U.S. Veterans Enrich Darden's Learning Community   

Matthew Lawson (MBA ’11) grew up in Big Pool, Maryland, a small town of only 300 residents and no stoplights.

Matthew Lawson (MBA '11)

He knew early in his life that he wanted to join the U.S. Army. “I think one of the main draws was the leadership experience that I would gain at a very junior level,”Lawson says. “I can’t think of any other organization that allows a brand newcollege graduate to oversee 30 or more employees. I believe that the leadership experience I gained could not be replicated anywhere else. I learned to be myself as a leader.”

After two tours of duty in Iraq as a communications officer, Lawson, who holds a master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering, applied to business school. He received a full-tuition Batten Entrepreneurial Scholarship from Darden. “The scholarship allowed me to concentrate on academics instead of worrying about funding,’’ says Lawson. “It was a deciding factor in my choice to attend Darden.” Lawson now works as a regional manager for the Navy Federal Credit Union.



Darden graduate Jenifer Andrasko (MBA ’10) flew the T-34C, C-12 and P-3C as a Naval aviator before coming to Darden. For more than nine years, she served as an officer and aircraft mission commander with the U.S. Navy.

“There’s a great support network at Darden, and the Darden Military Association helped me transition from active duty to becoming a business student and ultimately becoming a leader in the business world,” says Andrasko, who received a Darden Jefferson Fellowship. She now works as a consultant with Bain & Company in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Jenifer Andrasko (MBA '10)

Students with military experience comprise between 7-9 percent of the incoming class at Darden. Darden military veterans represent a pool that is rich in diversity — both in experiences and in backgrounds — and they make an impact as leaders both inside and outside the classroom. Their leadership and management skills are highly valued and the team-oriented, case method style of learning at Darden complements their skills.

Now that the U.S. presence in Iraq has ended, tens of thousands of troops will be heading back to their home bases. Darden aims to be the premier MBA program of choice for talented military veterans. Some of the military veterans aspiring to attend graduate business school will benefit from the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Yet not every talented veteran will qualify, as the benefits depend on various qualifications, including length of service.

“We have had a substantial increase this year in the number of applications to Darden from military veterans,” says Bob Bruner, dean of the Darden School of Business. “We want the best and the brightest in our community , and fellowships such as the Colonel James L. Fowler USMC Scholarship and the John and Mary Kay Strangfeld Scholarship make a world of difference in our ability to recruit these talented students.”

 

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For more information, contact the Office of Advancement at +1-434-924-6576.