Leasha West Makes Notre Dame History As The First Enlisted Female Marine Graduate

SOUTH BEND , INDIANA, UNITED STATES, August 7, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ — US Marine and entrepreneur, Leasha West, recently completed Notre Dame’s Executive MBA program in South Bend. This marks the first time in the school’s 181 year history that a female enlisted Marine has earned a graduate degree.

From her earliest days, Leasha seemed destined to lead and to serve, while dedicating her life to helping others. As a member of a 10th generation military family that traces its roots back to the American Revolution, she grew up hearing incredible stories of heroic relatives and idolizing her favorite uncles who served as Marines. Always up for the challenge of picking the hardest course of action, she became the first female Marine in her family and was the Honor Graduate from Marine Corps Boot Camp. Serving as a Senior Instructor at Marine Combat Training, Leasha’s dedication to her duties, her unit and her country propelled her to become a Sergeant (E-5) in less than two years through meritorious promotions, instead of the typical rank advancement to Sergeant after 4+ years of service.

After her service in the Marines, Leasha pursued her other lifelong dream of attending the University of Notre Dame. Growing up in Texas, she loved all things football, especially Notre Dame. In fact, her high school fight song was that of the Fighting Irish, the Notre Dame Victory March. Since she was a child, football game days have always been her favorite. After connecting with the Mendoza Business School recruiter, the call of a lifetime came as she was accepted into her dream school.

Mission Accomplished. Leasha proudly graduated from Notre Dame in the Class of 2022 and blazed another dynamic trail. But that’s not all. During her program, two noteworthy footnotes occurred. First, Leasha arranged for Marcus Lemonis, star of the hit tv show “The Profit” to virtually join one of her classes. Second, she nominated and presented her esteemed classmate, Mary Tedesco, with the President’s Volunteer Service Award given by President Joe Biden recognizing a lifetime achievement of volunteer service.

Leasha describes her Notre Dame experience as magical. From her professors, guest lecturers, late night visits to the Grotto, attending hockey games and a personal lunch with the legendary Hall of Fame basketball coach Muffet McGraw. Everything at ND was first class from day one. Topping it off was the lifelong friendships that surpassed the invaluable benefits of the EMBA program.

#NotreDame , #Marines , #USMC, #Veteran , #GoIrish , #MarineCorps , #military , #ND, #FemaleVeteran, #FemaleMarine, #MBA

Rob Garcia
Shift Magazine
+1 619-316-1856
[email protected]
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