From Military Family to MBA Family — The Sense of Community Has Kept Us Strong

This is part of a series of blogs from the partners of Michigan Ross MBA students. From long-distance relationships, to finding a job in Ann Arbor, MBA partners share how they’ve experienced the Ross MBA program and how they make it work with their partners. Check out the full series.

By Audrey Fairbrother, MBA Partner

Prior to making the decision to come to Ross, my husband, Jon, was an active duty Army officer.

After our daughter was born, we decided the time was right for him to leave the military and for us to forge a new path for our growing family. Although we loved the Army community and the amazing friends we’d made along the way, the frequent deployments (and even more frequent training for Jon) over the last 10 years were difficult.

Even with the promise of tough classes, long study hours and busy schedules that come with a top MBA program, we were excited about having some stability. But which MBA program to choose?

We made the decision to choose the University of Michigan while enjoying some incredible fish tacos and margaritas at Sonterra, our favorite little Mexican restaurant in Colorado Springs, where we were stationed at the time.

It was Ross’ excellent reputation and strong alumni network that won us over after months of back and forth on which school would be the best fit. And, I was lucky enough to have a great remote marketing position that would move with me, so with everything finalized and set in place, we packed up our Jeep — toddler, dog and all — and made the 19-hour road trip to Ann Arbor.

We had a few weeks during the summer to explore our new hometown before classes started, and I was immediately impressed by all of the family activities Ann Arbor had to offer — Gorgeous parks, and great museums like the Hands-On Museum and the Kelsey Museum of Archeology. Incredible food from places like Frita Batidos, The Jolly Pumpkin and of course, Zingerman’s Deli.

Things were going relatively smoothly settling in, but I was still worried that we’d be hard pressed to find the kind of community and friendships that we’d grown to love during Jon’s time in the military.

That fear quickly faded over the first few weeks of classes thanks to the Partners and Littles Club at Ross and the Armed Forces Association.

Through PALS we were lucky enough to meet some incredible families in the same life stage as us, and it has been great to connect with other students and family members involved in the military through the AFA.

Going through an MBA program as a partner to a student and a parent can look a little different. You often have to forgo happy hours and social meetups in favor of play dates and kid-friendly events.

But, having a club in place that planned these types of get-togethers, and offered support and resources to families was such a welcome relief as we tried to navigate what the next two years of our life would look like in Michigan. I’ve since taken over the PALS club this year, and have enjoyed trying to spread the same joy to incoming MBA 1 families.

As a family, we’ve enjoyed attending events like the MBA Kids Halloween, the holiday party and the PALS Easter Egg Hunt — and connecting with other parents who are experiencing MBA life through a family lens.

Looking back, I can’t imagine us having made any other decision. The amazing friends we’ve met, and the memories we’ve made with each other and with our daughter have been priceless. We definitely feel like we’ve found our groove as Ann Arborites.

We are loving the adventure and looking forward to what’s next. But, for now, we’re just hanging on to the time we have left during this interesting chapter, investing in those we’ve met and soaking in as many moments as we can as a family of three in Ann Arbor.

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