Planning, collaboration learned at Anderson serve business graduate well at manufacturer

Did you have any ideas growing up about what you would end up doing for a profession?

Honestly growing up, I dreamed a lot of dreams. During middle and high school I explored a lot of different career paths because I wasn’t a hundred percent sure. Both of my parents come from a business background. My mom is a CPA and my dad actually owned his own business when I was growing up. I was obviously exposed to business. My dad and I, from a very young age, we would talk business. I think when I was five or six he was explaining to me supply and demand. It was something I enjoyed.

When I was five or six learning about supply and demand, I didn’t think I would be a demand planner one day (laughs), but I’m happy with where that landed me and it’s fun to look back and think, “Wow! If that girl could see what I was doing now!”

When did you decide to enroll at Anderson University?

Growing up through elementary, middle and high school, the pastor at our church had gone to Anderson and had daughters who had gone to Anderson. In his sermons, pretty regularly he would mention Anderson University. Hearing him talk about Anderson put it on my radar. When high school came around, it was time for me to start looking at colleges. I was actually looking at (another university) for business and there was a school I was looking at for education. I did one last tour at Anderson February my senior year. I ended up paying my deposit that day and then in August of that year I moved into Anderson and never looked back.

In college, I was originally an education major. I decided my freshman year that I didn’t really want to be a teacher, and so I switched to business because it was the only other thing I felt really strongly interested in. Every business class I took, I felt more sure that this is where I need to be.

What are some favorite memories from your college years?

One is related to business school. I recently got married. I was at our last shower and one of my bridesmaids and I actually met in business school at Anderson. We met doing a semester-long project for Dr. Spencer’s marketing… Introduction to Marketing. We were just talking about how we originally met. Semester-long projects were super stressful, but our friendship was born through that and through other business classes we took. That’s definitely one of my favorite memories. Having reminisced about it just yesterday, that project was tough; it definitely bonded our whole group together. Made some lifelong friends out of it.

And you were involved in BCM (Baptist Collegiate Ministry)?

Yes, I was on the leadership team my junior and senior year. I was active in community groups my freshman and sophomore year.

I understand that you had an internship with Hubbell Lighting that pretty much segued into a full time position.

It definitely did. They offered my full time job to me on the last day of my internship.

Bring us up to date on what you’re doing.

I’m still in the same planner position, but I’ve been promoted. In the past year, one of our team members left to go back to work where she had been working previously, so I moved from doing a role of new product planning; I now handle e-comm planning. I have a similar role in that I use the same software, looking at cost demand predicting. I work a lot with our e-comm team. It’s a great team to work with, so I really enjoy collaborating with them on inventory and forecasts and sharing about the exciting e-comm things and promotions they’re working on with their different e-comm partners. Getting to be a part of that has been really great. I’ve really enjoyed adding that into my job.

What are some ways your Anderson University education has benefited you in your job?

That’s a good question. I think definitely the general basic business knowledge that I got was really helpful throughout all of my classes, especially having done marketing and supply chain, understanding holistically how businesses operate and what’s important for them operating. Also just learning group dynamics. I work on a team with a variety of people from different functional areas. The ability to work successfully on a team I definitely got from the group projects and the more immersive team experience. All of those dynamics have definitely helped. I still draw from those experiences in my position and past positions, working on teams and the importance of being able to work on them well. I do my part, count on others to do their parts, and collaborate together in a way that’s productive for ourselves and the business.

At the end of the day, what gives you a feeling of accomplishment?

I really enjoy being able to help solve problems when issues arise. I really love working on my team and with the other teams I get to be involved in sales, builders and other things. I enjoy the collaboration, and enjoy it when we’re all able to get a lot done and work toward all of our common goals. It’s fun to get to work with the different functional areas and have all of those different viewpoints and see them moving towards a common goal that will help everyone be more successful.

What advice would you give someone considering a supply chain or related job at a company?

I would tell them to try everything. Get as many experiences, learn as much as you can from those experiences and don’t take them for granted. Be willing to ask questions. Put yourself out there and meet people, because that had a big hand in me being offered this job after my internship. As an intern I tried to shadow different people from other areas to get a feel for the company. Take every opportunity you can, understand that people want to help you generally. I’ve never asked anyone at Hubbell or any other company for that matter for help and been turned down. Answering questions about them and what they do, being willing to put yourself out there and ask those questions and generally care about them I think is really good advice that I was given and I found it has really helped me, even now, having a job at Hubbell, looking further in my career and just learning other opportunities. Never stop trying to learn and trying to experience new things.

Internships are important, right?

I would say—even if you feel like you know exactly what you want to do, get an internship in that kind of area. Also be open to trying other things. An internship is two or three months just to get experience. You never know, you might get an internship in something that you never thought you would love and fall in love with it. Learn what you can. It all benefits you in the long run.