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By Harold Flickinger ’07
Angela plays with one of several masks she brought back from her study abroad semester in Korea. She poses in front of one of many Buddhas found in Asia (inset).
From an early age, Angela Arnold knew exactly what she wanted to do when she grew up. “I would watch those segments on educational shows, like Sesame Street or Mr. Rogers, where they would go behind the scenes of a crayon factory to show how crayons were made, and I just knew I wanted to be part of that process.”
What started as a playful interest in crayons led to college and an in-depth study of supply-chain management. And now, Angela, a senior, is considering what will be her first career move.
Her ideal job would be working for a company like BMW. She learned the British automaker powers its entire paint department from the methane gas produced by a nearby landfill. This, she points out, uses resources to benefit both the company and the environment and that is something she is looking for in her choice of employers.
By attending two recent conferences, Angela was introduced to ideas that reinforced her desire to work for an eco-friendly company. Over the summer, the Southeastern Continuity Planners Association chose Angela to represent the region at the Council of Supply-Chain Management Professionals conference in San Antonio. Her duties as a representative were to help direct the public to each event. In between she was able to attend several lectures. Two that had the greatest impact were “Eco-friendly Operations and Facility Design” and “The End of the Age of Oil and Its Impact on Transportation.” Angela found these globally-conscious lectures inspiring and they have helped define the direction for her future.
In early November, Angela was in Coral Springs, Florida for the AACSB conference as a result of being awarded the Beta Gamma Sigma scholarship, the international honors society of business schools. Students must place in the top seven to ten percent of their class to qualify for membership in Beta Gamma Sigma. In addition to the scholarship, Angela is vice president of the Shippensburg chapter.
At the conference, Angela sat in on an informative lecture by Freakanomics author, Steven Levitt. His presentation of “economics with a twist” shed new light on an otherwise dull topic, and gave an enlightening glimpse into contemporary topics covered in the book. These ideas were added to Angela’s considerations for her post-graduation pursuits although she’s still uncertain where they may take her.
If the dream job with BMW doesn’t materialize, she might return to Korea where she spent last spring semester studying abroad.
Her adventure in Korea started with Dr. Bryan Booth’s Global Exploration Program. “The class was designed like a club, which left students in charge much of the time.” The class project was to plan a trip to Europe that would advertise the study abroad program. It was from working on this project that Angela decided she would like to experience it first hand.
While overseas, she saw the visible split between younger generation Koreans who embrace American capitalism and older generations who stick with more customs and traditions of business. One of Angela’s classmates, on a particularly rainy day, decided to buy an umbrella. With the influence of American brand names, the friend gladly paid $80 just for the label. While most of her Ship friends would ignore that kind of a purchase, it is the kind of merchandising that occurs daily in the Korean market.
Back on campus, Angela is an active member in business-affiliated clubs like the American Production and Inventory Control Society, and the Information Management Analysis Club. She’s also president of the largest student-run business club, the Supply-Chain Management Club, which publishes and distributes a business letter.
She said the supply-chain major is still relatively small in the College of Business. But she considers professors like Dr. Jonathan Kohn, Dr. Ronnie Tucker, and Dr. Robert Setaputra to be influential. Their work in creating interest in the major and promoting the related clubs has been a big help.
Angela spoke highly of the new SCM newsletter, which highlights student experiences in supply-chain management, club activities, and other materials of interest to companies in the industry and provides networking between those companies and students who are looking toward employment.
Through the SCM, and with help from members and faculty advisors, Angela arranged student tours of local businesses last year. The group toured Ingersoll-Rand in Shippensburg, and St. Onge in York Country. The group also brought in representatives from the distribution centers of Target and Clarks to discuss current methods of operation.
In her free time, Angela likes to stay active. She’s a former member of the Lady Raiders field hockey team, and regularly takes part in intramural volleyball tournaments at Heiges. She also finds time to volunteer with Scholars in Service to Pennsylvania, part of AmeriCorps.
Angela plans to graduate in May, but feels divided about leaving the university. “I’m ready to go, but unsure of my next step.”
Wherever her successes may lead, she’ll take along a valuable lesson she learned at the Coral Springs conference, surrounded by other students who were all in the top percentiles of their respective schools. “Never feel like you’re better than anyone else, and never underestimate who you’re talking to in the business world. Always be respectful.”
Harold Flickinger ’07 is an intern with the magazine.
Angela gets into the swing of things at her Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals Conference in San Antonio, Texas last summer.
Angela Arnold ’07
Hometown: Carlisle
Major: Supply chain management
Campus Activities: President, Supply Chain Management Club and co-founder of the Supply Chain Management Newsletter; vice president, Beta Gamma Sigma, the business honors society; volunteers with Scholars in Service to Pennsylvania; and for fun plays intramural volleyball
Future Goals: Develop more eco/environmentally-friendly business operations