Fordham Gabelli’s Checks In With Its Veterans in Global Leadership Fellows
The Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University recently highlighted a group of military veterans currently part of the school’s Veterans in Global Leadership (VGL) fellows program.
VGL was founded by Jayson Browder, a Fulbright scholar and a U.S. Presidential Management Fellow at the White House. Browder, PCS ’13, founded VGL with the intention to help “student veterans prepare and apply for prestigious internships, fellowships, and scholarships.”
Browder explains how a VGL program might make the difficult transition to civilian life a little more manageable for veterans: “[Vets] have implemented foreign policy abroad and have been tasked with solving complex problems. Now that they are back from the longest wars in our nation’s history, they’re looking to solve more problems and create an impact in their communities here in the states and abroad.”
After a 20-year stint in the Marines, VGL fellow Coleen Harper opted to major in nonprofit leadership at Gabelli. She founded D’ St. Aubyn’s Cause, which seeks to “diminish the rate at which veterans, single parents, and the elderly fall victim to homelessness.” Harper explains her motivation, saying, “My fears of becoming homeless were ignited as I proceeded through the process of retirement. This propelled me to make a difference rather than becoming a part of the problem. “A program like VGL can certainly help make an achievement more attainable.”
VGL fellow Robert Molina was an aviation logistics clerk in the Marines who now serves as communications chief of the Fordham Veterans’ Association as he completes a degree in political science and economics.
Fordham Veterans’ Association President Kevin Knightes arrived having previously served with that Hospital Corpsman Pharmacy Technician with the U.S. Navy for four years. He is now working toward an bachelor’s in Middle East Studies with minors in Arabic and Philosophy.
Of the VGL fellowship, Knightes writes, “I found that VGL aligned with my goal to continue service, but it will also introduce me to a vast network of like-minded people to share resources with.”
About the Author
Jonathan Pfeffer
Jonathan Pfeffer joined the Clear Admit and MetroMBA teams in 2015 after spending several years as an arts/culture writer, editor, and radio producer. In addition to his role as contributing writer at MetroMBA and contributing editor at Clear Admit, he is co-founder and lead producer of the Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast. He holds a BA in Film/Video, Ethnomusicology, and Media Studies from Oberlin College.
