Decorated Veteran Chad House Receives Inaugural ERPi Veteran’s Meritorious Academic Performance Award

Master's in Health Administration (MHA) candidate Mr. Chad House was recently awarded the first ERPi Veteran's Meritorious Academic Performance Award. The award recognizes a veteran's exemplary academic performance in the Department of Health Administration and Policy (HAP) MHA graduate program. Mr. House will receive $5,000 to support the final phase of his studies in the MHA program and be eligible for ERPi mentorship and early consideration for post-graduation employment.

Mr. House is an extraordinary student whose years of service to our country has been matched by his outstanding performance in the classroom. He served with distinction and valor; earning a Bronze Star and Combat Medic Badge during Operation Enduring Freedom as well as an Army Commendation Medal and an Army Achievement Medal. He was deployed in Afghanistan and held several key positions responsible for medical support to 800 to 25,000 soldiers at a time.

"Mason has been ranked as a military- and veteran-friendly university, because we value the experience and knowledge they bring to programs and discussions in the classroom," noted HAP Chair Dr. PJ Maddox. "Their experiences serve them well when they work on complex problems in healthcare." Mr. House also had courses with several HAP faculty members who had served in the military.

Mr. House applied to George Mason University through the Department of Veteran's Affairs (VA) Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) Program, which provides support for service-disabled veterans to overcome barriers to employment. "I chose George Mason due to its rigorous curriculum and flexibility. Mason is great because they co-locate representatives from the VA to help meet the needs of veterans at the university. I can also apply the business and leadership skills I learned in preparation for entering the civilian healthcare field to any other profession."

Mr. House's award was made possible by funding from ERPi, a consulting firm and service-disabled veteran-owned small business, that helps solve some of the federal government's most complex problems. Mr. Chris Jones, CEO and a Mason graduate, created this award to help provide additional support for veterans as they transition from the military to civilian life, as he knows personally the challenges for veterans. "The creation of this award allows our veterans to focus on training and education by eliminating barriers to furthering their education and to make them competitive in the marketplace."