The Tepper School of Business is a proud member of Military MBA, an education network for military officers and NCO’s who are interested in obtaining and applying their MBA graduate degrees for career advancement.
Why CMU Tepper?
The Tepper School of Business is a Yellow Ribbon School; learn more about the Tepper School’s involvement in the Yellow Ribbon Program in the tuition and financial aid section of the CMU website.
STUDENT CLUBS
From professional to cultural, there is a Tepper Club and Organization for almost every interest, with new clubs forming each year. Additionally, our Graduate Business Association offers leadership opportunities and a way for students to contribute immediately to the success of the school through unprecedented access to school leaders.
The Tepper Veterans Club seeks to help veterans and members of all military organizations in their transition to the civilian sector. Its objectives are to work with the admissions staff to inform and assist qualified candidates from all armed forces in the application process; to provide a social support community at Carnegie Mellon; to strengthen the skills, knowledge and networks essential to a successful transition into the business world through events with corporations and alumni; and to continue the traditions of leadership, honor, respect and duty by serving as role models within the community.
The TVC is open to the Carnegie Mellon community, in particular to veterans and current members of the U.S. and foreign militaries, their families and any other students interested in learning more about the experiences, qualities and characteristics of veterans.
Meet some of the military veterans who have attended CMU Tepper.
PROFILE #1 – ZACHARY BUZZATTO
Meet Zack Buzzatto, a Full-Time MBA student who is currently in the Active Reserves for the U.S. Navy. A Pittsburgh native, Zack has been stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and Groton, Conn., in addition to completing two deployments overseas. He came to the Tepper School to facilitate his transition out of the Navy and to build a strong business knowledge base.
“The program’s collaborative nature allows veterans to share their leadership and communication strengths with classmates who share their strong financial knowledge and real-world business experience,” Zack said. “This allows for a great deal of professional growth for everyone both in the classroom and when preparing for recruiting.”
Zack, who has concentrated his studies on finance, accounting and strategy, will graduate this month and has accepted a position with Credit Suisse’s New York office. During his time at the Tepper School, he was the president of the Graduate Finance Association, an analyst for the Alpha Asset Management Club’s managed endowment fund and a member of the Tepper Veterans Club. #TepperLife #MilitaryAppreciationMonth
PROFILE #2 – RONNIE BUSH
Meet Ronnie Bush, a Full-Time MBA student, former U.S. Army captain and president of the Tepper Veterans Club. Originally from Tampa, Fla., Ronnie has been stationed in Fort Stewart, Ga.; Fort Hood, Texas; Iraq and Afghanistan. Following his time in the Army, he came to the Tepper School to study finance.
“When I started to conduct some research on careers in finance, I realized there were some holes in my skill set,” Ronnie said. “I quickly realized business school was the best way to make the transition I wanted to, and to hone the skill set I had and enhance it by developing needed skills for a career in finance.”
Ronnie ultimately chose the Tepper School of Business to help him fill those gaps, in large part due to the fact that the school values teamwork and leadership, which military members and veterans have extensive experience in. “The environment at Tepper also encourages developing strong, lasting relationships, which is a vital part of military life as well,” he added.
In addition to his work with the Tepper Veterans Club, Ronnie is the vice president of investment banking in the Graduate Finance Association, vice president of external relations for Out & Allied, and an is an active member of the Alpha Club. He will be interning at Deutsche Bank in investment banking this summer. #TepperVets #MilitaryAppreciationMonth
PROFILE #3 – GABRIEL CHICK
Meet Gabriel Chick, a Full-Time MBA student and former field artillery officer for the U.S. Army. Originally from Pittsburgh, Gabriel was stationed in Fort Campbell, Ky., with the 1-506 Infantry Regiment – the same regiment that was profiled in the HBO miniseries “Band of Brothers.”
Gabriel always aspired to be a leader, whether on the battlefield or running a small business. “The Army taught me many things about leadership, communication and versatility,” he said. “I knew I needed the right business tools and training to make the transition not only successful but exceptional… the Tepper School of Business is the perfect fit.”
Gabriel came to the Tepper School in the fall of 2015 to earn his MBA, and he was welcomed by a supportive veteran community. “From the Navy detachment here at Carnegie Mellon completing a poignant Veteran’s Day ceremony to the community and events provided by the Tepper Veterans Club to the financial aid offered by Carnegie Mellon and Tepper to help veterans achieve their educational goals… Tepper has always been supportive of the veteran community,” Gabriel said. #TepperVets #MilitaryAppreciationMonth
PROFILE #4 – GEORGE BRUCHS
Meet George Bruchs, a Full-Time MBA student and U.S. Army veteran from Youngstown, Ohio. After two deployments to Afghanistan, he completed his service in August 2015 as an Army captain, at which time he decided to enroll in the MBA program at the Tepper School.
“I wanted to convert the skills I learned in the Army into a business setting,” said Bruchs. “For someone interested in career switching, [Tepper] is a great choice to learn the analytical skills needed to understand business.”
In addition to to his MBA studies with an organizational behavior concentration, George is involved with Out and Allied, International Student Life Initiatives, and the Tepper Veterans Club, which he says provides a community of veterans that is “tight-knit and getting stronger every year.” #TepperVets #MilitaryAppreciationMonth
PROFILE #5 – MARK FOSDICK
Meet Mark Fosdick, a former U.S. Navy lieutenant and current Part-Time Online Hybrid MBA student from Shippenville, Pa. After serving as a nuclear-trained surface warfare officer for six years on two different ships – the USS SHOUP, a guided missile destroyer, and the USS CARL VINSON, a nuclear aircraft carrier – Mark decided to start exploring new opportunities and came to the Tepper School to earn his MBA with a concentration in operations.
“The support is incredible at Tepper and Carnegie Mellon University in general,” Mark said of the Tepper School community. “Each class has a nice mix [of people], which includes other veterans to help newly transitioned soldiers and sailors fit in quickly.”
Mark also earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Carnegie Mellon in 2015, and is excited to be back at the university pursuing new opportunities! #TepperVets #MilitaryAppreciationMonth
PROFILE #6 – MATTHEW MCELHANEY
Meet Matthew McElhaney, a Part-Time Online Hybrid MBA student concentrating on operations, and a former U.S. Army captain. Originally from Butler, Pa., Matthew has been stationed in Camp Casey, Korea; Fort Campbell, Ky.; and Kunar Province, Afghanistan. He came to the Tepper School to get a foundational knowledge of how the business world works and combine it with the leadership skills that he learned during his time in the Army.
“The Tepper School administration is very veteran-friendly and was helpful and available during the application process,” Matthew said. “Tepper’s education model uses many real-world examples that make the concepts understandable for someone who hasn’t worked in the business world.”
In addition to working toward his MBA at the Tepper School, Matthew works for an energy company in rural Pennsylvania, and says that he feels very fortunate to be able to attend a great business school while gaining real world experience with the Online Hybrid program. #TepperVets #MilitaryAppreciationMonth
PROFILE #7 – THOMMY SANTIAGO
Meet Thommy Santiago, a Part-Time Online Hybrid MBA student and U.S. Navy veteran from Bayamon, Puerto Rico. During his time in the Navy, Thommy was stationed in Pensacola, Fla.; Bahrain; Ingleside, Texas; Goose Creek, S.C.; and Newport News, Va.
Looking to gain a managerial perspective that would complement his nine-year military career and experience in nuclear energy, Thommy decided to attend the Tepper School’s Diversity Weekend. “I was amazed by the emphasis in collaboration and teamwork, analogous to the military,” Thommy said. “I knew without any doubts that Tepper offered the program, the culture and the challenging academic experience that I was looking for, and the one that I wanted to contribute to.”
Even as a Part-Time Online Hybrid student, Thommy maintains active involvement with the Tepper School community. He has been an active member of the GBA, has participated in student panels during Diversity Weekends, and also supported the 2016 Welcome Weekend. #TepperVets #MilitaryAppreciationMonth
PROFILE #8 – PATRICK SKORA
Meet Patrick Skora, a former lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy who is currently serving in the Reserves, in addition to being a Full-Time MBA student at the Tepper School. A San Diego, Calif., native, Patrick has been stationed in Virginia, Wisconsin, Rhode Island, California, Hawaii and Japan.
Feeling ready to take the next step and prepare himself for his future career, Patrick came to the Tepper School to earn an MBA degree, concentrating in finance, strategy and operations. “[Veterans] have a lot of leadership and management experience, and Tepper will provide the quantitative and business background that I’ll need to succeed,” Patrick said.
An active member in the Tepper School community, Patrick especially enjoys being a member of the Finance Club, the Tepper Veterans Club and the Wine Club. #TepperLife #MilitaryAppreciationMonth
PROFILE #9 – JOHN HALL
Meet John Hall, a U.S. Army captain and Full-Time MBA student from Chapel Hill, N.C. After serving in the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division and the 75th Ranger Regiment, John came to the Tepper School hoping to broaden his knowledge base related to finance, economics and accounting, and learn more about how other organizations work.
“I was inspired to go to business school to round out my education. My previous education had been heavily focused on technical areas and my entire work experience had come from the military,” John said. “Tepper was a great fit because it is a small and very diverse school, and it allows you to meet a variety of people from completely different backgrounds.”
During his time at the Tepper School, John has been involved with the Tepper Veterans Club, the Business and Technology Club, as well as the Data Analytics Club. This summer he will be interning with Google’s Consumer Operations team in Mountain View, California. #TepperLife #MilitaryAppreciationMonth
PROFILE #10 – OSCAR GARCIA
Meet Oscar Garcia, a Full-Time MBA student and former logistics officer in the U.S. Navy. Originally from San Francisco, Calif., Oscar has been stationed in Alameda, Calif.; Manama, Bahrain; Naples, Italy; San Diego, Calif.; and Newport, R.I. Oscar’s passion for learning drove him to enroll in the Tepper School, concentrating in operations, strategy and finance.
“I think the Tepper School is a good fit for people who are in the military or are veterans because of the quantitative rigor in academics, the leadership emphasis, and the sense of a small, tight-knit, and familial community,” Oscar said. “In the military, we learn valuable leadership lessons and have many opportunities to develop our interpersonal skills. A school such as Tepper allows us to hone our business skills while stressing the importance of data analytics in our decision-making process. Tepper also places an equal importance on leadership, which allows us to continue to develop as leaders.”
Oscar is the executive vice president of the Tepper School’s Latin American Business Club, vice president of marketing for the Sports Business Club and vice president of special projects for the Tepper Veterans Club. #TepperVets #MilitaryAppreciationMonth
PROFILE #11 – DARIO CABRERA
Meet Dario Cabrera, a Full-Time MBA student and former member of the U.S. Marine Corps. During his time in the USMC, Dario participated in two deployments to the Middle East, as well as the 1st Marine Division located in Camp Pendleton, Calif. Dario then decided to come to the Tepper School to earn an MBA, concentrating in finance and strategy.
“I wanted to enter a career in the life sciences industry, and the MBA would be the most direct route for me to do so,” Dario said. “Tepper is an outstanding place for prior military. There is tremendous support among the veterans.”
Dario is also involved with the Tepper School community outside of the classroom. He is an active member of the Tepper Veterans Club, the Healthcare Club, and the Alpha Asset Management Club. #TepperVets #MilitaryAppreciationMonth.
Pittsburgh Steeler Alejandro Villanueva gives us even more reasons to LOVE CMU Tepper. Watch the video and enjoy!
