Military Excellence Meets Analytics: Andrew Shelton’s Journey of Service and Growth

The Humans of Mays Business School series highlights excerpts from conversations with exceptional individuals at Mays who make a lasting impact through their leadership, drive, and dedication. Each story brings to life the diverse journeys, challenges, and triumphs that shape the Mays community. By sharing these unique experiences, we aim to inspire personal and professional growth within our halls and share the origin stories of today’s and tomorrow’s business leaders.

Whether they’re in the classroom, around campus, on the field, or through extracurriculars, Mays students demonstrate a commitment to excellence and service. In this edition, we’re proud to feature Andrew Shelton, a graduate student in Mays’ Master’s of Science in Supply Chain and Analytics program, Air Force ROTC cadet, and active member of the Special Tactic Squadron. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Supply Chain Management from Mays Business School. He is a former Minor Unit Executive Officer, Flight Commander, and member of Squadron 23 in the Corp of Cadets, and a former member of Delta Sigma Pi. Andrew is a true embodiment of the Aggie Spirit and the leadership skills we cultivate at Mays.

Keepers of the Spirit

“I decided to attend Texas A&M because I grew up hearing about the Aggie network and the Aggie Spirit, and how close Aggies are as compared to other colleges. That inspired me to come to College Station and pursue a career in the military.”

“I joined Squadron 23 in the Corps of Cadets because I was able to see people in positions of leadership end up with amazing careers in the Air Force while displaying professionalism, fitness, intelligence, and motivation. I wanted to replicate those same characteristics and live that kind of lifestyle, setting a high standard for myself and being able to inspire others to do better.”

“The culture of the Nighthawks, Squadron 23, is very driven. They’re driven both physically and academically. On top of that, they really focus on making sure that we are academically successful, ensuring that was the priority on top of the Corps requirements.”

“It’s very much a brotherhood of highly driven individuals, a very inspirational environment. Even on the days when I feel like I’m lagging behind or not my best self, you have those guys who are always pushing you to stay on the run, do one more rep, complete one more set. It’s a very close knit community of people who try to bring you up and make you better. I love that aspect, which is another reason why I wanted to join the military, to surround myself with people who push themselves and push others to be better.”

“The biggest takeaways that I have from my overall college Air Force ROTC experience is consistency, respect, and being able to take educated risks. Also, doing the most you can with the time you have, while trying your best academically. Even if you fail at 99 opportunities, that 100th opportunity that you go for may set you up for life. I’ve learned to consistently stick it out for those opportunities, and set your standards high and be consistent with your actions while making sure that you’re being respectful and accommodating to others.” 

Pursuing Excellence Through Academics

“After I earned my undergraduate degree from Mays Business School in supply chain management, I wanted a deeper insight into supply chain processes, specifically the analytics and coding side. The undergrad program is a broad picture of the supply chain industry. Now, in the MS Supply Chain and Analytics program, we’re diving more into the data, looking into Python, leveraging AI to find specific insights in data like linear regression, and using different types of techniques to see the overall picture. We are even learning a bit of R studio, so it’s interesting getting a deeper insight and getting a better view on how to approach certain issues.”

“Having the opportunity to work with classmates, interact with professors, and connect with other people at Mays has set me up for the most success. I’ve learned that you have to be able to work with others and understand what they want, while also completing the mission or the assignment at hand. Being able to find a balance between working in teams and knowing when to step back versus when to take on the leadership role and make sure that everyone’s bought into the solution and best course of action.”

“Each day I do the best I can to do better in my classes, the most I can to improve relationships with people, develop myself physically, spiritually, mentally, but also balance excellence with respect because although you want to be the best version of yourself, you also want others to be the best version of themselves.”

“I’m thankful for the professionalism aspect of Mays, especially when it comes to guest speakers. I’ve attended a lot of the Supply Chain Consortium meetings as well as the Supply Chain networking events where I have been able to see industry leaders talk about their companies and what they do. These events allowed me the opportunity to see how these successful individuals hold themselves to a high standard and see how they have technical, specialized knowledge in a certain field. Interacting with guest speakers inspired me to take their qualities into the Corps and be able to hold myself to a similar high standard and excel in whatever I do.” 

Embracing Every Opportunity

“Right now I’m on contract status to do cyber operations at Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi. At the end of the semester I will commission and enroll in active duty where I will begin as a second lieutenant in the Air Force. The position really ties into the analytics and data portion of my graduate degree, and gaining an understanding of how the field works and having the supply chain background will provide me with a well rounded point of view. The new field is something that I’m not completely comfortable with, but I love getting out of my comfort zone and learning new skills. I do still like the challenge of special warfare and the mission of going globally to support the Air Force personnel abroad, so I’ll continue to train for special operations again and my goal is to try out for that.”

“I am definitely excited that new opportunities await. I know that I’ll make the most of every opportunity and follow those Core Values of excellence and respect that I’ve learned over the last five years. Mays and the Corps of Cadets have both taught me to view every day as a new opportunity, and realize that nothing is given to you, so you have to work towards what you want and make the most of any opportunity that’s given.”