Manderson MBA Serves Those Who Serve

While the Manderson STEM and CREATE Paths to the MBA at The University of Alabama offer unique value to undergraduate students who want to go directly from undergraduate work into MBA study, the traditional two-year, on-campus Manderson MBA is also an excellent fit for students who enter with full-time work experience and know more clearly where they want to go in their career. Traditional MBA students Joe Turberville (2025) and Brad Toney (2025) chose the Manderson MBA to enhance their respective careers in military and government service, planning to leverage their business educations for the public good.  

Embracing The Struggle

“In the military,” said Manderson MBA student Joe Turberville, “you learn through struggling together. Without struggle, you really don’t get that far. You have to be willing to help others and want teamwork.” So Turberville, an officer in the U.S. Army, approaches his MBA coursework in the same way.

Six years into his military career, Turberville is still technically on active duty, but part of a program called the Advanced Civil Schooling Program. “They’re looking for officers to become more well-rounded,” he explained. “They understand that the business aspects are extremely crucial, especially as we are making budget cuts, to make processes more efficient, and not waste taxpayer dollars.”

Turberville was selected among other candidates to attend a top 50 business college. The Army is paying for his graduate work, and in return, he will continue to serve in the active-duty military to better the organization.

“As they invest in me, I invest back,” he said.

He was also selected for a program called the Talent Based Career Alignment Program, where highly talented officers are given the opportunity to choose their career paths in advance. Turberville was selected for the Acquisition Corps as an acquisitions and procurement officer — a logistician, responsible for product development and contracting. His assignment after graduation will involve working with Department of Defense civilians, contractors, military personnel, and external agencies to develop and procure cutting-edge technology for the Army.

“The military is going to give you a lot, but you’re going to work hard for it,” Turberville said. “If you really want to be successful, you have to be willing to put in the time.” 

In academic work, some frustrations are inevitable. But Turberville struggles alongside his cohort partners, and together, they improve. “What I’ve really learned is defeat or failure is the first attempt in learning,” he explained. “We’re looking at setbacks and saying, ‘you know what, we know that we need to do better.’ We’re going to push for that.”

Drawn To Make A Difference

After graduating from Brown University, Manderson MBA student Brad Toney worked for a few years in higher education administration positions, mostly centered around campus community management and supervision. Though he was interested in public service, he did not initially plan to pursue an MBA. “If you had told me that I was going to go back to get another advanced degree,” he laughed, “I’d be like, ‘Oh, okay, what happened? I must’ve gotten a Pickering or Rangel Fellowship.’”

Past Toney was right: Present Toney is a Pickering Fellow, part of a cohort of students who are preparing for international affairs careers. He was one of 45 fellows selected out of an applicant pool of over 600. In exchange for financial support, Toney will in turn serve with the U. S. State Department for five years at embassies and consulates overseas, representing the nation abroad.

“Since I already have the basic tools for international relations work, the fellowship agreed to fund an MBA program for me,” Toney explained. “I wanted to sharpen my skills in economics and how businesses operate, both here in America and overseas. The coursework at Manderson gives me all that useful technical knowledge and lingo.”

“That way when I begin my new career, I can build upon the foundation that I’m getting here at Manderson,” he went on. “I’m just seeing it as building blocks. Manderson has already shown me how to talk in accounting terms, and how to talk about organizational operations in a more streamlined way. I feel like I’m learning the languages of business. It’s being demystified in a lot of ways.”

When he graduates, Toney will go where The State Department sends him, entering as a foreign service officer generalist. He hopes to leverage his professional experience and Manderson training to work within the management area.

Manderson Opens Doors

Since 1944, Manderson’s full-time, campus-based MBA program has produced champions of the business world. Our program has been recognized as one of the country’s best by publications like U.S. News & World Report, which ranked the Manderson MBA among the top for several years. That brand recognition helps your MBA do what it’s designed to do: Open doors. Everywhere.

Ready to take the next step? Contact one of our admissions representatives today.

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David Bedsole writes for the marketing and communications office at the Culverhouse College of Business at The University of Alabama. He identifies and develops storylines to support and promote Culverhouse initiatives like the Manderson MBA.