HX5’s Fellowship Commitment Reflects Margarita Howard’s Priorities
Eight fellows. Four years. Two hires annually. Those numbers describe the pace at which HX5, under CEO Margarita Howard, has participated in the Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program since 2021, a steady cadence that Howard treats as proof of sustained commitment rather than a hiring convenience.
The Corporate Fellowship Program, which began in 2015 as part of the Department of Defense SkillBridge initiative, allows active-duty service members to work with civilian employers during the final 180 days of their military service. Fellows spend four days weekly performing hands-on work and one day in professional development training, all while continuing to receive military pay and benefits.
Small Firm, Focused Approach
HX5 operates as a service-disabled veteran-owned and women-owned small business with about 1,000 employees, working across more than 20 states and 70 government locations on Department of Defense and NASA missions. Unlike large defense contractors that can absorb dozens of fellows annually through dedicated military recruiting teams, HX5 keeps its participation deliberately modest.
Howard, herself a service-disabled veteran who served in the Air Force, has framed that modest approach as a strength. Two fellows per year gives the company a manageable integration process while keeping veteran hiring activity consistent year over year, she says, rather than tying participation to short-term staffing needs.
More than 500 fellows have graduated from the Corporate Fellowship Program since 2015, with an 80 percent hire rate and average starting salaries around $70,000. Major companies including Lockheed Martin, Booz Allen Hamilton, Microsoft, and Amazon participate alongside smaller firms like HX5.
Howard’s own transition from military service to civilian defense work, including her time supporting the Tricare health care program, gives her a personal frame of reference for what fellows experience. That background continues to inform how HX5 structures its fellowship commitment and what it expects fellows to gain from the experience, from clearance familiarity to specialized contracting knowledge. Refer to this article for additional information.
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