Grant Windom

MIT, Sloan School of Management

“Former Army officer committed to creating value for innovative companies seeking to transform the world.”

Hometown: Sarasota, Florida

Fun Fact About Yourself: I was home-schooled growing up (home-school jokes are welcomed). Each year, I begged my mother not to enroll me in “real school,” which she ultimately did in the 6th grade.

Undergraduate School and Major: The United States Military Academy at West Point, Bachelor of Science in Law and Legal Studies; Boston University, Master of Science in Financial Management

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: U.S. Army, Infantry Officer

What has been your first impression of the Sloan MBA students and alumni you’ve met so far. Tell us your best Sloan story so far. I was very impressed by the collaborative and supportive nature of Sloan MBA students and alumni. When applying to Sloan, first and second-year students that I had never met before did not hesitate to hop on the phone with me to give advice and answer my questions. The popular saying at Sloan, “Sloanies helping Sloanies,” has been readily apparent in each interaction I have had with Sloan students and alumni.Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of MIT Sloan’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? MIT Sloan’s MBA programming is unique among other top programs in terms of flexibility and customization of the curriculum. After the first semester, referred to as the “core semester,” Sloan allows its students to pursue classes that interest them the most and support their career goals. There are also several tracks and certificates available to help students design their academic journey. This was important to me as I wanted the ability to tailor and optimize my MBA experience with courses that would help me the most in my post-MBA career.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at MIT Sloan? On the social side, I am very excited about the legendary MIT Sloan Ski Trip hosted each year by the Ski and Snowboard Club. On the professional side, I have heard phenomenal things regarding the quality of Sloan’s Management Consulting Club, and I am excited to get to work in preparation for recruiting.

Action Learning Labs are one of MIT Sloan’s biggest attractions. Which lab interests you most? How does it fit with your interests? As a requirement of the Enterprise Management Track at Sloan, I am planning on participating in the Enterprise Management Lab (EM-Lab). Taking place during the first semester, EM-Lab gives students a unique opportunity to partner with host companies and get hands-on experience during a project focused on marketing, operations, and/or strategy. I’m excited about EM-Lab because it will allow me to apply classroom learning to real business challenges during my first semester of business school.

When you think of MIT, what are the first things that come to mind? How have your experiences with the Sloan program thus far reinforced or upended these early impressions? Entrepreneurship and innovation. When I began interacting with my classmates, I was amazed by the energy and excitement many of them had for starting their own companies. What amazed me even more was seeing the early success of several startups launched by second-year students at MIT. This is no surprise as MIT offers an incredible entrepreneurial ecosystem through the Entrepreneurship and Innovation (E&I) Track, which supports students throughout their journey.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: The highlight of my career in the Army was leading approximately 300 military funerals in Arlington National Cemetery while serving as an officer in The Old Guard. At the conclusion of these funerals, I had the honor of presenting a folded American flag to the families who had just buried their loved one. Laying to rest our Nation’s service members and veterans was an incredibly somber yet rewarding job that I will never forget.

What is one thing you have recently read, watched, or listened to that you would highly recommend to prospective MBAs? Why? I read Love + Work by Marcus Buckingham this summer while traveling in Southeast Asia and I would highly recommend it to anyone considering their post-MBA career options. I think it is a great read for MBA students particularly because many of us are seeking careers in entirely new fields. The book is all about how to navigate your career towards work you love or enjoy, which as the author’s research shows, is the number one driver of performance and engagement. Who doesn’t want to find work they love, right?

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Wharton, Yale SOM, Tuck, Fuqua, and Darden 

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into MIT Sloan’s MBA program? Don’t apply to business school in a bubble. Use your network to seek advice from those who have gone through the MBA application process. Reach out to students in clubs that interest you to learn about the program and see if a certain school is a good fit for your goals. If you’re a veteran, I highly recommend reaching out both to the Veterans Club at Sloan and Service to School to find a mentor to guide you through the application process.

DON’T MISS: MEET MIT SLOAN’S MBA CLASS OF 2024