Hometown: San Diego, CA
Major: MBA
Future Plans: Work for a Fortune 500 company

Like most graduate students, Francisco Solano planned to finish his MBA at the University of Illinois Springfield in two years. However, his plans were changed by a military deployment. A year and a half into his education, while in the middle of a Graduate Public Service (GPSI) internship with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), Solano got the opportunity to deploy for a year with the with the U.S. Army. Upon his return, he worked with UIS and IDOT to return classes and his internship. Solano commissioned as an active duty solider in the U.S. Army in 2010. Upon starting graduate school, he left active duty and joined the Illinois Army National Guard. Following graduation from UIS, he would like to work for a Fortune 500 company.

Leadership is lived at UIS. Every day.