Full-Time MBA
Fully Employed MBA
Executive MBA
From Service to Students
UCLA Anderson is proud to be home to more than 100 students in the 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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Jared Kerntke (MBA '18)
U.S. Marine Corps (2010-16), Captain, Supply Officer
Clubs & Associations: Anderson Veterans Association, Strategy and Operations Management Organization, Management Consulting Association, Women’s Business Connection Manbassador, Anderson Soccer Club and Anderson Tech Business Association
Professional & Career Interests: Management consulting, corporate strategy and operations, eSports
In Their Words
Listen To Their Conversation
Juan Rose (EMBA ’13) and Derek Herrera (EMBA ’15) met at the Naval Academy, and both went into the Marines. 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, the first connected catheter. Recently, they caught up on the phone.
Our Stories
Military Precision Led to a Dynamic Career in Business
Jarred Herman ('14) thanks his training in the U.S. Navy for successful teamwork, accountability and people skills
UCLA Anderson Veterans Discuss Culture, Transitions and Supporting the Troops
Jared Kerntke (’18) and Hagai (Guy) Nir (’18) sat down with the UCLA Anderson blog team to share their views on recent events and life at Anderson
John Wooden Global Leadership Fellow Evan Barnes (EMBA '18) views leadership as service
Same Entrepreneurial Spirit, New Business Savvy for Veteran and Videographer Tyler Hill
The EMBA Experience
Our EMBAs learn - and teach - the value of military experience on corporate teams
EBV Graduate Ben Wynkoop Demystifies the Digital Ecosystem of Marketing Niches
A Volunteer Spirit
John Wooden Global Leadership Fellow Corey McMillen (U.S. Marine Corps veteran Captain)
Colonel Lars Hoffman (EMBA '15) Taught Flight and Then Took Flight, Soaring At SpaceX
Five Questions With
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 Lead, 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".
Person 3 (B.A. '03, '16)
Director of Marketing,
Wonderful Citrus
Diana Salsa (B.A. ’03, ’09)
Director of Marketing, Wonderful Citrus
I’m a CPG professional with cross-functional experience in finance, marketing, trade marketing and category/customer insights.
Why did you decide to get an MBA?
I am a first-generation American and the first in my family to earn a bachelor’s degree. I had the opportunity to work in the admissions office of UCLA Anderson as an undergraduate and receive fantastic counseling from folks like Linda Baldwin. A few years into a career at an accounting firm, I realized I wanted to change functions. The MBA was an easy choice.
What three things did you learn at Anderson that have been most helpful to you in your career?
How to work on a diverse team effectively, how to build meaningful relationships and how to build and deliver compelling and persuasive presentations. My study group included someone who had worked on Wall Street, and someone who made toys! Learning how to bridge these skill sets and resolve conflict has made me a better leader and professional.
What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever gotten?
If you are unsure of your career direction, build a transferable skill set at a respected company and consider geographic relocation. Once you have determined your career direction (and gained the confidence that you can conquer something as daunting as a new city), use that developed confidence to continually challenge yourself in your career.
What’s the one change you’d like to see happen in business today?
As a society, we absolutely need to extend the amount of paid parental leave for both men and women. So many valuable employees drop out of the workforce unnecessarily because they (and the companies they work for) don’t know how to make it all work. The stigma of taking permitted leave is sad. Companies that invest in progressive policies will undoubtedly earn improved employee loyalty, which will begin to be a differentiator in recruiting.
How do you celebrate your heritage?
It’s important to keep connected to your culture. I bring my whole self to work, and I’ve even been able to share my perspective with the teams marketing to Hispanic communities. It’s also important to me to keep a connection to my culture at home. I have two daughters who are bilingual, and I want them to be proud of their entire heritage as they grow up.
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 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 it's our medical school faculty and residents providing care to 3,000 individual patients a year at the VA, our on-campus supportive services for student veterans...
Learn How We Champion and Celebrate Equity, Diversity and Inclusion:
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Asian@Anderson
Women@Anderson
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