“In the military so much of who we are is tied to our rank, our responsibilities, or the mission. This program emphasized the importance of rediscovering and reshaping myself while pivoting into this next chapter. It allowed me to see that my core values, my soft skills, and my talents transcend my military career. I have the freedom to define who I am outside of the military, not just based on what I’ve done, or who I’ve been, but based on who I want to become.”
Mackenzie Savoy found our Women Veterans Lead Program during her transition out of the military. After 12 years in the United States Air Force, Mackenzie was ready for her next mission, but was also apprehensive about what this next chapter would hold.
Aiming to set herself up for success, while on active-duty Mackenzie worked hard to build community ties by volunteering, joining professional community organizations, and attending online networking events. Frequent relocations, however, had made it difficult to form a stable professional network. Seeking an opportunity to build a stronger network and gain skills to pivot into the civilian world, Mackenzie applied for our 2024 Women Veterans Lead cohort.
Over the course of the program, Mackenzie had the opportunity to not only connect with fellow women veterans, but to also partake in 1-on-1 mentoring sessions with business professionals at the center of fields she was most passionate about. Almost immediately, Mackenzie began building a community she knew she could continue to learn from throughout her transition. She reflected later that her new connections “broadened my perspective and helped me further understand that success in the corporate world often comes from leveraging a strong support system and network.”
In addition to building a diverse community of support, during the cohort Mackenzie found one session particularly impactful: Developing her post-military identity. “In the military” she reflected, “so much of who we are is tied to our rank, our responsibilities, or the mission. This session emphasized the importance of rediscovering and reshaping myself while pivoting into this next chapter. It allowed me to see that my core values, my soft skills, and my talents transcend my military career. I have the freedom to define who I am outside of the military, not just based on what I’ve done, or who I’ve been, but based on who I want to become.”
When we first met Mackenzie, she shared with us that “In five years, I see myself in a VP, SVP, or senior leadership role in people operations or human resources.” Since the cohort, Mackenzie has retired from active-duty and accepted a role with CBRE Global Workplace Solutions as a People Business Partner in the Healthcare Sector. Here, she continues to demonstrate her passion for learning and people centered solutions as the lead in military hiring and education. While taking on this new chapter, she also continues to make progress towards her PhD in Industrial & Organizational Psychology. Today, Mackenzie is pursuing her next mission equipped with the critical skills and strong network to support her professional growth and is poised to achieve her goals and continue making an impact in the lives of others.
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