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Our Stories
Going Where Leaders Are Needed Most
John Wooden Global Leadership Fellow Gerry Sims (’19)
Self-Mastery in Leadership Means Giving and Understanding
2018 John Wooden Global Leadership Fellow Ryan Tan (UCLA-NUS EMBA ’19)
In Diversity, a Unified Force
With one childhood ambition accomplished, U.S. Air Force intelligence officer Diana Perez (’20) is on a mission to fulfill the next one
How One U.S. Army Vet Is Helping Fellow Soldiers to Cope with Pain
Entrepreneur Michael Lui (’10) founded a mission-driven startup and is developing a topical pain reliever as a safe alternative to opioids
UCLA Marine Corps Veteran Is Making Soldiers Safer
Ph.D. student Zeeshan Parvez will use his studies in materials chemistry to help protect others against improvised explosive devices
A Life of Service beyond the Battlefield
Long after they exit the military, UC student veterans continue to live by the credo “leave no man behind”
From Service to Students
UCLA Anderson is proud to count among its student body more than 100 active military and veterans, who bring a sense of mission, organization and commitment to their education — and to the business world after graduation. Here are just a few of our students and their diverse backgrounds and experiences.
Rhian Rogan (MBA '20)
California Army National Guard, 3 years of service and at least 3 years to go, 2LT
Clubs & Associations: AnderTech, BBSA, MCA, OAC, WBC
Professional & Career Interests:Currently recruiting for Strategy Consulting
John Alspach (MBA '20)
United States Marine Corps, 11 years of service, Major
Clubs & Associations: Anderson Veterans Association
Professional & Career Interests: Continuing my military career in aviation and exploring all civilian career options
Schafer Newman (FEMBA '20)
Navy, 7 years of service (still serving on active-duty), Lieutenant
Clubs & Associations: Management Consulting Association, Anderson Veterans Association, OUT@Anderson
Professional & Career Interests: Separating from the Navy in May after 7 years of service for a management consulting internship.
Sean McCann (MBA '19)
US Navy, 8 years, Lieutenant
Clubs & Associations: VP of Alumni Relations, Anderson Veterans Association; VP of DOJ & Admissions, Energy Management Club; Co-President, Outdoor Adventure Club
Professional & Career Interests: Renewable Energy Project Development
Jared Munde (EMBA '19)
U.S. Navy, 13 years of service, rank is Lieutenant Commander
Clubs & Associations: Anderson Veterans Association
Professional & Career Interests: Real Estate, Global Management
Patrick Fedewa (EMBA '19)
Lieutenant, US Navy (2010 – Present)
Professional & Career Interests: Management Consulting, Real Estate and Tech
Cody Larsen (MBA '21)
US Air Force, 4 years, Captain
Clubs & Associations: Investment Finance Association, Anderson Real Estate Association, Anderson Veterans Association, Anderson Christian Fellowship
Professional & Career Interests: Pursuing the investment management or banking industry
Mike Wright (FEMBA '20)
U.S. Army, 2012-2017, Captain
Clubs & Associations: Anderson Veteran Association, Healthcare Business Association
Professional & Career Interests: Healthcare Administration
Robert Busalacchi (FEMBA '20)
U.S. Marine Corps, (2010-18), Captain, Assault Amphibian Officer
Clubs & Associations: Anderson Veterans Association, Anderson Wine Club, Investment Finance Association, Entertainment Management Association
Professional & Career Interests: Finance, Investment Banking
Peterson Dela Cruz (MBA '21)
United States Air Force (2010-2018), Captain, Civil Engineer Officer
Clubs & Associations: Anderson Real Estate Association, Net Impact, Anderson Tech Business Association
Professional & Career Interests: Sustainability, Technology, Real Estate, Management Consulting
Adam J. Wong (FEMBA '19)
U.S. Air Force, 5 years, Captain
Clubs & Associations: UCLA Mentor
Professional & Career Interests: Technical Program Manager, Hardware, Organize the chaos
Brendon Gehrke (MBA '20)
U.S. Marine Corps, 2004-present, NCO
Clubs & Associations: Admissions Representative
Professional & Career Interests: Entrepreneurship, Marketing Research
Matthew Alva (EMBA '20)
United States Air Force, 7 years of service, Captain
Clubs & Associations: Real Estate Association
Professional & Career Interests: Entrepreneurship, Technology, Real Estate
Stephanie Thomas (EMBA '19)
U.S. Air Force (2011-16), Captain, Minuteman III ICBM Missile Combat Crew Commander
Clubs & Associations: Looking forward to getting involved!
Professional & Career Interests: Anti-Money Laundering, Financial Compliance and Pharmaceutical compliance, Emergency & Disaster Management
Alvaro Yanes (EMBA '19)
U.S. Marine Corps (2004-17), Captain, Supply Officer
Clubs & Associations: Anderson Veteran Association
Professional & Career Interests: Finance, Supply Chain Management and Management Consulting
Steven Stringfellow (MBA '19)
U.S. Army (2012-17), Captain, Brigade Budget Officer
Clubs & Associations: Investment Finance Association; Director of Finance, Anderson Veterans Association
Professional & Career Interests: Investment banking
Daniel Galgano (MBA '19)
U.S. Army (2007-17), Captain, Company Commander
Clubs & Associations: Entertainment Management Association, Anderson Veterans Association, AnderTech, Craft Beer Club, Anderson Creative, Riordan Mentor
Professional & Career Interests: Entertainment Industry Business Development & Strategy
Willard Phillips (FEMBA '19)
U.S. Navy (1997-present), Lieutenant Commander
Clubs & Associations: Anderson Veterans Association, FEMBA Ambassadors, Energy Management Group, Black Business Students Association
Professional & Career Interests: Finance and Operations
Armando Barajas (FEMBA '19)
U.S. Navy (2000-present), Senior Chief, Foreign Military Sales
Clubs & Associations: Anderson Latino Management Association
Professional & Career Interests: Business development, brand management
Brandon J. Hale (EMBA '19)
U.S. Army (2006-16), Captain, Director of Clinical Operations
Professional & Career Interests: Healthcare Administration
Current Employment: Manager, Orthopedics and Podiatry Departments
Christian Barcelon (EMBA '19)
U.S. Navy Reserves (2005-present), Lieutenant Commander, Assistant Officer-in-Charge
Clubs & Associations: Challenge for Charity
Professional & Career Interests: Technology, Healthcare
Current Employment: Air Warfare Consultant, Prairie Quest Consulting
Nicholas Caro (MBA '19)
U.S. Navy (2013-17), Lieutenant, Surface Warfare Officer
Clubs & Associations: Marketing Club, AnderTech, AAC, Veteran’s Association, Wine Club
Professional & Career Interests: Marketing
In Their Words
Listen To Their Conversation
Juan Rose (EMBA ’13) and Derek Herrera (EMBA ’15) met at the United States Naval Academy, and both went into the U.S. Marine Corps. They’ve stayed in close touch ever since. Juan pursued his MBA while in the military and Derek, after being rendered paraplegic in Afghanistan, followed Juan’s advice and came to Anderson as well. They both were John Wooden Global Leadership Fellows, and both now lead successful civilian careers — Juan at CBRE Los Angeles, and Derek as the founder of Spinal Singularity, maker of the first connected catheter.
Five Questions With
Andrew Chan (B.S. ’05, ’13)
Manager, Deloitte Digital
Major, U.S. Army
Andrew Chan (B.S. ’05, ’13)
Manager, Deloitte Digital
Major, U.S. Army
Why did you decide to get an MBA?
Getting an MBA was a part of my plan to transition from active military service to pursue a career aligned with technology. I graduated from UCLA with a degree in mechanical engineering, was stationed in Korea and deployed to Iraq. At Anderson, I was able to combine my technology undergraduate training with my military leadership and management experience, while gaining an underlying business foundation.
What is the most important skill we should be teaching our students today?
Being part of the Deloitte Digital team has allowed me to see how pervasive the digital world is. More than ever, students should be acutely aware that their name will be their brand, especially in the business world. Personal brand management and the management of your professional brand as you engage with diverse audiences worldwide is a key skill Anderson should be teaching today.
What three things did you learn at Anderson that have been most helpful to you in your career?
- How to identify my career goals and achieve them through structured and formalized networking
- A solid understanding of business fundamentals, including finance, marketing and operations
- The importance of brand management as we embarked on our careers
What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever gotten?
Never stop learning. I see it every day as the digital world evolves and inspires new possibilities. Continuing education is essential in challenging your point of view and expanding your mind. I grow through industry updates, Twitter and even courses like the Command and General Staff course that the military provides. Always seek to learn and grow through continuing education.
How did your experience as a veteran help you in your journey at UCLA Anderson?
In the army I had the opportunity to lead more than 200 troops. I learned that when time is limited, it’s better to move forward with 80 percent of the information than to wait for all of it and possibly miss critical deadlines. That lesson directly translated to success in group projects and presentations. Being in the military gave me the confidence to take action. That was definitely helpful when working through case studies and group leadership opportunities.
Evan Milnor ('17)
Co-Founder & COO, Office Bites
Captain, U.S. Marine Corps
Evan Milnor (’17)
Co-Founder & COO, Office Bites
Captain, U.S. Marine Corps
Why did you decide to get an MBA?
My undergraduate and military experience provided me with a global perspective and a thorough understanding of our government, but I had always had entrepreneurial ambitions that I was eager to pursue. When evaluating business schools, I knew I wanted an environment that could prepare me for starting a business. UCLA Anderson was the perfect fit, with its collaborative environment and its entrepreneurial focus. The BCO program was also a key attraction, as it allowed me to develop my business concept during my student experience.
What is the most important class/topic/skill that we should be teaching our students today?
UCLA Anderson provides students with entrepreneurial essentials like building a business plan and understanding the start-up journey. A class that would be a great addition to this mix would be entrepreneurial finance, where students learn about start-up accounting and how to build financial models and projections that resonate with the VC community.
Whom do you admire most in the business world today, and why?
Peter Diamandis, the founder and chairman of the XPRIZE Foundation, is the business person I admire most. He had a clear vision and took an enormous leap of faith in launching the first prize competition without having a prior commitment for the $10-million prize. He used his passion and creativity to inspire the world to accelerate the commercial space industry, and proceeded to launch additional prizes across industries and global challenges.
What are you reading right now?
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. This is really a book about the psychology of marketing, and it delves into why some ideas become “sticky.” It’s a great business tool, revealing how you can leverage psychology principles to make marketing more effective.
Tell us how your experience as a veteran helped you in your journey at UCLA Anderson.
My military experience provided me with the understanding of the importance of systems, structure and discipline. It taught me to be deliberate and to get the most out of each day. That really came in handy, especially in my first year at Anderson! My experience also gave me perspective, really helping to put the artificial stressors of homework assignments, exams and public speaking in check. This certainly helped me stay in balance during my MBA experience.
Bo Cross ('16)
Operations Manager, Lyft
Lieutenant Junior Grade, U.S. Navy
Bo Cross (’16)
Operations Lead, Lyft
Lieutenant Junior Grade, U.S. Navy
What’s your one-sentence definition of success?
Success is being happy with the delta between where you started and where you are now.
Why did you decide to get an MBA?
After the Navy, I wanted to build a good foundation of business knowledge to tie in with my leadership experience I gained in the military. I wanted to be as confident in my business skills as I was with my people skills and my Anderson experience helped me achieve that goal. In fact, I can honestly say that, without my MBA, I wouldn’t be able to do my job. Every day I use tools that I learned in class, and it has allowed me to personally contribute to the growth of Lyft, which is really gratifying!
What is the most important class/topic/skill that we should be teaching our students today?
Every day, people are asked to make decisions in scenarios where there’s lots of data and facts that may actually be irrelevant. A skill that students today can certainly utilize is the ability to sift through this noise. Don’t be too quick to make a judgement, simply based on what you initially see or hear. Make sure you understand the scenario, the people you are interacting with, the entire picture before making a judgment at first glance.
What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever gotten?
If you get knocked down, get back up. In the military, you are judged by the outcome, so it’s important to finish what you start, even if you encounter obstacles along the way. At Officer Candidate School I learned that, no matter how difficult things got, it was only temporary. I now know that with persistence you can push through any barrier to achieve the outcome you desire.
Tell us how your experience as a veteran helped you in your journey at UCLA Anderson.
My experience as a veteran encouraged me to be fearless when it came to challenging myself by putting myself in uncomfortable situations. During orientation week, I found other veterans and built a connection based on our common experiences. In addition to that welcome camaraderie, my military experience gave me an overall confidence to share my point of view in class, to speak in front of groups, and to stay calm during the routine homework and final exam "fire drills".
Financial Aid for Military
UCLA Anderson has options for you.
Post-9/11 GI Bill® & Yellow Ribbon Program
Mandatory student charges will be covered up to your eligibility percentage.
Application Fee Waivers
Application Fee waivers are available for all U.S. military applicants. To request a fee waiver for the full-time MBA, please reach out directly to MBA Admissions. To request a fee waiver for the Full-Employed MBA, reach out directly to FEMBA Admissions. To request a fee waiver for the Executive MBA or UCLA-NUS Executive MBA, reach out directly to EMBA Admissions.
Fellowships
Even if you are not eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® Yellow Ribbon Program, all full-time MBA students are automatically considered for fellowships. No separate application is needed.
"Success is peace of mind that is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best you are capable of becoming." — Coach John Wooden
“As a transitioning veteran, this quote helps remind me that hard work is done for self-satisfaction and rewarded by peace of mind. At the end of each day, I find comfort in knowing that if I dedicate 100 percent of myself to personal and professional growth, achievement is merely a side benefit.”
Captain Luke Goessman (EMBA ’18), U.S. Marine Corps
UCLA Resources
resources
UCLA Veterans Facebook Group
Facebook page maintained by the Veterans Resources Center, where you can find out about events and important resources for Vets @UCLA
Resources
UCLA Veterans Resource Office
UCLA has been serving veterans for nearly 70 years! Whether through on- or off-campus support for student veterans, UCLA serves those who serve in myriad ways.
Learn How We Champion and Celebrate
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion:
Women@Anderson
Black@Anderson
Veterans@Anderson
LGBTQ@Anderson
Latinos@Anderson
