Veterans Day 2022: What It’s Like Being A Veteran At An Elite MBA Program

Pete Carbone, MBA Class of 2023

United States Army Captain; Co-President Kellogg Veterans Association

What does Veteran’s Day mean to you?

In my mind, Veterans Day is a day to be thankful for the men and women I served beside in my five years in the Army. I had the privilege to lead soldiers from all over the world, and work closely with servicemembers from the US Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and international US Allies, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without learning from and growing with many of those talented and inspiring individuals. Every year, my Army friends and I try to get together on Veterans Day weekend and spend some quality time catching up. This year, I am excited to celebrate one of my best friends from West Point for his bachelor party. That group of friends, and my support system from the Army, will always be near and dear to my heart.

What has been the greatest challenge about the transition to civilian life? 

Community is extremely important for me, and I think the toughest part of the transition was stepping out of the Army community that I had enjoyed for almost the last decade of my life, and stepping into the ambiguity of business school. When I was moving to Evanston to start at Kellogg, I knew I was stepping into a business school world with supremely talented and intelligent individuals from all over the planet; it was a bit intimidating. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t unsure about how some international students would perceive a US military veteran or about whether my military leadership abilities were directly transferable to a business school setting. It was a daunting transition to move from an extremely structured, hierarchical, and somewhat predictable day-to-day as an Army Captain to an ambiguous and unknown (at least to me) business school experience. However, the community and support that the KVA provided was a game changer at the onset. I knew that I was not alone in this transition, and it was amazing to have that support system. Once classes started, I quickly realized how well Kellogg fostered a genuine and collaborative culture, and I was further encouraged by the class of 2022 and how invested they were in my class’s success and development.

Why did you choose Kellogg?

I chose Kellogg because of the meaningful connections I made throughout the application and interview process. It felt like every Kellogg student I spoke to was more than willing to share a moment of their free time and answer all the questions I had. Then they would continuously check in to see how my application was progressing and if they could provide any additional support. I vividly remember a phone call with Doug Ausenbaugh, one of the KVA co-presidents at the time, in which he and his wife gave me the back-and-forth student and JV (our Kellogg name for significant other) perspective about Kellogg and business school in general. I truly felt like I could be a member of a supportive community at Kellogg and that the second-year class would be heavily involved in my first-year experience. It was exactly what I was looking for as an Army officer transitioning to civilian life at business school.

What value does Kellogg’s Veteran Association provide to you and your fellow classmates? 

Our goals for the KVA this year are (1) to help veterans earn admission to a top business school, (2) to help veterans successfully recruit for jobs while at Kellogg and (3) provide a collaborative environment for veterans at Kellogg while connecting with the broader Kellogg student body.

I think we have an extremely passionate group of second years steering the ship this year for the KVA, and I think we have done a great job so far committing to those three main initiatives. Whether it’s through weekly KVA consulting recruiting workshops, providing resume feedback to veteran applicants, or coordinating social events with other affinity groups, the KVA fosters community and continues to “pay it forward.” With the class of 2024 bringing in the largest veteran cohort Kellogg has ever seen, I am excited for the future prospects for the KVA.

How has Kellogg prepared you for your post-MBA career goals?

After attending a military academy for four years and serving in the U.S. military for five years, most of my professional interactions in the last nine years have been almost exclusively with other U.S. servicemembers. As I mentioned earlier, the people with whom I worked were inspiring and diverse, but we all operated within the hierarchical military structure with similar mission sets. Kellogg has taught me how to work with people from different personal and professional backgrounds, how to leverage a team’s diverse skillsets and perspective to have an impact, and how to apply leadership abilities to challenging business settings. Kellogg has also taught me how to be a more vulnerable leader, whether through Professor Shana Carroll’s Personal Leadership Insights class (which I couldn’t recommend enough), or through the relationships I’ve built with my classmates (now close friends) from all over the globe.

Kellogg also provided coaching and support to help me recruit for jobs after business school. After I graduate in 2023, I will start full-time at McKinsey & Co’s Denver office as a generalist associate consultant. I am confident I can attribute my success in applying for that role to the mentorship and coaching of the KVA, the Kellogg Consulting Club, and my Interview Prep Group leader Edward La Cava.

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