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Meet Students and Alumni

Explore the following stories of military students at Owen and discover how their degrees helped prepare them for success in both the military and business worlds.

  • Kyle Clay

    Kyle Clay

    Vanderbilt MBA 2009

    Regional Operations Director, DaVita

    During his second tour in Iraq, Captain Kyle Clay led a unit of combat engineers engaged in "route clearance"—removing bombs and IEDs from roads. Perhaps that is where he refined a valuable strength—the ability to "keep a posit... More of Kyle Clay’s Story

  • Jesse Marsalis

    Jesse Marsalis

    Vanderbilt Executive MBA 2009

    Combat Development, USSOCOM

    Unlike many students, Jesse Marsalis didn't pursue an Executive MBA to seek a promotion and additional career responsibility but, rather, because of them.... More of Jesse Marsalis’s Story

  • Janet Nelson

    Janet Nelson

    Vanderbilt MBA 2007

    Senior HR Manager, Global R&D Feminine Care,
    Procter and Gamble

    Janet Nelson imagined that her undergraduate degree would end her formal career preparation. Her friends saw the spark of something more—and encouraged her to seek the added education to give it fuel.... More of Janet Nelson’s Story

  • Michael Osborne

    Michael Osborne

    Vanderbilt MBA 2011

    MBA Intern, HCA (Hospital Corporation of America)

    After graduating from West Point, classically trained pianist Michael Osborne spent five years as an officer with the Army's 101st Airborne Division. His service included 26 months in Iraq, where he eventually was responsible for all combat operatio... More of Michael Osborne’s Story

  • John Robella

    John Robella

    Vanderbilt MBA 2010

    Internal Audit, ExxonMobil

    John Robella, a nationally ranked collegiate gymnast during his days at West Point, knows a thing or two about nimble moves. One of his most adroit ones came after five years in the Army and two combat tours in Iraq: earning an MBA. ... More of John Robella’s Story

  • Michael Strupe

    Michael Strupe

    Vanderbilt MBA 2009

    Investment Banking Industrials Group, Wells Fargo

    Michael Strupe knows how to assess new terrain quickly. That was part of his job when he served in the United States Marine Corps as an operator in a Force Reconnaissance Platoon.... More of Michael Strupe’s Story

  • Lindsey White

    Lindsey White

    Vanderbilt MBA 2010

    Program Manager, Operations Division, Voice of America,
    Broadcasting Board of Govenors

    If you've ever stood admiringly in front of the fountains at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, you have a sense for the work Lindsey White once managed. She was a project coordinator for WET Design, which built the Bellagio fountains and other large-scale ... More of Lindsey White’s Story