Lt. Cmdr. Evan Werner joined the U.S. Navy at 22 after graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy and receiving his commission as a Naval Officer. During his time in service, Werner served as a pilot and tactics instructor on F/A-18 Super Hornets. As a graduate of the U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School — also known as TOPGUN — he was at the top of his field.
"CMU and TOPGUN are very different environments based upon the nature of what you're learning. At that time, TOPGUN was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. You're exhausted flying multiple missions a day," Werner said. "They really push you to the limits. However, you learn much about yourself as a person and what you are physically and mentally capable of. You also learn how to teach graduate level fighter tactics, be an effective communicator, a leader and a better fighter pilot."
After an 11-year career in the Navy, Werner joined Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business, aiming to take his civilian career to the next level. Working on his master's degree in business administration was his first professional undertaking outside the military. Add on a young family, and the experience was entirely new.
"Transitioning out of the service during my first year at Tepper was difficult. This was something completely different and foreign to me and my family. Initially, my first quarter at Tepper was the hardest. But I quickly found that many of the soft skills I learned in the Navy, such as time management, work ethic and the ability to operate in ambiguity, were applicable to what I was doing at Tepper. I found myself leveraging those skills heavily to aid in a successful transition," he said. "The initial transition challenges that I faced would have gone significantly smoother had I reached out to other veterans who had already successfully completed their MBA journey."
Werner is now president of the Tepper Veterans Association. He serves fellow veterans making similar changes as well as offering advice to prospective students.
"Veterans are more than happy to jump on a phone call or communicate via email to help you discover if an MBA is the right fit for you and your successful transition from the service based upon your passions and goals," Werner said. "I highly recommend an MBA if you have the opportunity, and Tepper's value proposition makes it a wonderful institution to meet your goals."
Tepper provides a number of opportunities for networking as well as including a mentorship program with first- and second-year MBA students. Veteran alumni will meet — virtually, these days — with current students to discuss their own job search to help highlight transferrable skills and help them better understand the different industries and functions that are a good fit.
For example, Werner served as a squadron training officer, which involved not only developing and implementing a $15 million weapons and training budget, but also mentoring, scheduling and training pilots. Those skills relate to project management, supervisory experience and budgeting.
The group also hosts activities with other affinity clubs, such as the Tepper Women in Business and the Black Business Association.
"We want to show how everyone can bring a unique perspective, so that when our classmates are in management positions they understand what each of us can bring," he said. "The goal is to really increase all of our competitive advantages and our teams' edges."
Werner continues to serve as a reserve member of Naval Forces Europe and Africa Detachment 205, based in Coraopolis, a suburb of Pittsburgh. The unit supports U.S. Sixth Fleet operations and conducts a full range of maritime operations and theater security cooperation in concert with coalition, joint, interagency and other partners to advance security and stability in Europe and Africa. The efforts include planning and organizing an annual maritime exercise in the Mediterranean to increase collaboration between North African countries and Southern European countries to combat human trafficking, piracy and drug trade.
Throughout his Naval career Werner worked at the forefront of strategy and technology.
"I saw firsthand how a concrete strategy can really help drive innovation and increase your competitive edge," Werner said. "My goal is to join an internal strategy team to develop the next innovative approach to their business processes and look for process improvements."
To advance on that path, he interned with Dell Technologies over the summer and was offered a full-time job once he graduates.
More than 50 students and 60 faculty and staff at the university self-identify as veterans, said Master Sgt. Michael Danko, who serves as CMU's veterans services and ROTC coordinator. Because of COVID-19, this will be the first year CMU will not be hosting a Veterans Day ceremony on Nov. 11.
Since 2010 CMU has been named a Military Friend School by GIJobs.com with the goal of providing the best possible services to students eligible for Veterans Affairs education benefits.