In it Together

She is a 2005 West Point alum with a degree in environmental science and served as an Army logistics officer for nearly 11 years. He, a 2006 West Point graduate with a BS in economics, served as an armor officer in the Army for more than nine years. Between them, Colin and Katherine Robertson have more than four years in deployments around the globe that include Iraq and Afghanistan.

Today, this married couple are part of the Carlson Full-Time MBA class of 2018. “The school does such a great job taking care of all its students that it has been one of the easiest decisions I’ve made,” Colin offers when asked why he joined the program. “My wife and I were able to use the Post 9/11 GI Bill to cover tuition, but if it weren’t for the generous support of the donors to the veteran’s program, we wouldn’t have been able to make it work for our family.”

With one year in the program completed, Colin says he can’t wait for the second. “The warmth, understanding, and talent in the student body makes class days invigorating,” he says. “The knowledge and professionalism of the professors has piqued my curiosity and laid the baseline that continues to grow as I experience Enterprise projects and my summer internship.”

He says he plans to use the leadership skills he developed in the Army and the marketing skills he is currently learning to find a position in the Twin Cities. “There is such a wide variety of fascinating industries and companies here and I’m looking for someplace that shares my values,” he says. “I am very interested in finding a business-to-business marketing role with an innovative company.”

Katie wants to use her background as an Army logistician to continue to work in supply chain and operations. “I like leading a team that is tackling and solving difficult problems to continuously improve the systems they work in every day,” she says. “I would love the opportunity to work in a national or global company within the Twin Cities where I can combine my military experience and the knowledge I have gained at Carlson.

What is it like to be in the program with a significant other? “It’s great to be able to have someone who knows just what I’m going through,” Colin says. “We’re able to share notes and bounce ideas off each other while we’re riding the train or biking in to class.” Katie adds, “We are study buddies for each other, can help explain concepts to each other, and celebrate all the milestones together.”