Supply Chain Management
- Hometown: Ashburn, Virginia
Biography
My name is Zachary Matthews, and I'm a sophomore here at the University of Tennessee. I'm from Ashburn, Virginia, and I grew up playing a lot of sports, which helped me develop good leadership, communication, and critical thinking skills. Throughout high school, I had a busy schedule and felt like I was spreading myself too thin. When COVID hit, I started reevaluating my priorities, which allowed me to dedicate more time to my schoolwork as well as working part-time. I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, and COVID really brought out a lot of positives in my life.
Going into my senior year of high school, I was torn between studying engineering or business but ultimately decided on Supply Chain Management. It seemed like a great major to match my skill set, and I felt confident in my choice. Going into my first year in college, I received a lot of great advice on how to maximize my opportunities. I made the decision before I started that I wanted to be ambitious and take advantage of the opportunities presented to me. I quickly began to impress myself with how involved I was on campus. Building strengths that would make me a more appealing candidate excited me, and I was searching for more ways to do that.
I went on a site visit through the Council of Supply Chain Management Program to see a few different companies. I quickly realized that many of the supply chain executives had a background in engineering. They spoke highly of how their engineering background made understanding the supply chain easier. So, when I heard about the Heath Integrated Business and Engineering Program, I was immediately interested. As I mentioned earlier, I almost decided to study engineering. I had a few advisors push me in that direction because of my problem-solving skills, hard work, and dedication. This program was the perfect opportunity, and I knew it was what I wanted to do.
I'm still exploring my field of interest within Supply Chain Management and looking for roles that will best complement my skillset. Right now, I'm eliminating things that I don't necessarily find interesting. I have researched a few companies and made connections with various employees that will hopefully lead to opportunities in the future. I interned at a third-party logistics trucking company over the summer and am hoping to find an internship at a more established company this summer. I'm excited for this year and can't wait to strengthen and expand my skillset!
