Observed each November 11, Veterans Day traces its origins to Armistice Day, commemorating the 1918 ceasefire that ended the fighting in World War I. Since expanded to honor all Americans who have served in the armed forces, the holiday offers an opportunity to recognize veterans’ contributions and reflect on the people, experiences, and sacrifices that shape their lives. At Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, that commitment extends beyond a single day. Through its Master of Business for Veterans (MBV) program, designed by veterans for veterans, Goizueta helps military leaders build on their experience through business education, mentorship, and career development. Veterans across the school’s programs enrich the community with perspectives shaped by diverse paths of service.
Their stories span high-stakes missions overseas, extended deployments during the COVID-19 pandemic, and opportunities to mentor future military leaders. As Marine Corps veteran Josh Calderon 28MBA reflects, “I try to see potential in people, especially when they haven’t yet seen it in themselves.”
This Veterans Day, members of the Goizueta community share what service means to them, the lessons and relationships they carry forward, and how their experiences continue to shape their next chapters.
Josh Calderon
Goizueta affiliation: Two-Year MBA Class of 2028
Military service: U.S. Marine Corps, Captain, 2018–2026 (8 years)
Current role: Full-time MBA student
What inspired you to serve in the military, and how did that decision shape who you are today?
I’m a first-generation American. My parents came here from the Philippines and El Salvador with very little, and they raised us believing that if this country gives you opportunity, you should find a way to give something back. All four of us kids took that to heart. My older sister is a fellow Naval Academy graduate and served as a Marine officer, my brother is an active duty Navy nurse, and my younger sister will commission as an Air Force officer through UVA’s ROTC program next spring. We joke that we’re still missing an Army sibling to complete the set.
My own path wasn’t easy. Every service academy turned me down out of high school, and it took three attempts to get into the Naval Academy. I was also told I had no chance of making the soccer team. I tried anyway and was lucky enough to earn a spot as a walk-on. Those experiences taught me that someone else’s expectations don’t have to define your limits. They’ve shaped how I approach challenges and, more importantly, how I lead. I try to see potential in people, especially when they haven’t yet seen it in themselves.
What is one lesson or value from your military service that continues to guide you in your personal or professional life?
The lesson that has stuck with me most is that being in charge doesn’t make you the smartest person in the room. Early in my career I was often given more responsibility than my experience matched, and I leaned heavily on Marines who had been doing the job for more than a decade. They taught me more than any title did. Good leaders ask questions and listen more than they talk. Then they own the decision. I try to bring that to every team I’m on now. Humility isn’t a weakness in a leader. It’s usually what keeps you from making the mistake everyone else saw coming.
Is there a particular person, experience, or moment from your military service that stands out when you reflect on that time?
Commissioning days. It’s hard to put into words what it feels like to watch someone take an oath and begin a life of service, especially when you know everything it took for them to get there.
I commissioned at the Naval Academy in 2018. That day was the result of everything my parents had sacrificed to give me that opportunity. They pinned on my gold bars, and my brother, a Navy corpsman at the time, gave me my first salute. A few years later, when my brother commissioned as a Navy nurse, I had the opportunity to administer his oath. It was a full-circle moment for us, going from him giving me my first salute to me being the one to swear him in.
Later, as the Marine Officer Instructor at Purdue, I got to experience those moments from a different perspective. I spent three years working with midshipmen through early mornings and plenty of setbacks, and every one of our Marine-option candidates commissioned. Watching someone you’ve invested so much in raise their right hand in front of their family never gets old. Those are the moments I miss most about the Marine Corps.
How has your connection to Goizueta influenced your personal or professional journey?
Leaving the Marine Corps meant leaving behind a community that had been such a big part of my life for eight years. As I looked at MBA programs, finding that sense of community again was important to me. I spoke with a fellow Naval Academy graduate who had been involved with the Veterans Association at Goizueta, and hearing about his experience helped me picture myself here. The veterans here have been some of the first people I turn to for advice, and that’s made the transition feel a lot less lonely.
Max Sobotka
Goizueta affiliation: Evening MBA Class of 2028
Military service: United States Army Reserve, Staff Sergeant, 12 years
Current role: Senior Associate, Risk & Compliance – HB Wealth
What does Veterans Day mean to you personally, and has that meaning evolved over time?
I think about the men and women I served with, and not just in the big moments. I remember the dull ones too: sifting through Conex containers, cleaning weapons, and just chatting while we “hurried up and waited.” I served with amazing people from all over the world, and Veterans Day is the day I reflect on them most.
What inspired you to serve in the military, and how did that decision shape who you are today?
I don’t come from a military family at all, and my family thought it was a strange decision. But I felt the call to serve from a young age, after reading biographies of great men and women who had served, some for a few years and some for a whole career. That decision took me from a gap year in college to basic training to intelligence analyst school to the Middle East, and eventually to Goizueta. The Army gave me the confidence and leadership experience that I utilize each day at school and at work. My path hasn’t always been a straight line, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.
How has your connection to Goizueta influenced your personal or professional journey?
Connecting and working with veterans at Goizueta has made this place feel like home. I’m relatively new to Atlanta, but within a week of starting the program I was already working through accounting cases with a fellow Army veteran in my group. I recently attended the MBA Veterans Career Conference & Expo here in Atlanta, where many Goizueta veterans like me got to network and speak with employers. The way Goizueta supports its military community is special, and I’m sure those connections will last long after I graduate.
What do you wish more people understood about veterans, their experiences, or the significance of Veterans Day?
Not every veteran spent 20 years on active duty. Many of us served in the Reserves or National Guard, balancing drill weekends and deployments with school, civilian jobs, and family. Your coworker or classmate may have deployed overseas and then come right back to the office. I wish more people knew how common that is and how much our families sacrifice while we’re gone. Veterans Day honors everyone who served, whether for 20 months or 20 years.
Jimmy Pichiarello
Goizueta affiliation: Master of Business for Veterans Class of 2027
Military service: U.S. Army, Captain (O-3), 5 years
Current role: Global Business Resiliency Analyst
What does Veterans Day mean to you personally, and has that meaning evolved over time?
Veterans Day has always been about recognizing the veterans who came before me. Their service and sacrifice paved the way for my generation to serve in our own way and capacity, and I think it’s important to acknowledge that we stand on their shoulders.
The meaning has evolved for me personally. When I transitioned off active duty, Veterans Day came just two months later. The title of “Veteran” hadn’t settled in yet, and it didn’t quite sit right with me. Working through the range of emotions that came with it was uncomfortable. Today I’m much more at ease with the title, but I try to hold on to that original mindset. For me, Veterans Day is less about myself and more about honoring those who came before me and those I’ve had the privilege to serve alongside.
What is one lesson or value from your military service that continues to guide you in your personal or professional life?
The military taught me the true value of time: how I spend it, who I spend it with, and the importance of pausing to appreciate the decisions and people that got me where I am.
Building on that, the value that guides me most is gratitude. A bad day in the military looks very different from a bad day in the civilian world. Reflecting on my time in uniform, and on the opportunities and experiences it gave me, keeps me grounded and appreciative. That perspective shapes how I show up every day, both personally and professionally.
Is there a particular person, experience, or moment from your military service that stands out when you reflect on that time?
Two moments stand out. As an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Officer, I worked closely with the Secret Service to protect the President, Vice President, and other dignitaries at national security events. Serving as the Officer in Charge for a presidential protection mission, and having the opportunity to meet the President, is something I’ll never forget and a once in a lifetime experience which always makes for a great story.
The second is returning home from my 2022 deployment to Iraq, where I had the privilege of leading an EOD platoon attached to a Special Operations Task Force. After all the time, energy, and training we had poured into that deployment, it was incredibly fulfilling to feel like I personally was operating at my maximum potential, and as a platoon we weremaking a real impact. Nothing compares, though, to bringing every one of my soldiers home safely after doing one of the most dangerous jobs the military has to offer, and seeing the pure joy of their spouses and children when we returned home.
How has your connection to Goizueta influenced your personal or professional journey?
Goizueta has been an absolute game-changer for me, both personally and professionally. Pursuing an MBA was always a goal of mine, but for years I either couldn’t find the right opportunity or wasn’t willing to give up my career to make it happen. I give Goizueta tremendous credit for recognizing that gap and creating the Masters in Business for Veterans program to fill it. It was exactly what I was looking for in post-military education.
Jake Shawler
Goizueta affiliation: Full-Time MBA Class of 2027
Military service: United States Navy, Lieutenant (O-3), 8 years
What inspired you to serve in the military, and how did that decision shape who you are today?
My family has a tradition of military service. My grandparents told me stories of their time in the military, and I knew I wanted to follow their example.
The military transformed me into a person that can excel in ambiguous and uncertain situations. Most of what I did required my team and I to just “figure it out.”
What is one lesson or value from your military service that continues to guide you in your personal or professional life?
The closest thing to a formula for changing the behavior of others is to model the desired behavior yourself. You lead by example.
Is there a particular person, experience, or moment from your military service that stands out when you reflect on that time?
In 2020 and 2021, my ship was extended on deployment three times during COVID-19. We were stuck behind the container ship Ever Given when it ran aground in the Suez Canal, yet the crew managed to use levity and stay cheerful in really tough circumstances. Looking back on those times is a powerful reminder that in life, pain is not optional, but suffering is.
Shaun Lewis
Goizueta affiliation: Master of Business for Veterans Class of 2027
Military service: United States Army (Active Duty, National Guard, and Army Reserve); 23 years of service; retired in 2025
Current role: Clinic Operations Manager, Emory Healthcare Veterans Program, Emory Brain Health Center
What does Veterans Day mean to you personally, and has that meaning evolved over time?
Veterans Day has taken on different meanings for me throughout my life. When I was younger and actively serving, it was largely an opportunity to recognize the service and sacrifices of those who came before me, as well as the men and women I had the privilege of serving alongside.
Now that I’ve retired after 23 years in the Army, it feels a little different. I have a greater appreciation for the full spectrum of the veteran experience, particularly the challenges that can come with transitioning out of military service.
Working at the Emory Healthcare Veterans Program has added another dimension to that perspective. Every day, I see the resilience of veterans who are working to overcome challenges that may not be visible to the people around them.
For me, Veterans Day is both a celebration of service and a reminder of our ongoing responsibility to those who have served. It’s about honoring their contributions, recognizing their sacrifices, and making sure they continue to feel valued and supported long after their military service ends.
What is one lesson or value from your military service that continues to guide you in your personal or professional life?
One of the most important lessons I learned in the Army is that leadership is fundamentally about taking care of people.
The military places enormous emphasis on accomplishing the mission, but effective leaders understand that mission success depends on the people doing the work. You have to establish clear expectations, hold people accountable, provide the resources they need, and genuinely care about their well-being.
That’s a philosophy I’ve carried into my civilian career. As a clinic operations manager, much of my job involves ensuring our clinicians and staff have what they need to provide the best possible care for the veterans we serve.
The environment may be different, but the underlying principle hasn’t changed – take care of your people, remove obstacles where you can, and create the conditions that allow them to succeed.
What do you wish more people understood about veterans, their experiences, or the significance of Veterans Day?
I wish more people understood that veterans are not a monolith.
We come from every imaginable background, and our military experiences are just as diverse. Some served in combat, while others served in roles far removed from the battlefield. Some had wonderful experiences in the military, while others faced significant hardships. Most of us carry a mixture of experiences that helped shape who we are.
I also think it’s important to recognize that military service doesn’t define the entirety of a person’s identity. Veterans are parents, spouses, students, entrepreneurs, healthcare professionals, teachers, and members of their communities. We have a great deal to contribute long after we leave the military.
Service Beyond the Uniform
For these veterans, the transition from military service to civilian life is not an end to their commitment to others. It is an opportunity to carry that commitment into new classrooms, careers, and communities. Their experiences have shaped how they lead, how they approach challenges, and how they recognize the potential in those around them.
At Goizueta, those perspectives contribute to a learning environment enriched by different paths of service and a shared desire to make a meaningful impact. This Veterans Day, we honor not only the years these individuals spent in uniform, but also the contributions they continue to make—and the people who have supported them along the way.
Learn how Goizueta’s Master of Business for Veterans program helps military veterans build on their leadership experience, expand their business expertise, and prepare for the next chapter of their careers.
Veterans bring invaluable perspectives, leadership experience, and a commitment to service to classrooms across Goizueta. Explore Goizueta’s degree programs and discover a community where diverse experiences strengthen learning and leadership.
