Moore School students Logan Shealy and Kyla Walker appreciate the lessons and guidance they received through the Rising Scholars and ROTC program in their first year at USC.
Both pre-business majors, Shealy and Walker are scheduled to graduate in May 2024. Passionate about the business field, they said they look forward to applying the skills that they learn at the Moore School in their future military careers.
“I chose the major of business management because I have decided to pursue a career in the military, which is a combination of leadership and management of a particular field like health care administration,” Walker said. “Each corporation needs managers to efficiently run their company. I enjoy bringing groups of people together and helping them maximize their work potential and assist them to get to the next level professionally.”
Shealy also said that he looks forward to using his degree to help lead and manage others. He said that business is something that he has been fascinated with since his sophomore year of high school.
Both students have been able to share their passion for business with other fellow classmates in the Rising Scholars program, which was designed to connect underserved students pursuing degrees within the Moore School with key opportunities and resources on campus. Being in the Rising Scholars program has equipped Shealy and Walker with the necessary skills and tools to succeed in the Moore School and has helped them find a supportive community in their transitions to USC.
“Rising Scholars has allowed me to be a part of a closer-knit community, especially during these times with COVID-19,” Shealy said.
Walker also described the Rising Scholars program as one big family. She said that the people in the program give good advice and encourage students to do their absolute best.
Having this support system has helped Shealy and Walker in their success so far at the Moore School. Both students said that they have learned so much already and look forward to learning more in the coming years.
“Prioritization and diligence are skills I have gained from the Moore School,” said Walker. “Often you have to put in a considerable amount of effort outside of class in order to succeed, self-directed learning is a large part of college, and mastery of this skill can directly translate to a successful life.”
Communication is a key skill that Shealy said he has learned from his time at the Moore School so far. He said that he feels as though these skills will benefit him in his future career path, in the military and beyond.
“I believe openness, communication and establishing a dialogue are very important soft skills that the Moore School and the Rising Scholars program have allowed me to develop in these short months,” said Shealy.
These skills have become useful in helping Shealy and Walker learn how to command presence and pay attention to detail while in the ROTC program.
“The ROTC program has taught me mental toughness and has all around made me a stronger person mentally, physically and emotionally,” Walker said. “Over the course of a short few months, I have significantly improved my physical fitness, nutrition choices and social skills. Each training I complete, I gain more confidence, and each mentor that has taken the time to help me inspires me to do my best. This program is giving me priceless life lessons I will never forget.”
Shealy and Walker look forward to using the skills that they have obtained from ROTC, Rising Scholars and the Moore School in their future careers.
Shealy said that he would like to pursue a military career in finance, pursue an MBA, transition to the private sector in finance and then possibly move to a Ph.D. and academia or politics during his later career.
Walker said that she would like to commission in the Army as an active duty medical service corps officer or transportation officer.
-Claire McGrath