Grace Miller

Emory University, Goizueta Business School

“By the grace of God, I am forgiven, chosen, adopted, and saved!”

Hometown: Atlanta, GA

Fun Fact About Yourself: I am a National Park geek! My goal is to visit all 63 parks in the United States, and so far I have visited 23. Although difficult to choose, my favorite parks are Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park. This past summer, I visited Yellowstone and got held hostage by a badger! The short version of the story is that while hiking, I crossed over a rushing river using a bridge, but when I returned to get back to my car a scared badger had taken up residence at the foot of the bridge. After nearly an hour, other hikers and myself managed to get back across!

Undergraduate School and Major: United States Naval Academy – B.S. in Honors English

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: United States Navy, Damage Control Assistant onboard USS SAMPSON (DDG-102) out of Everett, WA.

What makes Atlanta such a great place to earn an MBA? Atlanta is my home! I grew up in the suburbs of Atlanta and my family still lives in the home I was raised in. After many years traveling the country and world, I was ready for a season closer to family. Aside from my personal interest in the area, what better place to earn an MBA? Atlanta is the intersection of business and culture, allowing students access to innumerable companies across many industries and a diverse and thriving culture. There is something to do for everyone, from history buffs to sports fanatics, and from foodies to outdoor enthusiasts. There is not much more a graduate student could want from their experience than to study at an excellent school with opportunities around every corner and places to enjoy one’s off-time.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of Emory Goizueta’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? As a transitioning veteran, I found a home in Goizueta from the first day I stepped on campus. In fact, I was not truly considering attending business school at all until I met faculty and students who were also veterans. The individuals I met showed me that I not only had a place in a business school, but that they wanted me to make Goizueta that place. Without Goizueta’s dedication to supporting veterans, I would not be a student here or likely anywhere else. Through every step of my application process, I received help from veterans, and that camaraderie — the kind I came to expect and appreciate during my time in service — drove Emory to the top of my list for my post-Navy plans.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Emory Goizueta? Goizueta’s Global Experiential Modules are offered twice a year to the MBA students, which includes company visits, opportunities to meet executives and government leaders, and cultural activities. As a travel enthusiast, I am eager to join in on as many of the trips as I can manage. My parents introduced my sisters and I to travel at a young age, often choosing adventurous family trips over a relaxing beach vacation. Opportunities to explore Mexico, Ireland, Italy, Ecuador, and more cultivated in me a passion for travel and other cultures, which also influenced my decision to join the Navy and see the world! I cannot wait to see more of the world with my classmates over the next two years.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Donning my Surface Warfare pin was the greatest accomplishment of my Naval career. Just as Naval pilots earn their “wings”, Surface Warfare Officers officially join the club when they receive their pin. To achieve such an honor, junior officers undergo a rigorous qualification process onboard their first ship, which culminates in their Officer of the Deck (OOD) qualification – the last qualification required before the esteemed pin.

Much like a father handing over the car keys to their sixteen-year-old, the OOD qualification means the Captain of the ship deems the officer trustworthy and knowledgeable enough to have the “keys” to the warship. In practice, that means when out at sea, the Captain cannot be navigating the ship 24/7 and so he or she must entrust the safety of the ship to the OODs. Those officers bear the weight of responsibility in the Captain’s absence to keep the crew of 300 people alive and to keep the ship on mission. In my experience, the privilege of earning such trust was superseded only by the honor of being one of the most trusted OODs onboard both of my ships. As such, I had the opportunity as OOD to lead my ships through dangerous waterways, like the Strait of Malacca and Strait of Hormuz, and during numerous special evolutions, like Sea and Anchor details and Underway Replenishments. These experiences were possible because of my OOD qualification and subsequent Surface Warfare pin.

Looking ahead two years, what would make your MBA experience successful? When you spend nearly a decade of your life living a military lifestyle, especially when it is your first decade of adulthood, it is hard to know who you want to be outside of the Navy. Two years from now, I hope to have confidence in my life as a civilian, knowing more about who I am when not in uniform and what I want to do to continue contributing to American society in a whole new way. I have confidence that Goizueta will provide that experience because I have met numerous veterans who achieved this during their time. My confidence also stems from Goizueta’s resources like the Career Management Center, the faculty and staff, and even my own classmates will foster that environment.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Emory Goizueta’s MBA program? Do not seek to fit into a box when applying to Goizueta, rather embrace what makes you different. My classmates and I do not fit into one, two, or even twenty types of profiles or backgrounds. What is amazing is how many unique experiences we all bring to the table, from a Surface Warfare Officer to a ballerina to a business owner. Be brave enough to tell your story as it is and show the admissions team that your experiences will add breadth to the future classes, ultimately making your classmates better – just as they will do the same for you.