Joshua Fox, Carnegie Mellon Tepper MBA Class of 2024
Age: 35
Hometown: Castalia, OH
Undergraduate Institution and Major: The University of Findlay/ Accounting
Pre-MBA Work Experience (years, industry): 10 years/Military
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
Getting an MBA was something I have wanted to do since I was completing my undergraduate degree. In my career progression in the military, it is very beneficial to obtain a master’s degree prior to your 15 years of service mark. The Navy does an excellent job of providing opportunities around your ten-year mark. I was lucky enough to get selected for a program that allowed me to take time to attend a civilian institution instead of one of the military war colleges.
Why did you choose Carnegie Mellon Tepper? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
When I was looking at top B schools, I had a list of factors that were most important to me. After a lot of introspection, I came up with two main decision criteria: what are my biggest weaknesses professionally, and what is best for my family. I am admittedly not as strong as a lot of my cohort in the quantitative areas of business and Tepper is known for its quantitative prowess. Secondly, I am originally from Ohio, so Tepper allowed my family and me to be relatively close to extended family. Lastly, and not something I initially factored in was the Midwest friendliness that Pittsburgh has. As I visited B Schools and toured the different cities, it was striking to me how friendly the people are here in Pittsburgh. As you walk around the city people will say hello and hold doors for you. I did not have the same experience visiting west and east coast schools.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Tepper MBA Class of 2024?
A lot of my classes here at Tepper are engineers by background. They are superstars when it comes to data, math, programming, etc. However, not a large percentage have had the opportunity to really lead teams up until this point. My background as a military officer has allowed me to lead high-performing teams for a decade. This experience allows me to offer insight into decision-making that some of my cohort haven’t yet had the opportunity to develop. Also, I think I remind a lot of the class that work(school)/life balance is important. I am one of the few in my class that has children, so I find myself working to maintain personal time on a regular basis. Reminding my peers that there is life outside of the Masters Commons is important to both social and psychological health.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
I really enjoy drag racing. I have spent a lot of time around automobile racing my whole life. My great grandfather started the tradition of racing sprint cars in southern Ohio, and it has just been passed down through the generations since. I am currently building a race truck with my grandfather, and we plan to have it finished by April.
Post-MBA career interests:
I am sponsored by the Navy during my time here so immediately following graduation I will be headed back to active duty. Once I finish my time in the service, I would either like to explore a career in politics or work in supply chain in the aerospace industry. I have always found humans’ desire to explore fascinating and space is no exception.
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
Make a list of what your priorities are and what you want out of your MBA. The application process is long and arduous. If you do not narrow down your focus, you will waste valuable time filling out applications for schools that you really have no desire to attend.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
I would have moved to Pittsburgh earlier. My family was still getting settled and we were still moving in furniture when classes started. This added stress to the first couple weeks of classes that could have been avoided with just a little better planning.
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
The waiting for an admission decision. I think waiting for that phone call could be one of the most stressful things I’ve ever done. What helped me was that I was extremely busy at my last job right up until I left so it really did not leave me much time to ponder, thank goodness. I would recommend that even if you’re not busy at work, find something to occupy your mind and time. Once that application is submitted and your interviews are done, there isn’t anything else you can do but wait, so find a way to pass the time.
What is your initial impression of the Carnegie Mellon Tepper students/culture/community?
Wow, are these people smart. I’ve had the opportunity to work on a lot of different teams all over the world, but the group of people assembled in this cohort are superstars. It’s exciting, fun, and energizing. Everyone came together so quickly and the culture of sharing information and working together to get everything accomplished that we must in this first semester is amazing. I am really enjoying being part of this Tepper community so far.
What is one thing you have learned about Carnegie Mellon Tepper that has surprised you?
One thing? That’s hard because I have been surprised/fascinated by a lot in my short time here. If I had to pick one, it would probably be how much Tepper is leading the charge on the business side of tech and AI.
What is one thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
I alluded to it earlier, but school/life balance. Getting all of my schoolwork done and still finding time to spend with my kids and attend their sporting events is on my mind quite a bit. They are used to me being away from time to time for deployments, but for some reason, it is harder when I am in the same house as them but don’t have the time to go out back and play with them every night. They understand but it still keeps me up at night sometimes.
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
Getting to know my fellow classmates. We have such a diverse group from all over the world. In the military, we are diverse, but only in the frame of America. Every person in our Navy is a U.S. citizen so there is still that nationality common ground. Here at Tepper, half of our class is from outside the USA. Getting to work with and learn from all of these diverse backgrounds and points of view is exciting and invaluable.
Has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your personal application or admissions process in any way? If so, how?
I don’t think COVID affected my application too much besides maybe making it easier honestly. I was living in Oahu, HI when I was applying to school. The fact that everyone was so familiar and comfortable with using zoom for interviews actually made my process easier. By the time I was coming to welcome weekend, most of the COVID restrictions had been lifted across the country so I didn’t really feel the impact like the classes did before ours.
