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A Day in the Life of a Student Veteran: Entrepreneurship at Whitman

Written by Meghavaty Suresh

 

Meet Lee Buttolph.

Lee ButtolphLee is currently a grad student pursuing a Master’s in Entrepreneurship at the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University. He served in the Marine Corps and spent many months out of the country in Iraq. When he returned home he decided to step into his family business, ultimately becoming an entrepreneur when he bought the firm from his father. In 2014, Lee decided it was the right time to sell the business. He made up his mind to come back to school and explore the unexplored.

 

If you’ve ever wondered how a day in the life of a student veteran goes by, here is an inside look:

6:00 am – Lee says he tries to look at his time at grad school like he is working a normal job. He comes into school early, between six and seven in the morning, and starts getting his work done. He compares it to when people head into their office early to get a head start when all is quiet around the office. If there is any reading or any assignments to be completed, that is his time to tackle it without the usual buzz around school. In a couple of hours the place will burst into a flurry of student activity and it is rush hour from then on.

 

8:00 am – The first of Lee’s classes starts at 8 sharp. From then until 2 there is a constant drone of feet on the various floors of school of students running from one class to another and Lee is one of them. He usually has about four classes that go on for about an hour and a half each. A typical class at the management school is comprised of interactive discussions, real life case studies and examples, and a lot of student feedback. Lee says his class in particular is a tight-knit one and they often sit down and talk about different topics. Everyone learns from each other and according to Lee all of his classmates have great ideas and unique perspectives.

 

2:00 pm – After morning classes are done, Lee gets a breather from about 2 to 6:30. Even though it is technically free time, he uses it to meet with his different project groups, work on assignments and occasionally meet with professors. Somewhere in between he tries to sneak in some dinner.

 

6:30 pm – Lee’s three-hour-long class starts now. Lee says that the dynamic in his class is great. Being a student veteran and a little older than the average age in class, the learning is different on many levels. While a lot of the students are learning concepts for the first time, Lee pretty much knows the basics since he has served in the military and run a business. Now he says he gets more time to think about the foundation of concepts and dive into the details of what is being presented in class which is eye-opening on many levels.

 

The end of the day brings with it a sense of achievement that is unique to graduate school. It is a lot of learning and thinking, but also the exchange of experiences and the application of concepts to real world scenarios.

 

Lee is a student veteran at the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University pursuing a Master’s in Entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship at the Whitman School of Management is highly ranked nationally. The Master of Science in Entrepreneurship (MSE) degree prepares students to become leaders of one of 2.4 million veteran-owned businesses employing 5.8 million people, with four focus areas: Social, Corporate, Family Business, and New Ventures. The deadline for applying to the program is April 19. | Download informational handout

 

Veterans looking to continue their education should consider Syracuse University’s graduate management degrees designed with veterans in mind as well as all of the undergraduate and graduate programs offered by a school committed for over 70 years to serve those who have served.

 

Meghavaty Suresh is a Graduate Assistant at IVMF currently pursuing a Master of Science in New Media Management from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. She holds a Master’s in Management and Bachelor’s in Commerce from Mumbai University.

April 2nd: Student Veterans Networking Lunch

This Thursday, April 2nd from 11-3pm at the Sheraton, executives from some of the top companies in the world are coming to Syracuse to sit and talk with student veterans about employment, internships and what the experience is like working at these great companies:

Ernst & Young

IBM

Macy’s

GE

JP Morgan

Google

Advocates Incorporated

Aetna

CH Robinson

Syracuse University – DPS

First Data Corp

National Grid

Peace Corps

State Farm

Larry Iwanski, Executive Director of Ernst & Young Advisory Services and United States Army Veteran, will be the keynote speaker. He has much to say on transitioning for veterans into the private sector and ways to ensure success. 

Please RSVP for the event as soon as possible. This can be done at the following link: http://ow.ly/KKx71. Attendees will be eligible to win a $10 gift card to Starbucks, $50 gift card to Amazon or a brand new iPad! Free lunch will be provided by Sheraton Catering during the event.

Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter to Visit Campus March 31

U.S. DOD Secretary to speak with students and visit the IVMF on first domestic trip since taking office

AshCarterPortraitOn his first domestic trip since taking office, Secretary of the United States Department of Defense Ashton B. Carter will visit Syracuse University to discuss with students and invited guests the “Future of the Force” and how the Department of Defense (DOD) recruits, retains, and transitions our next generation of service members.

Secretary Carter’s remarks will commence at 10:40 a.m., on Tuesday, March 31, in the Melanie Gray Ceremonial Courtroom in Dineen Hall. A brief question and answer session will follow.

Tickets are required and can be obtained from the Schine Box Office beginning Monday, March 30, at 9 a.m., and will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. A valid SU or SUNY-ESF I.D. is required. Doors will open on March 31 at 9:10 a.m. for security screening and guests should plan to arrive early and be seated by 10:10 a.m. No admittance will be allowed after 10:10 a.m. Backpacks and other large bags are not permitted.

Secretary Carter’s address will follow a closed-door round table discussion with the ‎Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF). The roundtable – to include Chancellor Kent Syverud; Vice Chancellor for Veterans and Military Affairs and Executive Director of the IVMF J. Michael Haynie; members of the IVMF leadership team; and invited guests – will provide an opportunity to brief Secretary Carter on the IVMF, its programs, research, community engagement and collaborations enacted in service to America’s veterans and military families. The roundtable will also include a discussion on transitioning our force back into society and how the IVMF is leading this charge.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Defense, the IVMF at Syracuse University, and the Schultz Family Foundation (SFF), announced the launching of Onward to Opportunity, a groundbreaking new national program that will deliver tailored, industry-specific training and certifications to service members and spouses on U.S. military bases prior to transition. This program will provide participants with skill sets to immediately qualify them to work for leading U.S. companies, resulting in a seamless transition from military careers to civilian employment.

“The purpose of the Secretary’s visit to Syracuse University is twofold,” states Haynie. “Secretary Carter is keenly interested in learning more about Syracuse University’s historic commitment to veterans and IVMF’s mission to fully leverage the intellectual, human and social capital of higher education, in service to America’s veterans and their families.”

Secretary Carter is also looking forward to having an open discussion with the students at Syracuse University, primarily those enrolled in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, due in large part to their national rankings and reputation as the premiere institutions in their respective disciplines.

Press Contacts:

Erin Martin Kane | 315.443.9186 | emkane@syr.edu | news.syr.edu

Wayne Westervelt | Institute for Veterans and Military Families | 315.443.5690 or 315.558.9483 wwesterv@syr.edu

My Master of Social Science Experience

Written by Mike Ross

I was traveling extensively for work when I started looking for a Master’s program that would fit into my busy schedule. While an online program would have been the most convenient, I did not want to sacrifice the personal interaction that takes place within the classroom. The Master of Social Science (M.S.Sc.) was able to provide the best of both worlds by offering short-term, on-campus residencies with the convenience of turning in written assignments from home, or in my case from the road, during the rest of the year.

The residency kicks off with a seemingly daunting first paper due at the end of the two-week residency, however it takes place during the summer when the Syracuse University campus is relatively quiet and allows the students and professors to quickly bond in the classrooms, dorms, and over lunch and dinner. It was a great feeling leaving after two weeks with the first grade under my belt! The professors are very accessible and the residency allows for great collaboration on assignments for the coming year.

While there are parameters for papers, students are encouraged to pursue their own topics, which gives us the ability to customize the program to our careers or continuing education plans. I generally stuck with the assignments, but was able to easily research aspects of the topics that most interested me.

One of the hidden gems of the program is the weekend spent at the Minnowbrook Lodge in the Adirondacks during the residency. It is the perfect way to enjoy a little more of New York, unwind from an intensive week, and gear up for the final week of the residency. The professors present ideas about the theme of the residency and are available to help students work through their residency papers. All of this happens while waking up to the sounds of loons calling over the lake, enjoying great food, and maybe taking a dip or kayak trip in the lake.

Mike RossMike Ross is a native of West Virginia and has been married for 17 years with four wonderful kids. He worked for his undergraduate alma mater in West Virginia for over a decade recruiting students domestically and internationally. Last year, he accepted a position with the Rescue Mission Alliance of Syracuse as the program manager of their Binghamton New York facility. On a personal note Mike enjoys cycling, backpacking, and kayaking as well as homebrewing and binge-watching TV series on Netflix.

Notable Veteran Alumni: Marshall M. Gelfand

Marshall M. GelfandMarshall M. Gelfand is an alumnus of Syracuse University, and also a military veteran. You should know his story, because it’s a Syracuse University story—one that speaks to our past, our present, and our future.

Marshall Gelfand spent nearly a decade of his life moving back and forth between military service and higher education. He received his bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University’s School of Management in 1950—in between his U.S. Navy service in WWII and the Korean War. Gelfand graduated from New York University Law School in 1956.

Eight years later, as Gelfand was just starting his accounting practice, Gelfand received a phone call from an attorney, with whom he made an acquaintance at a social event. The acquaintance presented him an opportunity to be the accountant for a singing group going on tour named Peter, Paul, & Mary. They would become his first clients, followed by Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Carly Simon, and Debra Winger. In 1967, Marshall M. Gelfand and partners officially founded Gelfand, Rennert & Feldman, LLP, which would become one of the top business management firms in the entertainment industry with 18 partners and 200 staffers and offices in Los Angeles and New York.

Marshall M. GelfandGelfand balanced an incredible portfolio of philanthropic work with his successful business career. In 1983, Gelfand was appointed to the Syracuse University Board of Trustees and served as a member of the Development and Student Affairs Committees. He was the former president and current treasurer of both the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center and the Palm Springs Friends of the Philharmonic, and had become and continues to be involved in the Palm Springs, CA community. However, the charitable cause closest to his heart is the Judy Fund, named in honor of his wife, founded in 2003 to partner with the Alzheimer’s Association in raising funds for research and advocacy. In addition, in 2005, Gelfand became one of the founders of the Assuring Century2 Centennial Campaign for the future of Sigma Alpha Mu foundation, which would support leadership development programs, the purchase of a permanent home for the fraternity of Gelfand’s alma mater, and the growth of their scholarship program.

Marshall Gelfand has been recognized in many parts of his life. In 1996, Gelfand was awarded the prestigious Syracuse University’s George Arents Pioneer Medal for his work as chairman emeritus of his fraternity, as a member of the Hildegarde and J. Myer Schine Student Center fundraising committee, and for funding numerous scholarships in his name, to name a few. In 2013, Marshall Gelfand received Variety’s Business Managers Elite Award on behalf of his firm. Then in April 2014, the Alzheimer’s Association awarded him with the Eunice and Sargent Shriver Profiles in Dignity Award for his continuous efforts with the Judy Fund.

Though Marshall Gelfand is semi-retired, he still has two clients on his roster, Barbara Sinatra and 98-year-old author Herman Wouk. At 87, he manages to still make trips from his Palm Spring home to his firm’s Century City office. This is just a snapshot of the accomplishments this remarkable man contributed in numerous civic and cultural organizations, but there is no limit to how long and how much this man can impact.

Marshall M. Gelfand is an alumnus of Syracuse University and a veteran of the U.S. military. You should know his story.

A New Call to Service with International Depth

Are you looking to understand the complex balance of international relations in today’s global landscape? Maybe you want to learn how to use the best tools to navigate social problems or political conflicts, solve them, and even teach others about them one day. At the top-ranked Syracuse University Maxwell School, there is a degree that combines all of these areas in a unique interdisciplinary approach, honing in on international studies, the foundations of society, war and security. All of this can be accomplished on your own schedule. 

The Master of Social Science (M.S.Sc.) program often attracts business leaders, diplomats, teachers, and military personnel alike because of its connection to top faculty and immersion in several academic disciplines from a global perspective. Syracuse University chose the M.S.Sc. as a highlighted degree for veterans because we believe these focus areas match up with the interests of many returning veterans who feel a continued call to serve in civilian life.

This is a distance-learning program with only two visits to New York. It can be completed in any length of time between 18 months and 7 years from anywhere in the world. This flexibility often makes a big difference for veterans returning home to care for families and careers, those currently serving in the military, or military family members. This is why Syracuse University has chosen it as a highlighted degree for veterans, military connected students, and military families.

 

Flexible Distance Learning with Residency

The Master of Social Science program at the Maxwell School offers this format, the same type of hybrid instruction found in the online MBA@Syracuse. minnowbrookTwo two-week residencies on campus at Syracuse University add critical value to the distance learning curriculum. Students tend to be mid-career professionals who join the program from around the world. This diversity adds great value to the virtual classroom and in person.

The first residency in July always includes a weekend seminar in Syracuse University’s beautiful Minnowbrook Conference Center in the Adirondacks. The second residency can be broken up into two one-week parts if needed. This creates a perfect balance for a student unable to relocate for school but still looking for valuable, concentrated networking and face-time with both faculty and accomplished alumni.

 

Curriculum

curriculumWhat does a Master of Social Science degree entail? That is up to you. The curriculum is designed to draw lessons from across time periods and cultures around the world. Students choose three focus areas out of: Europe, U.S. History, Developing Nations, International Relations, and War and Society. For the final project or thesis, M.S.Sc. students will choose a topic in just one focus area to dig deeper and specialize in. This is an intellectual, research-intensive program that will prepare future college professors and international nonprofit managers alike.

The program is 30 credits in total, and up to 6 credits can be transferred from another institution. Faculty members for this program are all senior professors in Political Science, History, Anthropology, and other disciplines at the top-ranked Maxwell School.

Learn more about the faculty

Download course descriptions

 

Applying

An application to the Master of Social Science program requires a Bachelors degree, resume, personal statement, recommendations, and test scores. Be sure to list military experience in your application. Students wishing to begin in the fall need to apply by February 1st and those wishing to begin in the spring must apply by August 15th the prior year.

Learn more about admissions

Notable Veteran Alumni: General Robert H. Reed

General Robert H. ReedGeneral Robert H. Reed, U.S. Air Force (ret.) is an alumnus of Syracuse University, and a veteran. You should know his story, because it’s a Syracuse University story—one that speaks to our past, our present, and our future.

Robert Harvey Reed was born in Elkhorn City, Kentucky on October 10, 1929. Reed launched his Air Force career as an aviation cadet in 1952 at a time in our history when demand for pilots was greatly outpacing the supply.

Reed completed his initial pilot training in Arizona in 1952, which earned him a commission as a Second Lieutenant and a seat at the F-94C All-Weather Fighter-Interceptor School in Georgia the following year. His first duty station was New Castle Air Force Base in Delaware with the 332dnd Fighter-Interceptor Squadron. Over the next decade or so, Reed was assigned to several fighter squadrons at locations including Ladd AFB in Alaska, Bunker Hill AFB in Indiana, South Dakota, British Columbia, and Griffiss AFB in New York. While stationed in New York, he balanced flying F-101B Voodoo aircraft and attending Syracuse University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations in 1959.

Reed graduated from the Air War College in June 1972, following numerous assignments from California to Florida to Vietnam, logging 6,100 flying hours on seven different fighter aircraft, and completing a Master of Public Administration degree at George Washington University. Upon graduation, he was assigned to the Headquarters of the US Air Force in Washington, D.C. as Chief of the Doctrine Development Branch. There he served in a variety of key leadership roles in the Air Force before becoming the Air Force Assistant Vice Chief of Staff, subsequently, the Air Force representative for the United States Delegation to the Military Staff Committee at the United Nations. In 1986, Reed was honored with a promotion to the rank of General (four-star) and appointment as Chief of Staff for the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in the final years of the Cold War. At SHAPE, Reed led a staff of 2,800 allied officers across 16 NATO nations. General Reed retired from the Air Force in 1988 after completing 35 years of distinguished service. 

Demonstrating a continued commitment to public service, Reed joined the Myrtle Beach Air Base Redevelopment Authority as vice chairman. On the topic of leadership, Reed stated, “One of the key qualities is the ability to motivate people. You have to be able to communicate and convince people of the importance of mission, and get them to buy into it. The other thing is to always operate with a sense of fairness in the treatment of people, because if you begin to show any kind of favoritism that can destabilize morale. The third thing is maintaining high standards of discipline, conduct, and ethics—you can’t compromise on those.”

General Reed has received extensive recognition for his accomplishments as an Air Force pilot and senior leader, including the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with 10 oak leaf clusters, and the Air Force Commendation Medal. He even has a stretch of highway named after him—the General Robert H. Reed Highway in his home state of Kentucky.

General Robert H. Reed, U.S. Air Force (ret.) is an alumnus of Syracuse University, and a veteran of the U.S. military. You should know his story.

March 26th: Veterans Navigating Career Workshop

Take part in a dedicated career workshop for veterans focussed on resumes, LinkedIn, and networking. Photographers will be available for professional photos, too. Sign up for one of two sessions on March 26th.

Veterans Navigating Career