Supply chain standout grad racks up resume-worthy experiences
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—The supply chain of successful students at Western Michigan University is strong—just ask Chelsea Prebil. She earned a full-time job offer from Procter & Gamble (P&G) a full year before graduation after impressing her supervisor on the personal health care team during a summer internship.
"I had a job offer the Monday before my last day!" she remembers. "It was amazing to go into my senior year not having to worry about interviewing or finding a job. Honestly it still doesn't feel real."
Now, as spring commencement approaches, the soon-to-be supply chain management alumna is ready to start her career as a purchasing manager for P&G at its headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio.
"It's really exciting to be in an industry and getting a degree in something that's so imperative to the economy and companies and customers," she says.
Business is in Prebil's blood. Both her mom and dad are in the field, and growing up in Caledonia, Michigan, she'd heard Western's Haworth College of Business had a number of strong programs. The proximity to home combined with several scholarship opportunities sealed the deal.
A 'major' decision
Western's emphasis on Experience-Driven Learning meant Prebil could hit the ground running as soon as she arrived on campus. By the time she graduates, she'll have four internships under her belt. The first taught her an important lesson: In order to really understand a career, you have to experience it.
Prebil came to Western undecided on her business focus, but she was drawn to the potential for a lucrative career in finance. She jumped at an externship opportunity her first year in finance operations at Kellogg's. It turned out to be an important investment in her future—but not in the way she'd expected. After being immersed in the field, she realized it wasn't for her.
Undeterred, Prebil got to work exploring other career possibilities and took a supply chain class at the recommendation of a friend. It set off a chain of events that would unlock a new career future, beginning with meeting her mentor Dr. Marcel Zondag, director of the supply chain management program.
"If I hadn't met him, I don't think I would be as successful as I am," she says. "It was the best thing that's happened to me in my career, because I realized it's the perfect field for me and my personality. Supply chain involves a lot of behind the scenes work, data, math, working with suppliers, working with customers. It's just something I've found I really enjoy."
Prebil set her major as supply chain management and hit the ground running, joining the Supply Chain Management Association (SCMA) and learning everything she could about the industry.
"SCMA is this huge network of opportunities and people and professors and companies all working to help our supply chain management students succeed," she says.
The organization became the catalyst for three more internships.
At Trane Technologies, a globally recognized commercial HVAC company, Prebil worked in supply chain operations and ran a line on the manufacturing floor. During a co-op at Parker Hannifin, a global leader in motion and control technologies, she cut her chops as a strategic sourcing intern. And finally, at global consumer goods corporation P&G, Prebil made an impact on the personal health care team.
"Something that's really important to me is sustainability. I told my boss at P&G that over the summer, and she gave me a project on sustainability. I ended up getting all of the personal health care packaging at P&G to be 87% sustainable certified," she says. "It started at zero."
Prepared for the future
Prebil was able to complete the project with confidence because she'd built a strong foundation at Western.
In addition to multiple internships and the mentorship and networking she took advantage of through SCMA, she also participated in several competitions. Through the supply chain management program, she competed in the General Motors/Wayne State University Case Competition and the Minnesota National Supply Chain Management Competition. She also started a DECA chapter on campus—an international organization focused on preparing emerging leaders and entrepreneurs—and led fellow students in business competitions across the country.
"DECA is something I'm really proud of. I founded that here, and it's grown so much! We have students who are national title holders now," Prebil says.
Her commitment to the craft and the multitude of leadership and professional skills earned Prebil national recognition in 2024 as one of just 20 students in the country awarded the Achieving Women's Excellence in Supply Chain Operations, Management and Education (AWESOME) Excellence in Education Scholarship.
"Western was the right choice for me because of the opportunities that I've gotten," she says. "All the people I've met, all the things I've done, the professors I've had and the connections I've made—it's incomparable to anything I've seen in my friends who go to other schools."
For more WMU news, arts and events, visit WMU News online.