Before Scott Schroeder came to the University of Arkansas, he worked as an operations manager for a bank in Altus, Arkansas. Returning to school to study transportation logistics, he discovered that his experience in the working world had given him a new appreciation for his classes.
“The instructor knowledge at the Walton College of Business is world class,” he explained, and added that the emphasis his professors have placed on real-world problems and critical thinking means that “the end result is more than a GPA.”
One of Scott’s favorite classes is Logistics Strategies, where the students work on realistic logistics puzzles. For example, the professor might give them a budget to ship products from a distribution center to customers in a rural area. As the students work out a solution, however, they come across obstacles, such as inadequate resources. Figuring out how to solve these unexpected problems makes the class more applicable to the real world, explained Scott.
Logistics has always been fascinating for Scott. “You don’t think about how your bottled water gets to the store,” he explained. “It is so efficient that we don’t see it any more.”
Scott plans to be one of the people who makes sure the consumer goods we depend on make it to the grocery store shelves. He would like to work as a procurement or purchasing manager for a large company like Tyson or Cargill. In this job, he could help ensure that high quality, low cost goods are available to the public.
As he interviews for jobs, Scott is grateful for the confidence he has developed as a Walton student. “I have confidence in my abilities and my knowledge about the field,” he explained. Overall, he describes his years at the Walton College of Business as a wonderful experience.
