From Veterans to Entrepreneurs: Meet the Newest Cohort Joining NC State’s Poole College of Management
This fall, the NC State University’s Poole College of Management is welcoming a dynamic group of 291 students into its graduate business programs. This incoming cohort arrives with a wealth of diverse professional backgrounds—ranging from technology, accounting, and financial services to education and the military—united by a shared ambition to lead organizations and drive innovation.
The new class represents a wide array of specialized disciplines. The college has officially enrolled 51 full-time MBA students, 80 online MBA students, 90 on-campus Master of Accounting (MAC) students, and 32 online MAC students. Additionally, 17 students have joined the Master of Management in Marketing Analytics program, while 21 have enrolled in the Master of Management in Risk and Analytics.
As these students begin their academic journey, they highlight the NC State MBA program’s commitment to fostering a community of diverse leaders who are ready to make a global impact.
A Diverse Class of Leaders
Among the new faces arriving on campus are six individuals whose unique career trajectories reflect the breadth of talent found at Poole College:
- Alycea Adams (Full-Time MBA): A tech entrepreneur and co-founder of the AI beauty-tech startup HairMatch. A published children’s book author and former professional NBA dancer, Adams seeks to leverage the program to strengthen her leadership skills in brand strategy.
- Meredith Mormann (Online MBA): After a decade-long career in music education as a choir director, Mormann is transitioning into business. She is focused on sharpening her leadership capabilities to potentially lead a nonprofit or move into human resources.
- Connor Langley (On-Campus MAC): A fourth-generation NC State student with a background in sports data and technology internships at Red Hat. Langley is continuing his journey at the university to prepare for a career in public accounting and the CPA exam.
- Chris Cornett (Online MAC): A U.S. Navy veteran and serial entrepreneur who brings over 25 years of experience in operations and financial management. He returns to NC State to deepen his technical tax and advisory expertise to better support small, veteran-owned businesses.
- Ashleigh Jackson (Master of Management, Marketing Analytics): An assistant marketing manager at Lowe’s, Jackson aims to bridge the gap between data analytics and marketing strategy. A first-generation college graduate, she hopes to one day transition into higher education as a professor.
- Brach Gordon (Master of Management, Risk and Analytics): Serving as PayPal’s head of cryptocurrency investigations, Gordon brings extensive experience in tracking illicit digital financial activity. He is pursuing this degree to gain the ability to “quantify and price” the risks he identifies in his professional work.
Whether they are veterans, first-generation students, or seasoned industry experts, these students represent the future of the global business landscape. As they integrate into the Poole community, they bring with them the curiosity and determination required to solve the complex challenges of tomorrow.
To read more about the newest members of this academic cohort and their individual motivations, please visit the official announcement from the Poole College of Management.
