Egan, a West Point graduate and ODU legacy, says when he considered his options for pursuing graduate education he looked for "a flexible program that would best accommodate my needs from afar." He found that in the ODU MBA program, saying "Despite routine travel, expected difficulties in developing countries, and raising two sons, ODU's MBA program has exceeded all of my expectations." The ODU MBA program is designed to be relevant to the purposes of its students. In Egan's words, "The military, especially for its officer corps, stresses thinking critically and analytically. What the MBA program provides is a versatile set of tools that further enables that endeavor." The MBA faculty and staff always enjoy seeing their students, especially those who rarely have the opportunity to come to the Norfolk campus based on their location. Likewise, Egan enjoys stopping by Strome when he has the opportunity to travel to the United States each year, and appreciates the "hospitality that has been shown" to him on those occasions, noting that "such interaction goes a long way to personalize the MBA experience."

I was the president of the Semper Fi Society; a member of the ROTC choir; and a member of the ODU Dance Association.

I am a plant-based chef, urban farmer, and a dance fitness instructor. My [career] plans are to open a cafe with plant-based foods fit for every palate and I want to start a commercial garden that utilizes aeroponic towers. We would grow food to feed the community and supply the food for my cafe.

As a dancer, I learned to be versatile and flexible (no pun intended). Being held accountable by my professors [at ODU], my fellow dancers, and the audience (when we would perform) really made me stay more focused on the work in the studio and in the classroom.

All of my professors had a positive impact on my learning experience! I do have a special appreciation for Amanda Kinzer (former dance department director...she passed away last year) because she was the first person I met from the department that told me I could dance and that it could be my major! This meant a lot because I had never taken a ballet class (which is the foundation of the genres we studied in the department), and to start that type of training under her wing at the age of 26 was very scary. She noticed that I had the tenacity and drive (even though I was not a classically trained dancer). She was always giving great feedback and I believe that made me stronger as a dancer. Even after I graduated, she kept in touch with me and always wanted to know the latest and greatest with my military career and what I was doing in the dance community. She was truly a gem in the department and will/is greatly missed.

I loved the community. I still love the ODU community. I never felt out of place at ODU. I just have to say that my time there as an undergraduate student and active duty Marine was a great experience. I am especially excited now that I can still be involved with the university through the Strome Entrepreneurial Center and The Monarch Way store. It has come full circle and I am a proud Monarch Alumni.