A Meaningful Investment

After taking the GMAT as an undergraduate, Bob Frutchey, MBA’95, received numerous applications from top business schools. With his sights set on earning a CPA license, he set the packets aside for several years — revisiting them after feeling the urge to broaden his horizons.

At the top of the pile was the application for Owen Graduate School of Management. “I decided that if I could get into Vanderbilt, I was going to fully commit to it. Receiving the acceptance letter was one of the high points of my life,” Frutchey shared.

To attend full-time, Frutchey quit his job and took out student loans. “Financially, it was a challenge,” he said. “I worked 80 hours a week between classes, studying and picking up a few odd jobs. I did whatever I could to make ends meet.”

Looking back, Frutchey considers the outcomes worth the investment. “I knew the value that I would get from Owen, and those two years were the highlight of my academic experiences. I graduated with the confidence of getting through the program, new friends and connections and the prestige of Vanderbilt’s name behind me. I felt ready to take on whatever came next.”

Since graduation he has enjoyed a fulfilling career in Nashville, highlights of which include working as CFO for Cowan Benefit Services and his current role as chief accounting officer for the Provisions Group.

“Student loan debt was a cloud hanging over me until that great day when I made my final payment,” he shared. The experience fueled his decision to establish a scholarship at Owen by naming Vanderbilt as a beneficiary of his individual retirement account.

“It’s meaningful to me to help future students reduce their educational debt,” he said. Giving back also adds a new layer of connection to Owen, where Frutchey served on the alumni board for six years.

“The Owen community and the activities you can be a part of are very special,” Frutchey said. “Your relationship with Vanderbilt can carry on through networking and by connecting with current students and sharing in their excitement for the future. Like most things, the more you put into something, the more you get out of it. And that has been true for me at Owen every step of the way.”