Q&A: MBA Students offer Intel On Attending Michigan Ross as Veterans, Advice for Prospective Student Vets, and More

Michigan Ross is proud to provide dedicated resources and support for veterans, and to equip them with the knowledge and real-world experiences to accelerate the business careers of those who have served.

Ahead of Veterans Day, seven students from the Michigan Ross Full-Time MBA, Online MBA, and Weekend MBA programs answered questions about how they are transferring their skills from the military to business school, advice they have for veterans considering pursuing their MBA at Ross, and more. 

Catherine Boye

Hometown: Monroe, Wisconsin

Military division/title: Air Force intelligence officer

Program/year: Online MBA ’25

Current job: Customer strategy and experience consultant at PwC

Given your military background, why did you decide to pursue an MBA degree at this time? 

The military helped me develop soft skills like leadership, communication, and problem solving. I chose to pursue an MBA to expand on my core business knowledge and round out my technical-heavy background.

How would you describe the veteran/military community at Ross, and how has it added to your MBA experience? 

The veteran community at Ross is amazing! It is fairly large, and there is also an active veteran alumni network. The Armed Forces Association is a really tight-knit group that has enhanced my MBA experience and helped me expand my personal and professional networks.

What advice would you give to a veteran considering pursuing an MBA at Ross? 

I'd encourage anyone considering pursuing an MBA at Ross to reach out to current students in the specific program you're interested in. There are also veteran-specific events that you can attend to get a better understanding of the Ross experience for veterans.

Lee Collins

Hometown: West Bloomfield, Michigan

Military division/title: Captain, U.S. Army

Program/year: Weekend MBA ’23

Current job: Director at DaVita

What transferable skills or experiences from your time serving have you been able to use at Ross? What skills have you gained from Ross?

What I draw from my time in the Army is resilience, gratitude, and humor. In the military you operate for days or weeks tired, hungry, too cold/hot, always dirty and carrying heavy loads. Every day needs a heavy dose of humor, and those experiences create a sense of gratitude for the smallest blessings in life. 

At Ross I have gained countless tools and frameworks to help with marketing, accounting, and operations, but most importantly Ross built my confidence as a leader and business professional. I know I will leave Ross better prepared to face the complexities of the current business environment.

Anything else you’d like to add about your experience at Ross?

I appreciate Ross because it provides some incredible opportunities outside the classroom. I recently started the Ross Leaders Academy to help continue my growth as a leader. It’s hard to find other places where you can spend six months with incredible facilitators, executive coaches, and a small cohort of students from across the university solely focused on leadership development.

Ziv Zohar

Hometown: Savyon, Israel 

Military division/title: Israeli Air Force, Air Defense Artillery | Head of Iron Dome TRADOC | Major 

Program/year: Full-Time MBA ’23

Post-grad career interest: General management / tech

Given your military background, why did you decide to pursue an MBA degree at this time?

I was at a major crossroads – Do I go all in and commit to a long-term military career, or do I pivot? My path forward in the military was well charted but contained roles that were quite similar to ones I’ve already performed. This made me realize that I wanted to try something new; to challenge myself in a different environment.

Having spent the majority of my time in service as a team leader and field commander, I knew this much for certain: What I want to do in life is to serve a greater cause, lead people, solve problems, and make things better. It’s what I enjoyed doing in service. So, an MBA was a clear choice for me. It is the best way for me to build on my military experience and develop.

What transferable skills or experiences from your time serving have you been able to use at Ross?

As veterans, we tend to think that what we do in service is very niche and only applies to our specific role in the military. Turns out it’s just the opposite. Just about every skill I had was directly transferable, with the key ones being people management, relationship building, task prioritization, and project management. This dawned on me as I was creating my resume and seeking advice from veteran MBA2s here at Ross; I would tell them about the experiences I had in service, and they would repeat them to me, but using “business” terms. That’s when it clicked for me – everything I did was transferrable; I just needed a “Google translate” to business language.

How would you describe the veteran/military community at Ross, and how has it added to your MBA experience?

Amazing. Exceeded every expectation I had. As an international veteran, in the beginning I was unsure if I would even be accepted into the community. But I couldn’t have been more wrong. I was embraced with open arms and would even say that the community made extra efforts to make me feel welcome and included. I will never forget it. From day one, the veteran community has been the one I connect and interact the most with, the one that has most helped my recruiting efforts, and the one that makes me feel that I belong. There’s something about this community – we just get each other.

Tyler Worsley

Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah

Military division/title: Army aviation / captain

Program/year: Full-Time MBA ’23

Post-grad career interest: General management (General Manager Accelerated Program at Republic Services in Colorado)

What factors led you to choose Michigan Ross for your MBA?

It sounds cliché, but I really did choose Ross because of the culture. I’ve never felt in competition with my peers; the culture is nothing but supportive and collaborative, and that’s the type of experience I wanted. I also noticed that Rossers have a ton of fun at events like Michigan football games, MTreks, and our weekly trips to Skeeps. I knew I was going to have a lot of fun while getting a great education at Ross. Lastly, “Go Blue, Go Anywhere,” isn’t just a slogan. There are Rossers all over the country and all over the world. I knew if I came to Ross I would inherit a diverse network of passionate alumni.

What advice would you give to a veteran considering pursuing an MBA at Ross?

Your MBA experience is two years of your life and we only get so many trips around the sun. Don’t waste it doing something you’re miserable doing. Go somewhere and do something that’s going to help you be the happiest, healthiest, best version of yourself. If that’s continuing in the military, that’s great. What I want for every applicant is for them to be happy, healthy and successful whatever they choose to do.

Anything else you’d like to add about your experience at Ross?

Ross has exceeded my expectations in almost every way. I adore my classmates, I enjoy my classes, I love Michigan football and the Ross bus, I got into the career I identified as my goal before stepping foot on campus and my wife absolutely loves this community. We are genuinely happy. I’ve made friends for life, gained the business skills I need to thrive in my chosen career field, and traveled to 10 countries since I arrived. Coming to Ross is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. If you have questions about Ross, I would be glad to chat with you any time, email me at tworsley@umich.edu. Go Blue!

Christian Beckler

Hometown: Burbank, California

Military Division/Title: Aviation operations manager for 3rd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group. Army aviation officer for nine years.

Program/Year: Full-Time MBA ’24

Post Grad Interest: Electric vehicle manufacturing

Given your military background, why did you decide to pursue an MBA degree at this time?

I spent nine years in the Army and can confidently say I did everything I wanted to do with my time in service. After my second deployment to Afghanistan in 2021, my daughter was born and I needed to decide whether I was going to commit myself to a “full 20” or get out and try something new. Her birth also served as a catalyst for me to look at the world she was entering and question what I was doing to improve her generation's future. I felt a strong pull to contribute to the emerging sustainability space to mitigate the effects of climate change, and have focused that energy into recruiting for roles in EV manufacturing. An MBA is a fantastic vehicle for veterans to pivot to their second careers.

How would you describe the veteran/military community at Ross. and how has it added to your MBA experience?

The vet/military community at Ross really is my social backstop as I branch out to learn to lead more complex and diverse teams of talented individuals. We constitute about 7% of the class of 2024, and I’m really proud to be a member of that cohort. Every vet at Ross is putting themselves out there to successfully execute an extremely intimidating personal/professional pivot. Most of us spent close to a decade in uniform, so this is a pretty drastic shift. A lot of us are married with at least one kid. We bear a lot of responsibility that we don’t take lightly. As we figure this phase out, I truly appreciate the transparency in the community. It’s comforting to feel so seen.

What advice would you give to a veteran considering pursuing an MBA at Ross?

I would advise incoming vets to lean into their experiences and share them with their peers. You have more value to add than you may think, and you shouldn’t taper that for fear of being misunderstood. Be a good steward of the vet community and try to bridge the divide you fear between your experiences and your non-vet peers who are truly interested in what you’ve done. 

Alexander Mountford

Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia

Military division/title: Captain, Army. Fort Riley, Kansas, 1st Infantry Division

Program/year: Full-Time MBA ’24

Post-grad career interest: Consulting

Given your military background, why did you decide to pursue an MBA degree at this time?

I felt like I had a good way of solving problems and working with people. Now I wanted to find a way to leverage those abilities and develop new skills that I could take forward into a business career. I knew that with my non-traditional background, I had a lot to learn. Sure, I could have jumped right into a career field, but I wanted more exposure and I wanted to learn. The MBA seemed like the ideal means to achieve my goals. Not only could I get the education I required, but I could build a diverse professional network and enter a tried-and-true recruiting pipeline for some phenomenal companies. 

What factors led you to choose Michigan Ross for your MBA? What transferable skills or experiences from your time serving have you been able to use at Ross? What skills have you gained from Ross?

The action-based learning at the program really stood out to me from the beginning. I certainly learn best through doing, and MAP was far and away the best means to accomplish that. I knew I wanted to recruit for consulting and I heard so many great things about how Ross prepares students well for that career. The Career Development Office is fantastic, and their programming to prepare gives me a lot of faith in the process. Also, I really valued the sense of school pride and community associated with the program. Everyone I talked to raved about how collaborative the students were and how accessible and talented the professors were; they were right! 

What advice would you give to a veteran considering pursuing an MBA at Ross?

My first piece of advice is to talk to non-veterans in your application process. I think talking to a wider range of people will give you an even better understanding of the fantastic community here. Also, reach out to the AFA for any and all questions. If you don't know the next step, we're happy to help!

Joshua Herbeck

Hometown: Plymouth, Michigan 

Military division/title: Army, captain

Program/year: Weekend MBA ’23

Post-grad career interest: Starting at Boston Consulting Group Summer '23

What factors led you to choose Michigan Ross for your MBA? What transferable skills or experiences from your time serving have you been able to use at Ross? What skills have you gained from Ross?

I grew up in Ann Arbor and had several friends from the military attend Ross, so I understood what a fantastic school it is and the incredible opportunities available to veterans. Ross is also very team oriented. There are so many opportunities to work in groups and interact with your classmates. Coming from the military I missed working as part of a team, and Ross gave me the opportunity to continue doing that.

What advice would you give to a veteran considering pursuing an MBA at Ross?

I would absolutely recommend Ross as a place for veterans to pursue an MBA. One of the great things about Ross is the outstanding veteran network, not just those in school but graduates as well. It's been fantastic meeting other veterans and learning about their experiences at Ross and after. 

Learn more about the Armed Forces Association