‘I didn’t know how much time I had left, but I wanted to go down fighting for what I believe in’

Blake Lusty grew up sure of two things: He wanted to serve his country in the Navy, and he would always fight for what he believed in. A late-stage cancer diagnosis at age 20 only steeled his resolve.

The first in his family to pursue a college education, Lusty was raised by his mother in St. Petersburg, Florida.

“Mom worked incredibly hard to make ends meet, often working multiple jobs,” he said. Through it all, she encouraged him to consider the wider world, saying, “Think about the time we have and how we can make a difference.”

Lusty volunteered at a Veterans Administration hospital near his home as a teen and spent a lot of time with his grandfather, who as a Canadian farm boy had worked on early iterations of reconnaissance aircraft used in World War II. Those experiences convinced Lusty that military service was his calling.

He had set his sights on the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, but with no special connections, let alone resources, it was a longshot given the institution’s storied history. However improbable, the decision turned out to be “divine intervention.”

“It’s one of those things in my heart that I knew that was the right step for me,” Lusty said.

“I absolutely loved it. I loved the structure, the shared mission. I really loved the idea of putting your values into an organization that’s bigger than yourself.”

In 2010, Lusty’s sophomore year, tragedy struck. He was diagnosed with late-stage cancer that had spread to his lymph nodes and lungs. Determined not to let it derail his education, Lusty juggled classes and exams while undergoing aggressive chemotherapy treatments at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

“After some deep reflection in that first week of chemo, I didn’t know how much time I had left, but I wanted to go down fighting for what I believe in,” said Lusty, who will graduate from Harvard Business School with a master’s in business administration later this month.

A cancer diagnosis, particularly one that’s advanced, is often a disqualifier for military service. Because Lusty remained cancer-free and graduated from the Academy in 2012, he persuaded the Navy to take a chance on him, securing a commission as an intelligence officer with his first assignment at the Office of Naval Intelligence.

Serving in a combat unit was Lusty’s dream. In April 2015, after reaching the all-important five-year cancer milestone, Lusty received some welcome news. He could transfer to a Navy destroyer, the USS Forrest Sherman, to serve as a surface warfare officer. On the day he received the approval letter, routine test results showed a new tumor.

“I could see this dream job just flash away from me in a second,” he said.

But after another round of chemotherapy and surgery in the fall, he again was cleared for duty. Lusty returned to serve and went on to complete four combat deployments, including to South America at the height of the pandemic, the Western Pacific, the Arctic, and later to the Middle East.

After seeing the operational safety challenges that sailors regularly confronted while at sea, and the slow tempo of Navy acquisitions systems, Lusty started to think about how he could help bridge the gap between national defense capabilities and the business world.

In 2022, within weeks of promotion to special assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations in Washington, D.C., doctors once again found a dangerous tumor, this time on his heart. Days later, Lusty underwent open-heart surgery.

“That moment was the first time that I had thought about maybe writing a letter or making a video for my kids in case they didn’t grow up seeing me,” he said.

Realizing it was time for the next chapter, Lusty was retired from the Navy in June 2024 with the final rank of lieutenant commander. Two months later, he started a new chapter at the Business School.

“Blake is one of the most impressive young men I have ever known,” said Chip Bergh, a senior lecturer at HBS. “Throughout his life and career and his time at HBS, Blake has shown incredible tenacity and drive, not letting anything stop him from pursuing his dream of serving his country and community.” 

“His dedication to learning and making the most of every day here were an inspiration, both to his peers and his faculty,” said Edward Berk, who teaches private equity finance at HBS.

Friends and colleagues also marvel at Lusty’s resilience and determination to forge ahead, no matter how daunting life became.

“I’ve been trying to not let cancer write my story. I’ve been trying to always find creative ways to continue, not letting it define me, not to let it be my whole life,” Lusty explained.

After Commencement, Lusty, his wife, Lauren, a cybersecurity expert, and their young daughters, Emerson and Harper, will return to the D.C. area, where he will be joining Bain & Co. and continuing to explore new ways to bring entrepreneurial energy and investment to the defense industry.

“Going through all this, it’s just doubled down on my conviction that you have to live a life where you don’t live with regrets, as much as you can, because even if things are going really well, things can change in a moment’s notice,” he said.