‘Don’t hesitate to take the leap’
Ashley Sperry earned her MBA at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School as an active-duty Army officer and a single mother of two.
Business school is known for its intensity — late nights going over case studies, back-to-back group projects and constant pressure to perform.
But for Ashley Sperry ’25 (MBA) the rigors of a full-time MBA program were nothing new — even as an active-duty officer in the U.S. Army and a single mother of two young daughters.
Sperry launched her military career as a soldier in the Ohio Army National Guard and later commissioned as a lieutenant through Ohio University’s ROTC program. After graduating, she joined the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii as a platoon leader.
In that role, she led a specialized team that identified and assessed hazardous threats. She later served as a company executive officer, where she managed logistics, maintenance and personnel readiness for over 100 soldiers.
After her time in Hawaii, she served in Texas and Missouri in a variety of roles. She supported senior leaders, commanded a specialized unit and trained newly promoted officers for company command and brigade-level staff responsibilities.
During this time, she also earned a Master of Science in defense and strategic studies from Missouri State University.
“I did my first master’s degree while serving full-time in the military as a company commander, and I’d just had my second baby” says Sperry. “I didn’t get the full experience of being a grad student because I was just trying to survive and manage between working full time, being a mom and going to school.”
Earning her second master’s degree was a different story. After 14 years in the Army, she had switched to a functional area in acquisition. She was selected for the elite Advanced Civil School Program, which supports graduate education, and she selected UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School’s Full-Time MBA Program.
“It was an awesome opportunity for me,” she says. “I was able to immerse myself in learning and just focus on school and my family.”
UNC Kenan-Flagler’s leadership development focus, values and strong veterans community were draws for her.
“UNC Kenan-Flagler understands military personnel’s challenges in transitioning to a civilian institution and provides excellent support,” Sperry says. “The core value of integrity also resonated with me. During my interview, I felt a strong sense of community that made me feel I would belong.”
Managing operations and people
Sperry earned concentrations in operations management and managing people and organizations. Creating team charters, process plans and understanding stakeholder management will be useful in her military acquisitions work and civilian roles she might pursue.
A standout experience was the health care global immersion elective.
“It was life changing to see the health care systems in Japan and Thailand, and what universal health care means versus what everyone thinks it does,” she says. “You see the struggles and the pros.”
Sperry brought her leadership skills to serve her classmates. They elected her as MBA Student Association vice president, where she led initiatives for career club presidents, career treks and collaborated closely with the MBA career services team. As a curriculum advisory board representative, she was the voice for her peers and worked closely with professors and program staff to enhance the student experience.
The next mission
Sperry encourages others from the military to follow her path to business school.
“Don’t hesitate to take the leap. Many military personnel suffer from imposter syndrome and don’t realize how valuable their skills are,” she says. “We have incredible leadership, time management and resilience skills that translate perfectly to business school and the corporate world. Our experience managing large teams, handling high-stakes missions and working with significant resources makes us uniquely qualified for business challenges.”
