This is my second lap around Duke University having attended undergrad here nearly 9 years ago. I am from Sonoma County, California, so coming to school on the East Coast was A Big Deal. It was during my freshman year of college when 9/11 happened and a lot of things changed for me after that. I joined Navy ROTC and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps after graduation. An enormous transformation occurred between when I joined the Marine Corps and when I left it in the summer of 2013.

It was Duke that prepared me for that experience. Duke created the chance for me to work in teams, appreciate the moral imperative of leadership, and understand what it meant to be part of something greater than myself. Through 8 years of service, my leadership and character were shaped by the people I forged relationships with at Duke — some of whom served with me in the Marine Corps. When I knew I needed to transition, because the predominant American efforts overseas were coming to a close, I applied to one business school — Fuqua. Duke had prepared me for the first chapter of my life and I knew it would prepare me for the second. Perhaps not so coincidentally, some of those same undergrad friends also returned to the Duke medical school and Fuqua.

Prior to attending Fuqua, I was a Marine Corps Captain with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan in 2008 and 2009 respectively. My last place of duty was in Washington, DC. After Fuqua, I am excited about the prospect of exploring opportunities in the financial industry and being a part of a dialogue on non-military national service and veteran employment post-service.

Fuqua Activities: I serve my class (C/O 2015!) as a Judicial Representative to promote understanding and respect for the Fuqua Honor Code. I also serve as an Admissions Ambassador to steward Fuqua to prospective students. Lastly, I serve with the Duke Armed Forces Association to assist with veteran issues and initiatives at Duke.

Random Facts: In no particular order, my top movies are Ratatouille,Top Gun, and Love Actually. I did my first and only Ironman triathlon in Lake Placid, NY. I eat a lot of noodles and pizza. My favorite type of music is Country/Bluegrass. I wear a lot of neon.