Two WMU business students among six nationwide to win prestigious scholarship

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Two integrated supply management students from Western Michigan University's Haworth College of Business are among six students from across the country selected to receive a coveted nationwide business scholarship awarded by the Richter Foundation and the Institute for Supply Management's Richter Scholarship Fund.

Joy Goldschmidt of Troy and John Hayward of Portage have each received a $10,000 award from the foundation and will be paired with established executives and former Richter Scholars who will serve as mentors.

The Richter Scholarship Program is the largest national scholarship program in the field of supply management. It identifies future supply chain management leaders and helps fast-track these students into the field. The 2019 Richter Scholars will be honored at a dinner at the ISM Annual International Supply Management Conference, held this year April 7 to 10, in Houston, Texas.

"We are proud of this well-deserved recognition of Joy and John," says Dr. Zac Williams, director of the Center for Integrated Supply Management and associate professor of marketing. "These two represent the excellence the ISM program strives for, and we are extremely proud of their accomplishments. As the ISM program continues to evolve, recognition like the Richter scholarship continues to validate WMU as a leader in supply chain education. In the very competitive supply chain education space, our students do very well."

Goldschmidt

Goldschmidt is a junior, majoring in integrated supply management and minoring in international business and business analytics. She is active on campus as the vice president of APICS, a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society, a Haworth College of Business ambassador, and a business analytics tutor. In the fall of 2017, she attended the Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia, participating in a semester-long study abroad exchange program.

The past two years, Goldschmidt has completed a purchasing co-op at MANN+HUMMEL, a customer logistics internship at Bayer, and a continuous improvement co-op at Stryker. She was also a finalist in the college’s Trailblazer student recognition program in 2018 and has been on the dean's list throughout her college career. In November of 2018, she presented at the ISM Indirect/Services Conference in Las Vegas after receiving the ISM Services Case Competition Scholarship. This summer, she will participate in the Thailand study abroad program through the Haworth College of Business and work at Johnson & Johnson as a supply chain intern.

"When I received the news that I had received the scholarship, I was so overwhelmed that I made my friend read the email for me because I could not believe it," says Goldschmidt. “Being part of the Richter scholarship program opens up so many opportunities for my professional and personal development. I am looking forward to the networking and mentorship that this program offers."

Goldschmidt's dedication to her career is something that has always impressed Dr. Bret Wagner, associate professor of supply chain.

"Joy is extremely hard-working and has been focused on her education and career since her first days at WMU," he says. "Joy shows what can happen when a student steps up to the challenge and takes advantage of the many opportunities that the integrated supply management program offers. Her future potential is unlimited, and I look forward to watching her success."

Hayward

Hayward is a junior, majoring in integrated supply management with minors in accountancy and business analytics. He serves on the WMU APICS leadership team as experience director. Through APICS, Hayward has attended various industry tours, networking events, and case competitions, including leading the WMU team to a first place finish at the 2018 General Motors/Wayne State University Supply Chain Case Competition. He is also a mentor within the APICS mentorship program, helping first-year and sophomore supply chain students leverage the resources available to them at the Haworth College of Business.

During his first three years at WMU, Hayward worked full-time at Pfizer Global Supply in Portage in various roles within manufacturing and logistics. Currently, he works as a procurement intern at Marathon Petroleum Corporation at their corporate headquarters in Findlay, Ohio. This summer, he will move to Detroit and work as a supply chain intern at General Motors.

"When I saw that I received an email from the CEO for the Institute for Supply Management, I was overcome with excitement," says Hayward. "This scholarship represents more than just me; it's a culmination of the efforts of many people at WMU and mentors I have had over the years. When you surround yourself with a winning team of peers, mentors, professors, friends and family, your dreams start to become reality. I look forward to meeting the great people from the Richter Foundation, the Institute for Supply Management, and previous Richter Scholarship winners. I want to say a special thank you to the people who have forged me into the man I am today, including my family, professors, colleagues at Pfizer and many others."

Hayward's skill set and his focus on the people around him stands out to Dr. Sime Curkovic, professor of supply chain.

"John showed the judges the integrated supply management major covers more skill sets than any other program in the country, and because of that, he is already job-ready," he says. "We are beyond proud of John. He is one of the top leaders in the program and is a motivated, committed student who is also always willing to help his classmates. He brings out the best in others."

About the ISM program

WMU's integrated supply management program has been recognized nationally by several organizations and publications as a top supply chain program, including a No. 2 ranking by SCM World and a No. 8 ranking by Gartner. Each year, approximately 100 students graduate from the WMU ISM program with nearly all finding positions in the profession. ISM students earn some of the highest salaries among business students, with top students starting at more than $70,000. Learn more about the program.

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