U.S. Navy pilot takes flight with Crosby MBA

Stevie Hefner thought he had missed his chance to attend the University of Missouri until he learned about the Crosby MBA at the Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business. The 100% online program gave Hefner, a pilot stationed in Bahrain with the U.S. Navy, the opportunity to earn a degree from his dream school while still serving his country. 

It was a chance of a lifetime. 

“Because I’m in the Navy, I’ve lived all over the country and in multiple places around the world,” Hefner said. “But there is something special about Missouri. I feel like Mizzou and the state of Missouri are part of my DNA.”

Hefner is set to graduate in December and while he remains stationed overseas and won’t be able to attend the commencement ceremony, he is nonetheless proud of joining the ranks of Mizzou alumni. He plans to use his advanced degree to further his career as a commercial pilot or in the realm of airline business operations or finance. 

“I’ll be finished with the Navy in 2025, but I still want to stay in aviation,” Hefner said. “Having an advanced degree provides me with more options in the future.”

A family tradition

As a boy growing up in Ozark, Missouri, Hefner dreamed of attending MU. It’s where his dad, Steven Hefner, graduated in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences and again in 1990 with a master’s degree in agronomy. The younger Hefner remembers the excitement of attending home Tiger football games and the pride he felt when his dad showed him a bound version of his master’s thesis at Ellis Library. Mizzou is also where his uncle, Mike Hefner, graduated in 1990 with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering and his brother, Matt Hefner, earned a bachelor’s degree in atmospheric sciences and meteorology in May 2023.  

So, when it came time for Stevie Hefner to attend college, he assumed he’d go to Mizzou. But when the U.S. Naval Academy made him an offer he couldn’t refuse, Hefner set his sights on Annapolis and a future in aviation. 

Earning his wings

While in the Navy, Hefner has served as part of the nation’s nuclear deterrence mission at Strategic Communications Wing One. The Navy command consists of a wing staff, the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training and three Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadrons: The “Ironmen” of VQ 3, the “Shadows” of VQ 4 and the “Roughnecks” of VQ 7. Hefner served with VQ-3 and VQ-7 and flew a Boeing E-6B Mercury, which is similar to a Boeing 707. In 2020, he was named the STRATCOMMWING One Pilot of the Year and the VQ 3 Pilot of the Year. 

Hefner was deployed on multiple missions and eventually became a flight instructor, which offered him the opportunity to pursue his master’s degree online at Trulaske. At first, he was concerned about his ability to keep up. 

“I was actually kind of nervous because I wasn’t a business major,” Hefner said. “But a lot of my classmates had different backgrounds, too, and some had 20 years or more of work experience. That was so helpful, and the instructors did a great job getting everyone up to speed. I couldn’t be more grateful.” 

Work, school, life

Hefner embarked on his journey for an MBA in January 2022 and quickly learned that balancing work, school and his personal life was a matter of perseverance and hard work. He also had the added support of family, friends and his classmates and instructors. 

“There is no secret – you have to put in the work,” he said, adding that most of his classmates were experiencing the same pressures. “It made it a whole lot easier knowing that I was not alone, that there were others who were in the same situation, and we were always trying to help each other out.”

Hefner also credits Michael Dorigan, assistant teaching professor and director of the master of science in finance program, with helping him navigate the challenges of returning to school while still holding down a full-time job. Besides that, Dorigan reminded Hefner of the joy of learning.

“I had a class with him every single semester, and he was awesome,” Hefner said. “He made learning finance so much fun. He really motivates his students and goes above and beyond to show he cares and to make sure you are learning the material. He knew how to breakdown complicated challenges, and I am so grateful for that.” 

Sky’s the limit

In July, Hefner married Saralyn Dyer, whom he met while stationed in Oklahoma City. She remains in Oklahoma, where she is working as a physician assistant and where Hefner will join her after his 18-month tour in Bahrain ends in 2025.  

While his path to Mizzou was an unconventional one, the opportunity to earn an advanced degree from Trulaske came into Hefner’s life at just the right time. 

“It’s safe to say that Mizzou has been very good to me and my family,” he said. “It was really fulfilling for me to serve my country while also pursuing a degree from an institution I love so much. It turns out, I found a way to be a Tiger.”