Expanding capacity: Supply chain management students earn scholarships from Transportation Club of Detroit

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Three Western Michigan University supply chain management students have received scholarships from the Transportation Club of Detroit, getting a lift in paying for their education. The scholarships, which vary in amount, will be formally presented at the Transportation Club of Detroit’s 42nd Annual Scholarship Awards Dinner at the San Marino Club on Wednesday, Oct. 28. 

Western’s recipients include Alex Little from Midland, Michigan, Isaac Madalinski from Plainwell, Michigan, and Katie Pozar from New Baltimore, Michigan, putting WMU Haworth at the top of the list for total number of recipients for 2026.

“Winning this scholarship eases the burden of tuition costs, allowing me to dedicate more time and energy to my coursework, my honors thesis and my involvement in extracurricular programs,” says Pozar. “Professionally, being selected by an organization so deeply rooted in the transportation and logistics industry affirms the direction I have chosen in supply chain management.” 

The recipients are looking forward to connecting with established professionals in the field, at both the scholarship awards dinner and in the future, to deepen their understanding of the industry as they travel toward their future careers.

Packaged for supply chain success

Students were selected for the scholarships based on their consequential skill sets and their commitment to supply chain excellence. 

The experiences that have shaped the recipients’ supply chain journeys are varied. Each student has gained unique, industry-aligned skills relevant to their personal career paths. What the students all share is that they deliver: in the classroom, in case competitions, in student organizations, as interns and in team leader positions in a variety of areas.

“The most impactful experience I've had as a supply chain management student has been my yearlong co-op at Graphic Packing International, which I secured through WMU's Supply Chain Management Association (SCMA),” says Pozar. “It opened the door to the world of supply chain sustainability and taught me how sustainability data is tracked and measured at the corporate level. It also gave me hands-on manufacturing experience, working directly with process engineers and running different processes on the plant floor.”

Madalinski cites his work preparing for a Lean Six Sigma case competition as critical to his confidence, as well as the mentoring relationship he established with faculty member Mark Broeckel. 

“Our team members spent countless hours together solving problems, challenging our ideas and learning the importance of continuous improvement. I learned that in supply chain there is never a point where you can simply say, ‘This is good enough.’ There is always a better process, a better solution and an opportunity to improve. I’ve carried that mindset into my own life. If continuous improvement can make a supply chain better, I believe it can make a person better, too. Professor Broeckel taught me to never settle and to keep chasing the best version of myself.”

For Little, getting involved with SCMA during her first year at WMU was pivotal. 

“I immediately felt welcomed by the students, faculty and alumni. At the time, I was still learning what supply chain really looked like, and the organization opened my eyes to how many different career paths and opportunities were available in the field. Through SCMA, I was able to participate in site tours, networking events, employer meetings, case competitions and conferences from my first year. Those experiences gave me an early look at what the professional world was like and helped me become more comfortable talking with industry professionals.” 

Mentored by former SCMA president Madison Dober, Little is now the president of SCMA herself, helping create similar opportunities for fellow students. “I often think about how different my college experience could have been if I had never walked into that first meeting,” she says. “That one decision introduced me to the people, opportunities and experiences that have contributed to where I am today. It also showed me the impact that one involved student can have on someone else's college experience, which is something I hope to continue as I lead SCMA.”

Alex Little

Little is heavily involved on campus through the SCMA and Collegiate DECA. She currently serves as president of the SCMA, where she helps connect students with employers and professional development opportunities. Through Collegiate DECA, she competed at the state and international levels, earning first place internationally in a team marketing communications event. She gained hands-on supply chain experience through internships with Owens Corning and Lowe’s. At Owens Corning, she worked in roofing supply chain planning, focusing on inventory and planning analysis. At Lowe’s, she worked  in inventory replenishment planning for the paint division, where she helped form strategies to improve efficiency and reduce costs. After graduation, Little hopes to begin her career in supply chain planning, with interests in inventory replenishment, demand planning and analytics. 

Isaac Madalinski

Madalinski is a member of the Lee Honors College and has been recognized on the dean’s list every semester. He founded the Alpha Omega chapter at WMU and is a member of SCMA. He began his professional supply chain career as an intern at Parker Hannifin Aerospace and was later selected to continue with the company through its Procurement and Materials Planning Co-Op Program. In his current role, he supports purchasing efforts and manages supplier relationships. Prior to Parker, Madalinski completed an internship as a financial analyst at TKH Financial Group. He has represented WMU in supply chain case competitions, including the General Motors Supply Chain Case Competition and the first-place team in the 2026 Michigan Lean Consortium Student Competition. He has a passion for aerospace supply chain, lean, continuous improvement and analytics. After graduation, he plans to continue building his career in aerospace supply chain.

Katie Pozar

Pozar has made the dean’s list consistently throughout her undergraduate career. She serves as a team lead for TechNext, WMU's immersive learning program that brings students to Silicon Valley's tech and innovation ecosystem, and she is involved with the program’s growth. She is part of the executive board for WMU’s Rock Climbing Club and is in her third year with the organization. Pozar completed a year-plus supply chain sustainability co-op with Graphic Packaging International, working alongside process engineers and learning how sustainability data is tracked at the corporate level. That experience informed her honors thesis, which examines pain points in Scope 3 procurement data collection. Last year, she competed in WMU's Bronco Challenge for Sustainable Impact, where her team's project, EcoClean, placed third in the finals. Looking ahead, Pozar plans to build on her operations experience before transitioning into a corporate sustainability role, where she can strengthen supplier data collection and engagement, ideally within the paper and packaging industry.

Learn more about supply chain management at WMU.

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