Program structure and project management focus are highlights for veterans
Re-entry into civilian life is a challenge for some military veterans.
They often miss the structure, the discipline and mission focus that define who they have become.
Other veterans smooth their re-entry by pursuing a career path that replaces some of those military qualities with similar attributes. The construction and real estate industry provides some of that structure, which is one reason why a steady stream of veterans continues to enter the Franklin L. Burns School of Real Estate and Construction Management at the Daniels College of Business. Their Yellow Ribbon Program and Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits can make their experience at Daniels tuition free.
“Students who are military veterans typically thrive in project management,” said Eric Holt, associate professor of the practice in the Burns School. “I believe that’s where a lot of their interest in real estate and construction comes from. To them, a project—a clear direction or a mission to accomplish—easily translates into construction. The project management of completing the mission, of building the building, really resonates with many veterans.”
But it’s the personal qualities engendered by their military service that make them successful students, says Holt.
“They’re all driven,” he added. “They are learning how to be civilians again, and they work hard. They’re disciplined and they get things done.
“Veterans usually work well in group projects. They’re accustomed to group dynamics from their time in the military,” he continued. “Whether it’s a group project, a student competition or a research project, they go after it, and you don’t have to hold their hands.”
The Daniels Newsroom talked with several military veterans in the Burns School to understand their perspectives and driving motivation.
Elizabeth Mondo, U.S. Army
In 2010, Elizabeth Mondo had both a BA and a BS in nursing in her back pocket, and she was ready for more.
Elizabeth Mondo
She wanted some adventure and more leadership opportunities—and she felt she had more to give. So, she commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps and worked as critical care flight nurse for 11 years, including deployments in Iraq and Syria.
“I really enjoyed serving as an Army officer and nurse,” Mondo said. “I thought I was going to serve for 20 years, but my trajectory didn’t line up with what the military offered, so I decided to leave the Army during COVID-19 in 2021.”
Nursing still held its appeal, but rather than invest another 3-4 years in a Doctor of Nursing Practice program, she opted for a new path altogether.
This path first led to Denver’s Heritage School of Interior Design where Mondo earned a master certification in interior design. That experience overlapped with a class she enrolled in at Daniels on sustainable development taught by Daniel Trujillo, an associate professor of the practice at the Burns School.
“I was initially interested in sustainable design practices and really enjoyed Dr. Trujillo’s class,” Mondo said. “As I explored the Daniels graduate program further, I found that the real estate and construction management program lined up with what I wanted to do.”
Mondo is pursuing an MS in Real Estate and the Built Environment with a focus in real estate development and construction management. She is using her Yellow Ribbon/Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits and plans to graduate in June 2026.
“My goal is to work for a development firm that specializes in mixed-use projects with a focus on affordable housing,” Mondo said. “With a nationwide housing shortage, it would allow me to continue serving my community by providing urban residents the opportunity to remain in their neighborhoods, thrive and contribute to the local workforce.”
James Toland, U.S. Air Force
An F-16 Fighting Falcon doesn’t fix itself.
As technologically sophisticated as it is, one of the world’s most maneuverable combat fighter jets—top speed of 1,500 miles per hour—can almost fly itself. Still, an F-16 needs people to keep it operating and ready for action.
That’s what James Toland did as an Air Force staff sergeant based in South Korea and Japan.
“I ran shifts to coordinate everything from getting scheduled maintenance done to fixing issues that grounded aircraft, such as our radar not working,” said Toland, who also is pursuing an MS in Real Estate and the Built Environment at Daniels. “It was my job to assign troops to each aircraft and help them troubleshoot what’s going on and get them fixed for the next morning.”
Enlisting in the Air Force was a choice Toland made after high school.
“I was 17, so my mother had to sign in order for me to join,” he said. “I didn’t have the funds for college, so I thought the Air Force would expose me to different experiences and people, and give me the opportunity to get to school.”
Toland got as much as he could while in the Air Force, including a degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He got just as much from the intelligent, experienced people around him.
“I learned things that the average college kid doesn’t get to learn right away,” Toland said. “And since I was earning money, I started saving earlier than most people.”
Having those funds makes many with military backgrounds active real estate investors, and Toland learned from them and followed their cue. He purchased his first investment property in Arizona while still repairing F-16s.
He now owns three properties and is feeding his aptitude for the industry by studying construction management using his GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon resources. Toland wants to keep investing but is interested in a corporate role as well.
“I want to continue buying rental properties. That’s my bread and butter and I really enjoy it,” Toland said. “But I love project management and construction management, too. And I love what I’m doing at my internship at Shea Homes. It’s a great company and I’d like to continue to work at Shea as long as I can.”
Jacob Langner, U.S. Navy
When Jacob Langner walked into a U.S. Navy recruiting office in 2014, seeing a poster showing a group of fully geared divers preparing for a mission—in the ocean, from a submarine, at night—was all it took. He was in.
Photo of Jacob Langner
“The recruiting officer said they were Navy divers, and I told him, ‘That’s what I want to do,’ Langner said. “He just looked me in the eyes and asked, ‘That’s great, but are you sure?’”
While Langner was all in on being a Navy diver, the Navy wasn’t all in on him. Yet. You don’t get to be a Navy diver out of desire alone.
Langner signed up for a year-long series of rigorous trainings and screening tests to prepare for a chance to become a Navy diver. After the year—during which he was not officially in the Navy, but working full time—he earned his chance. Then, after some final hurdles—more physical tests and an aptitude test—he was in and began yet more rigorous Navy diver training in earnest.
Langner’s work as a Navy diver included years-long posts in Guam and Hawaii where he led teams in underwater ship husbandry—the repair and maintenance of submarines. His dive work satisfied his desire for travel by taking him on missions throughout the South Pacific, including numerous trips to Japan, Singapore, Bahrain and South Korea.
When he left the Navy in August 2021, Langner enrolled in the Burns School, where he is pursuing an undergraduate degree in the Real Estate and the Built Environment. He had conducted research on undergraduate real estate and construction programs while still in the service.
“The biggest factor for me was that among the few undergraduate real estate program in the country, Daniels is one of the best and it’s the only one that fully accepts Yellow Ribbon,” he said. “I wouldn’t be able to do this without the GI Bill and Daniels’ full commitment to the Yellow Ribbon program.”
Langner’s interest in real estate deep-seated, going all the way back to high school. His sights are set on a future in real estate.
“I was interested in real estate long before Navy diving,” Langner said. “I was going to real estate investment meetup groups and reading books about apartment syndications when I in high school.
“I love commercial real estate in general,” he added. “I’d like to find work at an institutional firm, either on the development side or maybe capital markets. I’ve also flipped a couple apartments, and I’d like to continue doing that.”
For eligible veterans and their families, Daniels and the University of Denver cover tuition costs over the GI Bill cap, making DU a fully funded Yellow Ribbon institution. For veterans with 100% GI Bill eligibility, the Yellow Ribbon program will cover full tuition and fees for any graduate program. Additional information is available at: https://daniels.du.edu/graduate-admissions/tuition-and-aid/military-students/.