive resources offered at the Global Hub were second to none. His endorsement made me extremely interested in Kellogg.

When I walked into the Global Hub for the first-time during DAK (Day at Kellogg, Kellogg’s admitted students weekend), I had a gut feeling that I made one of the best decisions of my life. A year plus later, I can confirm that Kellogg’s vibrant student body and faculty, global professional network, and innovative programs make it hard for me to picture myself being anywhere else!

Why do you believe veteran representation matters in MBA cohorts? Most MBA students have never interacted with someone who has served in the Armed Forces, so veteran representation matters to bring unique perspectives to business schools. Veterans bring vast leadership experiences to MBA cohorts that revolve around adversity, high pressure decisions, and adaptability—all lessons that future business leaders will endeavor. While veterans typically do not have the technical background of those MBA students that specialized in finance or consulting prior, I have found that many veterans are fast learners and able to add value to quantitative class discussions within a short period of time.

What kind of veteran support did your school offer? The Kellogg Veteran Association (KVA) has been an instrumental student-led club that supported my MBA journey even at the start of my application period. When applying to Kellogg, I was paired with KVA students that spent countless hours with me chatting on the phone about their experiences and editing my resumes and essays.

Kellogg also hosts themed affinity and professional weeks during the school year where each week around Veteran’s Day is dedicated to events that spotlight members of the KVA and inform the student body about serving in the Armed Forces.

 Last year I was selected to share a personal story about my service during “Hear My Story” to over 200 students in a safe, confidential space. Kellogg does an amazing job at making veterans feel included within and beyond the KVA. 

What’s next? After graduation from Kellogg, I will be heading to AbbVie’s Commercial Leader Program! I am thrilled for this opportunity to gain various experiences across this rotational program to eventually grow as a leader across the healthcare and biopharma industries.

 Kevin Wilson, Kellogg MBA ’22

 Military Service: Lieutenant, U.S. Navy, 6 years

 Why did you join the military? My grandfather served in the Navy during World War II as an electrician aboard an aircraft carrier and deployed to the Pacific Theater at the height of the war. He made lifelong friends and came back with stories that would write the scripts of modern-day movies depicting World War II. His love for the Navy and service transcended generations in my family. Both of my uncles served as Naval Officers and my sister took a commission as a Naval Flight Officer after graduating from college. Having grown up in a strong Navy culture within my family, it was only fitting that I pursue a similar route to begin my career by attending the US Naval Academy and commissioning as an officer in the Navy.

I spent close to 7 years as an active duty US Naval Officer serving in the nuclear submarine force. I started my career after graduating from the US Naval Academy by moving down to Charleston, SC and spending a year and a half learning nuclear power theory and getting hands-on practical training managing a nuclear reactor and its 15-person watch team. After initial qualification, I was given orders to the USS Pittsburgh (SSN 720), a Los Angeles Class Fast-Attack submarine stationed out of Groton, CT. I would spend the next 3 years serving on the USS Pittsburgh as the Assistant Operations Officer, and I conducted 2 deployments to the Northern Atlantic. From there, I moved back down to Charleston, SC in 2018 where I spent the last 2.5 years serving as a nuclear engineering test project manager. In this role, I was responsible the execution of nuclear engineering tests on training submarines to verify against a worst-case nuclear disaster.

 Why an MBA? I had the privilege to serve aboard a submarine with a family of 120 during some of the most difficult and rewarding times of my life. I was responsible for the safety of every sailor and officer on board during extremely sensitive and classified missions. The opportunity to lead incredibly capable and experienced teams in such a dynamic environment was something I thought I would continue for many years. However, after spending most of my professional life at sea, there came at a certain point a realization that I no longer knew and recognized the life I once had.

I spent years living underwater disconnected with the outside world. There was no cell phone service, no television, no emails, and no internet. Each time I would surface, I would enter a new state of the world that I hadn’t experienced before, and I missed many of life’s events. It was at this point in my life where I knew I needed to take the next step in my professional career. I started to reach out to the small but powerful network in the submarine community and found a lot in the business school matriculation process. I attended many veteran visit days at different business schools, and ultimately made the decision to pursue this same opportunity.

Why Kellogg? As someone who valued the community I was once a part of on submarines, I looked to align myself with a similar program where a sense of belonging was pivotal to the student experience. Kellogg stood out not only for the sense of community I would experience as a student, but more importantly that those values were also shared with our families and partners (referred to as JVs, or joint ventures, at Kellogg). My wife and I made the decision together that Kellogg was the right decision for us, and I was fortunate enough to gain admission to my top school.

Why do you believe veteran representation matters in MBA cohorts? As with most group situations, diversity in perspective is the foundation of a successful team in any endeavor. Whether it is a marketing class discussion, a finance group project, or a small group dinner, a veteran having a seat at the table exposes many individuals who have never come across someone from the armed forces to a different type of person and personality with a unique outlook on life.

Additionally, the foundation of discipline and determination in the face of adversity instilled in any veteran is a valued voice to any group trying to solve a difficult problem. From recovering a nuclear reactor while operating a submarine underwater, to coming up with a new digital marketing strategy for a brand of potato chips, a veteran will approach any problem with a strong sense of intellect, humility, determination, and most likely a bit of humor to lighten the mood.

Why do veterans make good business students? You can always tell a veteran student by when they join the zoom meeting or enter the classroom 10 minutes before an event begins wondering where everyone is… All kidding aside, a veteran shows up to business school with a distinctly different skillset than many of our peers. Most of us have had some sort of significant leadership opportunity in the face of danger and adversity and bring a uniquely different perspective to discussions. The military provides a leadership laboratory in dealing with real circumstances that enable us to show up to business school with a solid understanding of what our leadership strengths are, what we need to improve on, and the coaching skills to help our peers on their own leadership journey.

What’s next: My goal since separating from active duty military was to manage large teams and spark innovation for large organizations. I had the opportunity to intern with Danaher in their General Management Development Program this summer and am super excited to be returning next year!