{"id":6377,"date":"2019-05-15T15:43:32","date_gmt":"2019-05-15T19:43:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.darden.virginia.edu\/admissions\/?p=6377"},"modified":"2019-05-15T15:49:14","modified_gmt":"2019-05-15T19:49:14","slug":"executive-mba-grad-earns-praise-for-venture-helping-veterans-overcome-ptsd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.darden.virginia.edu\/admissions\/2019\/05\/15\/executive-mba-grad-earns-praise-for-venture-helping-veterans-overcome-ptsd\/","title":{"rendered":"Executive MBA Grad Earns Praise for Venture Helping Veterans Overcome PTSD"},"content":{"rendered":"

D<\/span>arden Executive MBA alumnus Sean Gobin (EMBA ’14) is making headlines in his effort to help U.S. military veterans cope with post-traumatic stress disorder and other difficulties tied to returning home from combat through his venture, Warrior Expeditions.\u00a0People\u00a0<\/em>magazine recently featured<\/a> the results Gobin and Warrior Expeditions are achieving to help vets reacclimate to life at home.<\/p>\n

When Marine Corps veteran Sean Gobin first hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2012, his goal was to decompress from combat deployments that left him \u201ca mental wreck.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gobin was shocked at how his outlook changed during the months-long journey. \u201cHere I was, enjoying a conversation, and not expecting to be shot or stabbed,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

By trail\u2019s end, Gobin had a new mission: \u201cI wanted to help other warriors walk off the war like I did.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2013, Gobin formed a nonprofit that became\u00a0Warrior Expeditions<\/a>, sending 40 veterans per year on extended forays into the wild. The outings include eight trails, plus a Mississippi River kayak voyage, and a cross-country bicycle trek.<\/p>\n

Gobin\u2019s group gives participants everything they need: equipment, clothing, supplies and a small monthly stipend. The expeditions take anywhere from three to six months, and offer readjustment to civilian life after a combat zone.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Gobin is no stranger to accolades for his work helping vets “walk off the war.” Not long after launching his venture as a Darden student and only months after graduating, he was named a 2015 Top 10 CNN Hero<\/a> and was a finalist for the network’s Hero of the Year Award.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been crazy. The reach of the CNN story is far and wide,\u201d Gobin said. \u201cA lot of folks want to reach out and congratulate us on the efforts of the program and a lot of veterans want to get involved.\u201d<\/p>\n

While every veteran on a hike has a unique experience, Gobin says participants typically highlight three major themes as particularly impactful:<\/p>\n