From Barracks to Baylor
By Rachel Carlson
Felipe Muzquiz
Full-Time MBA
Joseph Muzquiz
Online MBA
Temple, Texas
For most of Joseph Muzquiz’s life, leadership wasn’t something his father talked about. It was something he watched.
Growing up in an Army family meant frequent moves, long deployments and learning to adapt wherever life led. Through more than 20 years of military service, Felipe Muzquiz modeled discipline, resilience and a commitment to serving others. Long before they became Baylor MBA students, those lessons were shaping Joseph’s own path.
“When my dad joined the Army, we moved around a lot,” Joseph said. “I remember living in Kentucky, then Fort Hood and a few other places before we ended up in Corpus Christi during my teenage years.”
Felipe is quick to point out that those years were possible because of his wife, who provided stability while he served.
“I would say Joseph’s upbringing is the result of my wife,” Felipe said. “She was phenomenal. The fact that Joseph is so successful and doing great is due to her efforts.”
Eventually, Joseph chose to follow his father’s example by joining the Army himself. Like many service members, both father and son earned undergraduate degrees while serving, balancing military responsibilities with coursework.
When Felipe retired from the Army, he wasn’t ready to stop growing. He wanted to build on decades of leadership experience and prepare for a new chapter through an MBA. After exploring programs across Texas, Baylor stood apart.
“After the interview, I knew Baylor was where I wanted to go,” Felipe said.
Watching his father begin again inspired Joseph to do the same.
Already balancing a full-time career, a young family and life after military service, Joseph enrolled in Baylor’s Online MBA while Felipe joined the Full-Time MBA program. Though their classroom experiences look different, both have found a community that reflects the camaraderie they valued in the Army and an education that is preparing them for what’s next.
For Joseph, Baylor has reshaped the way he leads in the workplace.
“Organizational behavior was huge for me,” he said. “It helped me transition my military leadership style into a civilian workplace and apply those concepts directly in managing my branch. Professor Chris Kubacak really changed how I think about leadership.”
For Felipe, the experience has reinforced that learning doesn’t end with retirement.
“The Full-Time MBA experience has been very positive,” he said. “I’ve reignited my passion for learning.”
Felipe also credits lessons from Professor Steve Green’s class that have stayed with him, especially the idea that incentives matter. It has reshaped how he thinks about leadership, decision-making and how organizations drive behavior.
As they have pursued their degrees together, each has gained an even deeper appreciation for the other.
“I admire that after 20 years in the Army, my dad didn’t slow down,” Joseph said. “He immediately looked for ways to keep growing and better himself, even after a long, successful career. Seeing that pushes me to keep going too.”
Felipe sees the same commitment reflected in his son.
“What I admire most about Joseph is how he’s handling the Online MBA while working full time and supporting his family,” Felipe said. “He has a young daughter, and balancing all of that is not easy. It’s very impressive, and I’m very proud of him.”
Their Baylor experience has strengthened more than their résumés. It has reinforced a lesson both men have carried from military service into the next season of life: leadership isn’t defined by a title or a career. It’s measured by the example you leave for those who follow.
For Felipe, that example is already visible in his son. And for Joseph, it’s one he hopes to pass on to the next generation.
