Student Feature: Talking Supply Chain Management with CSCMP Scholarship Winner, Amy Tuong

This week’s student feature highlights this year’s Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) scholarship winner, Amy Tuong!

Amy is an international student pursuing a Supply Chain Management Associate of Science degree, which she will complete in May, and she plans to transfer to obtain a bachelor’s degree. Below, we discuss the scholarship, her experience obtaining her degree, and advice she would give to other students wanting to pursue a Supply Chain Management degree!

1. How did you find out about the scholarship?

I took the course Introduction of Business with Professor Erin Thomas in the Fall of 2020. After that, when attending the annual Business and Entrepreneurship Virtual Summit in Fall 2021 hosted by the professor, I had a chance to talk more with her. After that, Professor Thomas helped me to join CSCMP as a student member in early 2022. She is also the one who told me about the scholarship and encouraged me to apply for it.

2. What made you want to apply for the scholarship?

Firstly, I met the two conditions of the scholarship competition. Those are students in the fields of logistics, manufacturing, and supply chain and currently attending a Southern California college or university. Secondly, I wanted to challenge myself by doing something new because I have never applied for any international scholarship so far.

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3. What made you want to pursue a Supply Chain Management degree?

Though I used to work in this field for a couple of years, hands-on experience is not enough. An academic credential in supply chain management will bring me a sense of fulfillment and a way for me to accomplish my career goal of being an expert in supply chain.

4. What has your experience been like pursuing your degree at Coastline?

I started my study at Coastline during the peak time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Though I did not have any chance to go to the school auditorium because all the courses were taught online, to make it up, Coastline College has so many resources to help its students make it through the pandemic and fulfill their academic requirements.

All the professors of all the classes I took are so empathetic and understanding of students' situations and thus adjust their teaching approaches to support students as much as they can, which makes me feel so touched. English is the biggest barrier for many international students. But after two years at Coastline, my English has improved so much, especially in terms of academic writing in business settings.

In addition, I learned about citations in both MLA and APA styles, which is very useful in my research writing. Last but not least, all the knowledge I learned in these courses is very much up to date with many simulation activities and assignments for students’ best practices. All in all, with all the knowledge enhanced and the network expanded, I really enjoyed my learning time at Coastline, my very first international school in the United States.

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5. What tips or advice would you give students who want to pursue a Supply Chain Management degree?

• Your interest in Supply Chain Management. When you like doing something, you will find a way to do it well.
• Be ready for sudden and frequent changes because with Supply Chain, every day is different, every day is a new journey in the entire supply chain.
• Be well-prepared to work in a dynamic environment full of diversity and challenges.
• Apart from technical knowledge in Supply Chain, equip yourself with some soft skills such as interpersonal skills, team-building activities, cross-functional collaboration, creative thinking, and problem-solving skills.

7. What tips or advice would you give to students who want to apply for the scholarship?

• Be a student member of the CSCMP.
• Participate in some events held by CSCMP.
• Be in good contact with professors in your college or university so that you can ask for your professors’ help with a letter of recommendation.
• Be an attentive student in your major subjects.

Congratulations to Amy on her scholarship award and thank you for sitting down with us for this student feature! If you are interested in learning more about Coastline’s Supply Management Program, check out more information at coastline.edu/supply-chain-management!

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