KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Western Michigan University’s Delia Dohm is taking the business world by storm. A supply chain management senior in the Haworth College of Business, Dohm of New Lenox, Illinois, had the opportunity to intern with Perrigo through a new co-op program at WMU. As the first student to go through the program, Dohm has had a unique educational journey while also obtaining valuable work experience.
As a student tester for the pilot run of the WMU x Perrigo co-op program, Dohm was responsible for creating a platform to display data for the company. Determining that Power Business Intelligence was the best format for this, Dohm set out to learn the intricacies of the system and was tasked with managing the program.
At Perrigo, Dohm found herself in an open environment with plenty of encouragement and guidance from supervisors and colleagues.
“There was a tremendous amount of support from Perrigo and Western so that I could achieve success in the co-op. While it was hard adjusting to a busier schedule, my growth in the supply chain field was always of the utmost importance. I was able to maximize my learning opportunities and support system by participating in this program. In some instances, the hands-on learning of the internship came before the classroom experience. That provided me with an even more solid understanding of the information being taught,” says Dohm, who will graduate in April.
With such a successful start as the first student to complete the program, Dohm moves forward with an optimistic outlook on her future.
“After this internship, I am more confident to take on a task with no previous experience. I now have further access to the tools and problem-solving know-how to research and form and execute a project plan. I am more comfortable with my communication and reporting skills, and I’m not afraid to let my curiosity uncover the questions I need to ask for the project's success. It's very exciting for me to navigate through every new project knowing the key performance indicators and the outcomes needed for success. It's challenging and ever-evolving, which is a space I thrive in.”
Outside of her time spent with Perrigo, Dohm is building on her business knowledge through her classes at WMU Haworth. “My classes have given me the foundation necessary to build upon. For example, MGMT 3810—Applied Six Sigma Problem-Solving helped me immensely in streamlining my thought process for a project I managed during my internship. It helped me prioritize and compartmentalize objectives to reach the goals of stakeholders.”
With the internship under her belt, Dohm gives some advice to her peers. “Keep an open mind to new experiences,” she says. “Once you find something that you are good at it is easy to become narrow-minded in your studies instead of expanding your knowledge. Know that career growth comes from a place that is uncomfortable—be comfortable with your curiosity because you never know where it can take you!”
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