2021 AWESOME Scholar Bios

Abigail Baird

University of Arkansas
Abby Baird will graduate from the University of Arkansas in spring of 2022 with dual bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration/Supply Chain Management and Spanish.

She has had diverse experiences as an intern – one as a Supply Chain and Digital Marketing Intern for Optricity and the other as a Strategic Marketing Intern for Let’s Talk Supply Chain. For this podcast, blog, and YouTube channel, Abby has been able to bring awareness to the umbrella of topics under supply chain management and increase the average following across all platforms.

At the University of Arkansas, Abby has been involved with the Career Development Center as a Career Mentor. She’s also been active in WISE (Women Impacting Supply Chain Excellence), serving as both Vice President of Internal Operations and Director of Member Recognition. Her earliest leadership experience came from being a camp counselor.

Amberly Carter

Weber State University
Amberly Carter will receive a bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management with a minor in Data Analytics from Weber State University in spring of 2022. 

She’s been exploring many aspects of business through positions as a Logistics Analyst for Axon Optics; a Customer Account Manager for RnR Flooring & Design; a Sales Account Manager for Bigfoot Grafix; and Human Resources Intern for Autoliv, Ogden Technical Center. She has said her dream is to bring the perspective, knowledge, and experience of global supply chains and data analytics into the world of humanitarian work.  

During her years at Weber State, Amberly has been President of the Supply Chain Catalysts Student Organization; Vice President of the Achieving Women’s Excellence Student Club; and Vice President of the Latter-Day Saint Student Association. She was 2020 Champion of the General Motors/Wayne State International Supply Chain Case Competition and won the Grand Prize in the Utah/Idaho CSCMP Scholarship Competition.

Isabella DiRuscioIsabella DiRuscio

Lehigh University
Isabella DiRuscio will graduate from Lehigh University in spring of 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in Business with a major in Supply Chain Management and minors in Business Information Systems and Spanish. 

Isabella has worked as a Marketing Intern for Salsify, a pre-IPO company where she was a member of the demand generation team and performed extensive research on company competitors, and an Assistant at Cercone Brown Company. Her early job experiences range from being a restaurant server to being a tax preparation assistant.

On campus, Isabella has served as Vice President of the Supply Chain Management Club and will serve as President of the group during her senior year. As a member of Best Buddies, a club that fosters interaction between disabled and able-bodied students, Isabella also founded a chapter at a local high school. She plays on the Women’s Varsity Club Rugby team.

Gabrielle Elliot

Texas Tech University
Gabrielle (Gabby) Elliot will graduate from Texas Tech University in December of 2021 with a degree in Business, majoring in Supply Chain Management.

Since starting her college career, Gabrielle has completed internships every summer. She first interned in the oil and gas industry with Pioneer Natural Resources as a Supply Chain Intern and then in the automotive industry with General Motors as a Global Purchasing & Supply Chain Intern. During the final summer before graduation, she will intern in the technology industry with Cisco Systems as a Business Analyst Intern on the demand planning team.

Gabrielle has served as Vice President of Engagement for the Tech Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) at Texas Tech and as Vice President of Membership for the Tech Supply Chain Association. She is active in the Rawls College of Business Dean’s Student Council, the Scovell Business Leadership Program, and Multicultural Student Business Association.

Corinne Etzelmueller

Corinne Etzelmueller

University of Wisconsin-Madison
Corinne Etzelmueller will complete a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with majors in Supply Chain Management, Operations and Technology Management, and Marketing in spring of 2022. 

In addition to her summer of 2021 role as an Enterprise Solutions Consulting Intern for Baker Tilley, Corinne’s previous internships include being a Merchandising Intern for Meijer and a Customer Marketing Intern for CUNA Mutual Group. One of the highlights of her education so far has been competing in a case competition for Target and with her team placing first. 

Corinne served on the Facilities Services Team for the Wisconsin School of Business and as a Selected Member of the Wisconsin Consulting Club. For the Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Fraternity, she has been Pledge Trainer and Vice President of Alumni Relations, hosting an alumni networking podcast called “WiConnect” that included 10 interviews focused on career and personal development topics.

Anna Fredrick

University of Arkansas
Anna will graduate from the University of Arkansas in spring of 2022 with a degree in Business Administration, with Supply Chain Management as her major and Business Analytics as a minor.

Anna’s service as a Campus Leader for General Mills led to an internship with the company during the summer of 2021. She has worked as Customer Service Manager and Customer Service Representative for RedForever, a student-run business, and in that role, saw first-hand the impact supply chains have on the end consumer. She also has been a Sales Development Representative Intern for SupplyPike.

In spring of 2021, Anna was elected to the position of President of WISE (Women Impacting Supply Chain Excellence). Previously, she served the group as Vice President of Operations. She has been a Walton Ambassador and Social Media Manager for Sam M. Walton College of Business.

Jessie Goldberg

Indiana University
Jessie Goldberg will complete a bachelor’s degree in Business, with a major in Supply Chain Management and a minor in International Studies from Indiana University.

As an intern in the Production Scheduling Department for Berry Global, Inc., one of Jessie’s responsibilities was constructing an instructional guide for a new scheduling system. The guide was used to teach the rest of the company how to successfully transition from the old system to the new one.

On campus, Jessie has served as Vice President of Student Engagement for the Supply Chain and Operations Management Association and as Executive-At-Large Team Member for the Business Operations Consulting Workshop. Jessie’s past summer activities have included being a Cornerstone Fellow and Head Co-Mentor for Staff-in-Training Program for Herzl Camp in Wisconsin and an Israel Education Team Leader. She served as a guide for tours of IU’s Kelley School of Business and was Operational Logistics Chair for the Indiana University Dance Marathon.

Rachel Grober

Iowa State University
Rachel Grober will graduate from Iowa State University in spring of 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Business and Supply Chain Management and a minor in Data Science.

Rachel’s choice of studies is a result of growing up on a farm and developing an interest in creating a sustainable food source. She continues to be an Assistant Herdsman for Grober Dairy, while adding experiences such as being a Retail Intern for First Citizens Bank, a Global Food Challenge Emerging Leader for Land O’Lakes, and a Logistics Intern for TMC.

Among her many activities is being a mentor with Iowa State University Office of Student Athlete Development and serving as a Teaching Assistant for the Ivy College of Business and the Animal Science Department. She was a member of the Champion Team for both the Iowa State University/University of Minnesota Case Competition in 2021 and the Iowa State University Internal Supply Chain Management Case Competition.

Emily Irvin

Emily Irvin

Pennsylvania State University
Emily’s Irvin’s degree from Penn State in the spring of 2022 will include a bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain and Information Systems with minors in Legal Environment of Business and Information Systems Management. She is a member of the Schreyer’s Honor College.

Having taken her first supply chain courses in high school has enabled Emily to develop acareer plan that involves working in the supply chain field, pursuing an MBA, and working with high schools to develop supply chain electives. She has participated in a Supply Chain Planning and Analytics Co-Op with L Brands – Mast Global Logistics and will be an Intern with Dell in the summer of 2021. She’s also been a Student Consultant for both Unilever and Wegman’s.

Emily has served as Vice President of The Sapphire Leadership Academic Program and is a Smeal Student Mentor. Emily’s awards during her time at Penn State include the President’s Freshman Award, the President Sparks Award, and the Centre County Bar Association Award for Civic Responsibility.

Mallory Johnson

Mallory Johnson

Michigan State University
Mallory Johnson will graduate from Michigan State University in spring of 2023 with a major in Supply Chain Management and a minor in Information Technology & Environmental and Sustainability Studies.

She’s looking forward to being a Supply Chain EID Intern with GE Healthcare during the summer of 2021 and has previously worked as a Student Researcher for the International Business Center and an Operations Intern with Suburban Party Rental.

Her on-campus position as Director of Events and Outreach Senator for the Broad Student Senate includes responsibility for marketing the organization’s events through social media platforms; planning events, fundraisers, and external networking opportunities for over 4,000 students; and conducting meetings with the deans, professors, and staff members of the Broad College of Business to establish budgets, create college-wide initiatives, and plan events. She is a consultant with Students Consulting for Non-Profit Organizations and a director and member of the Broad Mentorship Program.

Alexandria Jones

Alexandria Jones

Howard University
Alexandria Jones will graduate with a degree in Supply Chain Management from Howard University in spring of 2022. She is a member of the School of Business Executive Business (SBEL) Honors Program.

Her internships include being a Business Analyst Intern in Global Procurement for Cisco Systems and a Strategic Business Analysis and Planning Intern in Operations and Logistics for Collins Aerospace. In the SxSW HBCU Battle of the Brains national case competition, she and her team were second place winners.

In addition to her position as an Executive Board member for the Howard University SBEL Honors Program, where she has served as Community Service chair, Aexandria has been involved in community service as a mentor with the Precious Pearls Youth Outreach Organization in Washington, DC. As a JA Company Program Mentor for Junior Achievement, she guided a group of students as they created a product, made a pitch to investors for funding, and marketed and sold their product in the JA Company competition.

 Keali LaMar

Texas Tech University
Keali LaMar will complete a bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management from Texas Tech University in fall of 2021.

As a College Program Restaurant Seater Intern with The Walt Disney Company, Keali took extra classes to learn how Disney’s supply chain is managed, achieved, and challenged daily. After working as a Sales Management Intern with Frito-Lay, Pepsico, where she learned about procurement and distribution, she was offered an additional internship in the company’s manufacturing plant for the summer of 2021. She also has been a Management Consultant Intern for the Texas Tech University Strategic Management Practicum, which included evaluating a potential strategic decision facing a major corporation and delivering a recommendation to company executives serving as program advisors.

Keali’s campus involvement includes being Vice President of Finance for the Tech Supply Chain Association and holding multiple leadership positions with the Lubbock Rotaract Service Club. She is a Texas Tech Presidential Scholarship Recipient and has studied abroad in Paris, Brussels, and London. London.

Bridgette LarsenBridgette Larsen

University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Bridgette Larsen will graduate from the University of Tennessee in spring of 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, majoring in Supply Chain Management with a minor in French and a concentration in International Business.

After studying in France, Bridgette is intent on a career that includes working with a diverse range of individuals who come from different cultures. During the summer of 2021, Bridgette will be a Supply Chain Intern for the Holly Frontier Corporation. She also has worked as an Expeditor for Bogaty Family Wine Group and as Manager of The Chef’s Market and Café. Other experiences include assisting in Collection Logistics for the University of Tennessee Libraries and serving as a Student Assistant in the Haslam College of Business Advising Office.

Bridgette is the incoming president of NeXxus, the university’s women in supply chain organization. She has been a part of the team who brought to life the very first supply chain patch for the Girl Scouts.

Lauryn McCrayLauryn McCray

Howard University
Lauryn McCray will complete a degree in Supply Chain Management from Howard University in spring of 2022.

In her first year at Howard University, as Lauryn was taking the required Business Orientation class, she was involved in a case study on social responsibility for Collins Aerospace. She was awarded the team MVP and was selected to intern with the company the next summer as a Commercial Spares Intern. In that role, she processed and managed international airline and manufacturer orders while ensuring that all interactions complied with Federal Aviation Administration guidelines She also has been a Social Media Analyst for Kem Technology.

As the 2020-2021 Miss School of Business on the Howard University Royal Court, Lauryn organized events centered around showing students the importance of investing in the African American community through community service, mentorship, and entrepreneurship. She also served as Leadership Development Chair for the 21st Century Advantage Program in Washington, D.C.

Courtney PalkowskiCourtney Palkowski

Michigan State University
Courtney Palkowski will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management from Michigan State University in the spring of 2022. 

During the summer of 2021, she interned with A&R Logistics as a Market/Supply Chain Intern, conducting research on international markets, as well as potential mergers and acquisitions along the domestic and international plastic and chemical supply chains. Previously, she worked for the State of Michigan Central Procurement Services as a Technology and Commodities Procurement Research Intern. 

Courtney’s on-campus activities include working as a student researcher for the MSU Center for Railroad Research and Education (CRRE), President of the Supply Chain Management Association student organization, and the MSU representative on the Women Impacting Supply Chain Excellence (WISE) Connections Advisory Board. As part of her research for the CRRE, Courtney is working as a member of an academic research paper team aiding in the research on the enablers and inhibitors of intermodal transport in North America. She previously worked for the Michigan Export Growth Program within the MSU International Business Center as a student researcher and then as the Student Team Lead. She is also a NASPO scholarship recipient.

Saloni Patel

Saloni Patel

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Saloni Patel will complete a bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management & Marketing with an Informatics minor from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in spring of 2022.

Saloni has taken advantage of opportunities to expand her real-world experience by completing three internships, expanding beyond the one-internship graduation requirement. while the requirement to graduate is only one internship. Her internships include being an Incoming Order to Delivery Intern for Caterpillar Inc., a Logistics Intern for Ingredion Incorporated, and an Accounting Office Intern for Daniel E. Harold & Associates. She also worked as Customer Service Manager for MAYA Cosmetics, where she managed wholesale & retail customers and operated online selling sites. She participated in job shadows with Grainger and Protiviti.

Saloni’s on-campus activities include serving as Director of Internal Engagement for the Supply Chain Management Association (student SCM organization) and is on the DEI Committee of the Phi Gamma Nu Professional Business Fraternity. She is an Elite Member of the Society of Women in Business.

Amanda PhuAmanda Phu

Rutgers University
Amanda Phu will complete a bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management from Rutgers University in spring of 2022, with a concentration in Real Estate and a certificate in Women’s Business Leadership.

As a Rutgers student, Amanda has worked for Johnson & Johnson in both an Integrated Compliance Management Co-Op and Analytics & Innovation Co-Op. To gain her Johnson & Johnson Lean Yellow Belt Certification, she implemented Lean process improvement tools to redesign the weekly metrics reporting process for North America.

Amanda has served as both Secretary and Treasurer of Business Association of Supply Chain Expertise (BASE). She has also been active as a Student Advisory Board Member for the Rutgers Institute for Corporate Social Innovation, Alumni Relations Director for Women B.U.I.L.D. (Business Undergraduates in Leadership Development), and an Honors Ambassador & Mentor for the Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences Honors Program.

Madelyn Selesky

Auburn University
Madelyn (Maddie) Selesky will graduate from Auburn University in spring of 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, with Supply Chain Management as her major and a minor in Finance.

As a Logistics Intern for B.L. Harbert International, Maddie had as one of her responsibilities coordinating and managing shipment bookings for ocean carriers related to an international project. Additional work experiences include being an Operations Supervisor and Facility Attendant for Auburn University Campus Recreation and being an Administrative Assistant for a Jo-Ann Stores Distribution Center.

She was one of six SCM students representing Auburn University at the NGA Foundation 2021 Student Case Study Competition and one of four Auburn students participating in the Reverse Logistics Association Conference. She serves as VP of Marketing & Communications for the Auburn Supply Chain Management Association. Maddie received the “Econ Champ Fall 2019” title for earning the highest overall average in a section of Microeconomics with 250 total students.

Avery Vantrease

University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Avery Vantrese will graduate from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in spring of 2022 with a bachelor’s degree Business Administration. She majored in Supply Chain Management, with a minor in Sustainability and a concentration in Business Analytics.

A budding entrepreneur, Avery started Good Riddance, a niche clothing business that bought, upcycled and resold secondhand and vintage pieces from local thrift stores. That involved shipping orders to customers across the U.S. as well as facilitating in-person pickups and deliveries. She would like to work in textile sourcing and shift the fashion industry toward a more transparent, equitable and sustainable business model.

Additional experiences include working as a Resident Assistant for University of Tennessee Housing and as a Cashier and Retail Associate for the VolShop. Avery is a SCM Scholar of Distinction and a member of the Chancellor’s Honors Program. She also operated a chapter of Girls Who Code, a nonprofit organization that aims to close the gender gap in tech careers.

Wendy Wilkinson

University of Oklahoma
Wendy Wilkinson will graduate in spring of 2022 from the University of Oklahoma with dual Business Administration degrees in Supply Chain Management and Management Information Systems.

Wendy has taken full advantage of internship opportunities by being a Global Supply Chain Intern for adidas, STEM Intern for the Federal Aviation Administration, and a Management Intern with Hunter Management. She will also be an IT Consultant Intern for Weaver this fall in Dallas for four months.

Wendy’s campus leadership roles include serving as President of the Supply Chain Management Student Association (APICS), Vice President and Secretary of the MIS Student Association (MISSA), Secretary of the Multicultural Business Program (MBP), and as a member of the PR Committee for the Chinese Students & Scholars Association. She immigrated from China to America when she was ten years old, and, during her first year at the University of Oklahoma, used her Mandarin/English fluency to arrange for Chinese international students to receive discounts at local restaurants.

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