Home Region
Birmingham, AL
Undergrad Education
University of Alabama, BS, 2015
Previous Experience
Raytheon, Airbus, Peace Corps
HBS Activities
Aerospace and Aviation Club co-president and CFO
“I want to build a legacy dedicated to the generations of Alabama laborers and homemakers that came before me.”
Why did you choose this path at this point in time?
Before HBS, I spent 5 years working as an aerospace engineer. I really loved the mission behind the work I was doing, but I wanted to go faster. I learned that an MBA could provide me with the confidence, skills, and network to be a leader in the future of aerospace that I envisioned. I became curious about the HBS case method and decided to apply after talking with aerospace professionals who had attended HBS and were influencing aerospace at a high level. I visited HBS during my interview, attended RC BGIE, and immediately fell in love.
Coming to HBS is like...
...being an astronaut, looking out at the Earth. I stepped back from the day to day and started to define the type of person and leader I wanted to be beyond the next five to ten years. Your community and worldview rapidly expand. Your confidence in yourself and your vision for the future solidify and grow.
Being part of the HBS community is like...
...going to a party where everyone is excited about the future and has a diverse perspective of how they define that future. Each of my section-mates is passionate about different industries, geographies, and ways of thinking. My background in aerospace and as a Southerner from Alabama make me unique here, but that also makes me the same as others – we all have a unique perspective to share.
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I mostly remember wanting to be a medical doctor, but I think that was more of my mom’s dream than my own. My mom grew up in a very small town in Alabama and did not get the chance to go to college, so becoming a medical doctor in Birmingham, the big city, was the height of prestige and service. My mom was sad when I told her I was changing my major from biomedical engineering to aerospace engineering my second year at the University of Alabama. I think now she shares my dreams and is very proud.
As a child, I spent most of my time painting and reading. I think being an artist was my own dream. I like to think that being an aerospace engineer and bringing designs to life is a sort of artistry, and that it all fits together now.
What is your favorite childhood memory?
Being out on my grandmother’s sunporch in Homewood, Alabama. She had bought me a child-size artist’s desk and put it out on the warm, sunny porch. We would spend hours there – I would draw pictures of her cat Robby, and she would tell me stories of my grandfather Bo, who had been an aircraft mechanic and owner of a local Wendy’s franchise. Bo died of cancer just before I was born. Mimi would tell me stories of her time in Huntsville, AL, and how she believed America’s future was in exploring Space.
Who is one person from your life that you admire the most today?
My father the United States Marine, firefighter, and entrepreneur.
My dad did not go to college, but he is the most entrepreneurial and hard-working leader that I know. After completing active-duty service as a Marine, my father became a firefighter. Over a 30-year career, he gained a reputation as a strong leader and retired as a Battalion Chief after leading and training hundreds of firefighters.
Outside of the Fire Department, my dad washed windows at local businesses to provide for his girls and send us to one of the best public schools in the Birmingham area. Later, he started a small real estate business “flipping” houses, and recently became a top real estate agent in Birmingham, AL. His love for business, community, and family are the beacon for my own goals and legacy.
What’s the best thing about your home town?
The best thing about Hoover, Alabama, is the slow southern pace of life and the community that results from that. I love visiting Hoover now and sitting by a fire in the backyard with my parents, surrounded by trees and soaking in the fresh air. The whole family will walk over or stop by, and we will talk about football and life over a beer.
My dad served the community as a Hoover firefighter for 30 years. There are a few local restaurants that he loves, and he knows the owners and employees well, so I get to feel like a celebrity when I go out for barbeque or a slice of pizza. Sometimes it feels like he knows everyone in town.