Tepper MBA Consortium Student Prepares to Transition From Military to Civilian Service

With nine years in the military and a master’s degree in engineering/industrial management already in her professional toolbox, Maressa Guynn (MBA 2025) is pursuing a new goal—to become a management consultant in corporate America. But she knew she needed guidance to evolve from being a Naval Officer to becoming a business leader.

“After college, the military was the only thing I’d experienced,” Maressa said. “I sought out several mentors who have done what I want to do, and they all recommended getting an MBA.”

Though she considered several schools, the Tepper School checked all the blocks for her. First and most, “the Tepper MBA program is one of the Top 20 Business Schools with outstanding employment outcomes—and the Carnegie Mellon brand is [powerful]. Second, I’m originally from outside of Pittsburgh. I left when I was 18, but now my partner and I have a one-year-old baby and I wanted to be closer to family. And third, Tepper is part of The Consortium, which is a great network that’s really important to me.”

Fostering a Culture of Diversity and Inclusion Drives Business Profitability

The Tepper School is among 23 business schools that partners with The Consortium, an organization dedicated to diversity throughout management education. Being a Consortium student, alongside her involvement in other forward-leaning organizations such as Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) and Reaching Out MBA (ROMBA) opened her eyes.

“In the military, I learned it’s important to get to know a person and their motivations,” the 33-year-old veteran explained. “People who are underprivileged or marginalized have grit, the ability to survive and thrive, and once you realize they’ve done a lot to get where they are, you have a deeper understanding of them.”

In shifting her focus to the world of business, Maressa’s involvement with The Consortium, ROMBA, and MLT has strengthened her appreciation of the value of DEI&B. 

“The more diverse businesses are typically more profitable: Their people bring more to the table and it’s good for business leaders to take DEI&B seriously,” said Maressa. In fact, a recent McKinsey & Company study revealed that companies in the top 25 percent for racial/ethnic and gender diversity were respectively 36 percent and 25 percent more likely to have superior financial returns; several other sources site similar business advantages.

She is anticipating her summer internship at McKinsey & Company in Washington, DC, will help her gain perspective on what industry she’d like to work into. “But, right now, I’m wide open and excited to tackle business problems across the sectors.”

ROMBA is dedicated to educating, inspiring, and connecting business students to impact change in the classroom and workplace. Maressa attended the 2023 ROMBA Chicago convention and serves on the planning committee for this year’s event in Los Angeles. As the world’s largest annual gathering of LGBTQ+ professionals, it offers panels, workshops, receptions, and a career fair featuring 100+ corporate partners. In March, she will also attend ROMBA’s Out Women in Business conference in LA.

“Colleen McMullen [Executive Director, Community and Inclusion] and the Tepper DEI&B office staff have been extremely supportive of me going and I’m excited to represent the school at this year’s ROMBA events while continuing to build my network.”

“It Depends”

“The most important thing I’ve learned at Tepper is the concept of ‘it depends.’ There are a million different ways to go, and you must consider the areas where things could change,” said Maressa.

“In business, you need to be a jack of all trades, but it’s hard to be good at everything. When I came to Tepper, I wanted to strengthen my weakest points — finance and accounting — so I could at least talk the talk and know what’s going on in meetings.”

Beyond her initial intention, however, she says the finance curriculum was a shock because it was such a formative experience. “I have really fallen in love with my finance curriculum. Working with Professor Chris Telmer [Associate Professor of Financial Economics] and our teams was great, and I took charge on my part of our final project.”

Mentorship and Advice for Tepper MBA Students

“I was looking for an MBA program that would challenge me. Tepper is a great place to root yourself and it has lived up to its reputation for academic rigor. People I know have already used what they’re learning here while interviewing for positions.”

Two early Tepper School mentors continue to impact her: J.R. McGrath, Executive Director of Masters Admissions, and Tony Gomez, Senior Associate Director of Masters Admissions. “Tony was one of my first contacts at Tepper and we’ve kept a relationship going, and J.R. has been very influential as well.” Her first real boss in the Navy, a Commanding Officer, helped connect her to his peers who have made the jump to getting out of the military, she adds. “He’s also shared a lot of life lessons about being a parent and a spouse, and I’m indebted to him for all his help.” 

“Put yourself out there,” she advised. “Seek out people who have the exact job you want or think you want and do some cold calling. You might only get one ‘yes,’ but it might be the only ‘yes’ you need.”

Her personal experience as the daughter of a single mother helped her grasp another truth: When you have down days, know they will not last forever.

“Now that I have a family to worry about, I think about my upbringing. I didn’t have a lot of opportunities, and my mother was going to college while raising me, so I can only imagine she had down days. My mom is an indelible force in my life, a guiding light.”

As a ‘retired’ athlete and award-winning field/track star, Maressa remains passionate about working out. She loves to cook and bake (especially sourdough bread which she bakes from a three-year-old starter that she’s named ‘Marge’), and of course, family life surrounding Sage, her one-year-old son.

“The best advice I’ve ever received is to fill my plate, but not fill it too much,” she said. Then, with a laugh of self-awareness, she adds, “that’s something I really struggle with as I have more responsibilities, like raising a child. It’s very hard to resist the urge to be the 24-year-old me who wants to do everything.”