Rank:
Sergeant (honorably discharged)
Branch:
US Army
Tour:
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Villanova’s Office of Veterans and Military Service Members has created and hosted numerous initiatives and events, including the Student Veterans Career Conference, to support veterans as they transition from military service into civilian job life.
Though these Villanova veterans served during different eras, their military experience combined with their Villanova education shaped their professional lives in powerful ways.
ILLUSTRATIONS: JASON RUGGIERO
Frank Jones
Current student in Master of Taxation Program and indirect tax specialist, Vanguard
Rank:
Sergeant (honorably discharged)
Branch:
US Army
Tour:
Operation Iraqi Freedom
“The military instilled several core values during my service that still continue to be part of my daily life and my career, and that are reinforced for me at Villanova: accountability, adaptability, respect for chain of command, leadership and determination. Adaptability has been particularly crucial as it has allowed me to be flexible and nimble at creating solutions.”
Maryalice Morro ’83 FCN, MS, ’19 DNP
Health care consultant and full-time adjunct faculty, Swain Department of Nursing, Citadel Military College of South Carolina
Rank:
Captain (retired)
Branch:
US Navy Nurse Corps
Tour:
Operation Iraqi Freedom
“Nurses must be capable of delivering world-class care wherever we are needed. My experience as a Villanova nurse and a Navy officer gave me a can-do spirit that allows me to approach any situation with confidence and resolve. Both Villanova and the Navy provided training and opportunities for me to be successful as a nurse and as a leader.”
Vincent Arpa ’65 COE
President of Data Center Design
Rank:
Lieutenant (honorably discharged)
Branch:
US Navy
Tour:
Vietnam War
“As a military officer, I developed self-confidence, and as an entrepreneur, drawing on my Villanova education, that self-confidence gave me the drive to make it work in any situation. There is no retreat. I learned discipline, how to accept and take ownership of responsibilities, and how to make difficult decisions."
Natalie Norwood ’18 MBA
Chief Financial Officer of Ironbound Boxing
Rank:
Lieutenant (active)
Branch:
US Navy
Role:
Surface Warfare Officer
“Many of the soft skills we talk about as being crucial to success in business today are an innate part of the job for military personnel, and were further emphasized by the Villanova School of Business. Communication, leadership, teamwork, conflict resolution, flexibility, drive—these are skills we put to use every day.”
Explore the new Voices of Villanova’s Veterans oral history project or email Villanova Veterans to record your own.