Serving our country
Students of the Robins School of Business have a wealth of opportunities ahead of them as they graduate from the University of Richmond. The combination of the liberal arts education with business acumen is a strong foundation for any graduate. While many go on to careers in finance, marketing or accounting, others take a perhaps less-traveled path. They don a uniform and serve our country.
A common sentiment heard from these individuals is the desire to give back to a country that has afforded them so much. “I have always known that I wanted to join the military,” said Nate Wylie, ’04. Wylie was an Army ROTC scholarship student at Richmond, and upon graduation served on active duty until 2008, when he took a civilian job but maintained his service to country through the Army Reserves. In 2011, Wylie was called back up to active duty and is still serving in Afghanistan, completing a 12-month deployment.
Sean Sneeden, ’09, echoed the sentiment. “I always knew civil service would be a good thing. I wanted to give back to a country that offers so much,” he said. Now a research analyst at Oppenheimer & Co., Sneeden was also an ROTC scholarship student at Richmond. As a reserve officer, Sneeden says, “It’s a really good experience. I’ve met a ton of people I would have never met otherwise. It’s been an outstanding experience that’s given me insight into different people, cultures and perspectives. I’m very proud to serve.”
Fred Bryant, ’10, says, “My reason for joining the military was very altruistic. My family has gained a lot from the American system, and I felt I had to do something to ensure that the system stayed in place.” Currently a battery executive officer stationed in Oklahoma, Bryant plans training, builds systems for and supervises the maintenance of equipment, supervises the supply operations, and serves “as the Commander’s right hand man.” When asked how he handled the multiple priorities, Bryant noted, “It is easy to handle when you enjoy what you do. I greatly enjoy my military career and find it very fulfilling on many levels. Being able to lead Soldiers and the ability to constantly learn and professionally better yourself are what I enjoy about the military.”
Military service, though, does not negate the educational development and business fundamentals gained at the Robins School. “I think the Robins School provided me with a strong foundation both in management practices and a method of thinking,” notes Wylie, whose father is also a Robins School graduate (Mark Wylie, B’72). “The Robins School provides a great foundation for many careers outside of the ‘standard’ business world. I found many classes to be relevant to both the Army and the construction industry*.”
Originally from New Jersey, Sneeden was drawn to the small campus and academic quality and rigor at the University. “The biggest things that I’ve learned are leadership skills and the ability to communicate succinctly, which is extraordinarily useful in both the business world and in military service,” he stated. “The Robins School really focuses on presentation and communication skills. That and the academic rigor were extremely helpful and definitely helps prepare you. I think it speaks volumes about the quality of students that come out of the school.”
Bryant adds, “I was drawn to the University of Richmond because of the Robins School, as well as the class size, culture and reputation of the professors. The success that I’ve had since (with my company** and in the military) is largely based off of my education while a student there. I learned so much, not only from a technical aspect, but also from a networking perspective. The Robins School developed me into who I am today. It taught me how to think critically and overcome obstacles.”
Sneeden summed up his time at the University, stating, “I loved the entire experience at the University of Richmond. I will forever remember the awesome journey, kind of like a kid experiencing Disney World for the first time.”
Wylie, Sneeden, and Bryant are all proud to simultaneously serve their country and represent the University of Richmond. We extend a special thank you to them and all those who serve.
Note: Multiple people were contacted for this story, and the content of this piece was developed based off of those individuals that were able to respond by deadline.
Thank you to Mark Wylie, B’72 who proudly highlighted his son in an email to the Robins School, recognizing him and others “who are making America a safer place in an often hostile world.”
*Additional information on Nate Wylie: “I began my career as a Field Artillery Officer and my duty station was at Fort Bragg, NC, with the 82nd Airborne Division. I began as a Fire Support Officer assigned with an Airborne Infantry Company. This position placed me in charge of eight Soldiers who were responsible for all Attack Aviation, Artillery, Mortar, and Close Air Support strikes. I deployed to Iraq in 2005 in that position. Following that, I served as a Field Artillery Gun Platoon Leader with approximately 30 Soldiers. My final active duty assignment was as a Battalion Effects Coordinator. I deployed to Afghanistan for 15 Months from 2007-2008 and found this to be my most interesting and difficult assignment. We developed and studied local populations to determine the effects that our operations had in order to stabilize areas after we removed or diminished Taliban threats.
Following this, I left the active duty military and began a career in construction with a general contractor. I stayed in the reserves and joined the Civil Affairs branch. I joined this branch in the reserves, because it deals with stability operations and assessments to strengthen governments and make average people's lives better in other areas of the world. I was called back up for a tour in 2011 and am still deployed in Afghanistan. I have worked on multiple projects ranging from school and clinic construction to textbook purchases during my deployment and as a result, strengthened the Afghan government and made the daily lives of thousands of Afghans better.”
Wylie is married to fellow Richmond (and Robins School) graduate, Stacee Duryea Wylie, ’05.
**Bryant started a Richmond-based company, WealthForge, with fellow Richmonder, Mat Dellorso, ’09, while still a student at the University. “My work with WealthForge is tremendously fulfilling. The company has done things that I was told would never happen three years ago. The JOBS act was a big deal for us, since the part about loosening securities laws for early stage companies reads like the WealthForge business plan, a tribute to our close work with the Startup Exemption group that worked tirelessly to get the bill passed into law.” Look for more information on WealthForge in a future issue of The Robins Update.