Larry van der Oord, Flex M.B.A. ’11

When Capt. Larry van der Oord (Flex M.B.A. ’11) decided to apply to business schools, he was looking for a program that would accommodate his busy schedule as a member of the armed forces. The Mason School of Business Flex M.B.A. program turned out to be the perfect choice for van der Oord, who would be deployed and had a growing family.

In the fall of 2007, van der Oord entered the Mason School with his wife, Jeniffer (Flex M.B.A. ’10). The couple was stationed at Langley Air Force Base and lived in Newport News. The William and Mary Peninsula Center, where the Flex program is based, allowed them the opportunity to work in the day and take evening classes close to home.

“It was a great experience to be able to get a William and Mary education with the same professors and faculty,” says van der Oord, “but at the convenience of my career and schedule. The Flex program offered everything I needed.”

After graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy and spending several years as a public affairs officer with the Air Force, van der Oord knew a business degree from the Mason School would help him with his leadership goals whether competing for a promotion in the military or making a vertical move to the civil sector, he says.

The small class size helped van der Oord form valuable relationships with professors and fellow students who are in a variety of occupations. “After working with someone in school for three years you become friends and I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up the phone and call one of them,” says van der Oord. “Also, the professors are working or have worked in the industry that they are teaching about, so the stories they told and experiences they had were pretty incredible. All of them were willing to sit down with you and put as much time in as you wanted them to.”

The flexibility of the program also became an advantage when van der Oord was deployed in 2009 before completing his degree. The program usually takes three years to complete, but the Mason School will stop the clock for those who are deployed. On top of that, van der Oord had family changes. His wife gave birth to their first child in 2008 and their second was born in 2010, after Jeniffer was finished with her degree. Then, when Larry was only three courses away from graduating, he and his family were transferred to Cannon Air Force Base in Clovis, N.M. He was able to finish his courses at a school in New Mexico and transfer them to William and Mary to complete his degree.

Recently, van der Oord deployed to Afghanistan on another six-month deployment, this time working with the joint task force as a public affairs officer. His advice to prospective students: “If you know you want your M.B.A., get started early … Unless you take the initiative and get started, you might never start, and you aren’t ever going to find a perfect time.” 

Van der Oord knows from experience that the Flex M.B.A. program can accommodate all kinds of life changes and create connections that will last no matter where his career takes him.