Carson McReynolds

The University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business

“Fun loving, God-fearing family man and sports fanatic.”

Hometown: Keller, TX

Fun Fact About Yourself: I’m an obnoxious Dallas Cowboys fan, it’s been a tough road and I always seem to convince myself that we are going to win the Super Bowl every year before the season starts.

Undergraduate School and Major: United States Military Academy, Management

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: U.S. Army, Aviation Officer and UH-60 Black Hawk Pilot

What makes Austin such a great place to earn an MBA? As a native Texan, my family and I are thrilled to get back to our home state after living abroad and across the country for the past nine years. Austin particularly is a great place to earn an MBA because of the intense growth that the city has seen over the past decade and the number of corporations that have relocated their headquarters to Austin. This provides ample post-MBA career opportunities.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of Texas McCombs’ MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? I was really intrigued by the Texas McCombs+ Program for the opportunity to participate in micro-consulting projects and get one-on-one communication and leadership coaching in addition to the phenomenal curriculum McCombs offers. The micro-consulting projects were especially important since it offers me the opportunity to explore new functional areas or industries, network with prospective employers, and add valuable experience to my resume even before I begin my internship next summer.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Texas McCombs? I am excited about the Texas Veterans in Business (TVIB) organization at McCombs for the opportunity to connect with current and former McCombs MBA veterans. I felt the chance to gain advice and mentorship from second year student members and alumni who have already made the successful transition from the military into the business world would be an added value to my MBA experience.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I had the privilege of being a Company Commander of a UH-60 Black Hawk Assault unit for two years as my last job in the Army. I was the leader of a 51-person team and we deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan, together for 10 months. During our deployment, we successfully flew over 3,500 combat hours performing a wide variety of missions across most of southern and western Afghanistan. Serving my country overseas in combat was a huge honor for me. The biggest accomplishment of my career was being able to bring each one of my 51 teammates back home safe to their loved ones after an extremely dynamic and difficult deployment.

How did COVID-19 change your perspective on your career and your life in general? I wouldn’t say it changed my perspective on those two topics.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point and what do you hope to do after graduation? When I made the decision to leave the Army and become a “career switcher”, I knew that I needed to take advantage of the McCombs MBA program to help me gain additional skills that can couple well with my experience as a military leader. An MBA will also give me time to develop business acumen and help me learn how to read and speak the language of business. I enjoy learning and will certainly be taking advantage of a wide variety of the McCombs curriculum. Currently, I’m undecided on my career path after graduation.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? I was so confident that McCombs was the perfect fit for me that it was the only program I applied to.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Texas McCombs’ MBA program? Simply be yourself throughout the whole process. Whether it’s writing your application essay or participating in interviews, be true to yourself and don’t try to deliver what you think the McCombs admissions committee wants to hear. Also, ensure you heavily research the program and be able to convey why McCombs specifically is the right fit for you and how taking advantage of the program can help you achieve your post-MBA goals.