Tag Archives: Supply Chain Management

TSU Business Student Receives Three-Year $75,000 Scholarship from Toyota and Jesse Jackson PUSH Program

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Dominique Davis always thought that making good grades would be her pass to free college education. She was right! Davis will not have to worry about fees for the rest of her college career.

On July 18, Davis, a TSU sophomore business administration major, received a $75,000 scholarship offer from Toyota through the Jesse Jackson  Rainbow PUSH Excel program.

Dominique Davis

“I am pleased to inform you that you have been selected as a new Jesse Jackson Fellows Scholar and are being awarded a $25,000 scholarship for the 2018-2019 academic year,” a letter from PUSH said. The scholarship is renewable each year for a maximum of three years.

“I am so excited; this is unbelievable,” said Davis, who is from Danville, Illinois. “I have been praying for this and it finally came through.”

Davis is one of only 10 students from a group of 20 semi-finalists to be selected for the scholarship made possible through a partnership between Toyota and Rainbow PUSH Excel. Applicants must be engineering or business majors, have a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average, with demonstrated participation in community service, and must show need for financial assistance.

As part of the scholarship, Toyota offers successful applicants the opportunity to work at one of their facilities across North America to gain valuable real-world experience, as well as be paired with mentors from Toyota management to help guide the students through the next three years of college. Davis is currently an intern with Nissan in Nashville.

Davis, who has a 3.8 GPA with a concentration in supply chain management, said a family member told her about the scholarship program.

“I immediately said this is a great opportunity,” Davis said. “So I filled out the application and sent it in. I got a call back to go the next step, which included an interview with Toyota. I passed the application phase with the Jesse Jackson committee. I got another call back. And I got the scholarship.”

The third of four children, Davis said from elementary school she always made all A’s.

“Coming out of high school my GPA was great. I told my parents we are not going to pay for college,” Davis said, but her plan did not quite materialize the first year. Although she could have received a full ride to any college in Illinois, Davis said she chose TSU, out of state. As a result, funds she received were not enough to cover her full out-of-state fees.

“We had to take out a loan in my freshman year, and that was hard because my sister had just graduated from the University of Illinois-Champaign, and my parents were stretched,” she said.

Davis said she chose TSU because of the HBCU experience. All through elementary to high school, she had attended predominantly white schools.

“I wanted to attend an HBCU,” said Davis, who credits her parents and her late grandfather for the motivation to do well. “I wanted to get a feel of the culture and Tennessee State felt like home. It felt like the right move to come here. It has been a great experience.”

Davis’ goal is to own a charter school.

“I want to start my own charter school to help kids and make sure they have opportunities that so many other kids may not have,” she said.

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

With more than 8,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs and seven doctoral degrees. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

TSU College of Business Students Give Back During Fall Break

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Tracy Pleasants, interim director of the Supply Chain Management Program, left; graduate student Ambiobola Akimya; and a community volunteer help prepare food for the  homeless in the Samaritan Ministries’ soup kitchen. (Courtesy Photo)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Like many students, Starr Ambrosia Muslim usually spends her fall break relaxing with family and friends or studying for the upcoming final exams. For fall 2015, the Detroit junior Business Administration major had something else in mind – put herself aside and help others most in need.

“Doing something that puts a smile on another person’s face just makes me happy,” Muslim said. “Many of us take for granted how fortunate we are when there are people who wish they had just a fraction of the things we enjoy.”

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Amine Samoudi, left, and Sarita Criswell help a Samaritan Ministries’ volunteer set up at the soup kitchen. (Courtesy Photo)

On Nov. 24, Muslim, five other students and staff of the Tennessee State University Supply Chain Management Program in the College of Business spent the day feeding the hungry. They volunteered with the Samaritan Ministries, an outreach program of the Temple Church, to help serve lunch to the homeless.

“Volunteering to serve food to the homeless was an excellent experience I will not soon forget,” said Amine Samoudi, also a junior Business Administration major. “I believe volunteering is like a glue that holds the community together because the feeling keeps us connected and makes the community a better place for everyone.”

In addition to feeding the homeless, the students helped with set-up as they welcomed guests with “smiles and kind words.”

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Supply Chain Management students Zenan Li, left, Akimbiobola Akimya, Starr Muslim, interim director Tracy Pleasants, Amine Samoudi and Sarita Criswell spent a full day of their fall break helping to feed the homeless in Nashville. (Courtesy Photo)

For more than 30 years the Samaritan Ministries has been a mainstay in providing services to the homeless of Nashville, according church officials. With support from the Second Harvest Food Bank and other donations, the ministry provides food, clothing and other services to needy residents of the community.

“It’s not enough for students to receive a great education,” said Tracy Pleasants, interim director of the Supply Chain Management Program. “They must also learn to give back to the communities in which they live. This emphasis on academic excellence and social responsibility are core values of the College of Business.”

The Supply Chain Management Student Organization decided to volunteer with Samaritan Ministries as part of their community involvement commitment, Pleasant said. “These outstanding students not only want to be known for their academic excellence but also for their community leadership,” she added.

Other students who participated in the community service were graduate students Zenan Li, from Luoyang, China; Ambiobola Akimya, from Akure, Nigeria; and Sarita Criswell, a senior from Nashville. They are all Business Administration majors with concentration in Supply Chain Management.

Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

With more than 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 undergraduate, 22 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

Bridgestone Director to Lead off TSU Supply Chain Executive Leadership Lecture Series March 17

SupplyChainExLeader-LectureSeries_GardenhireNASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Global leadership and how to develop a customer-centered focus in industry will be the topic when the Supply Chain Management program in the College of Business at Tennessee State University holds its bi-annual Executive Leadership Lecture Series March 17.

The featured speaker is Robert L. Gardenhire, director of Logistics at Bridgestone Americas Tire Operation. Gardenhire, a longtime Bridgestone executive, oversees transportation, factory warehouses, distribution centers and public storage for finished goods in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and additional export markets.

Prior to the Executive Lecture Series, which begins at 5:15 p.m. in the Avon Williams Campus auditorium, Gardenhire will conduct a one-hour Executive Leadership Roundtable exclusively for MBA students in the new Executive Conference Room beginning at 3:30 p.m. RSVP at [email protected] is required to attend.

With the goal to enhance the supply chain curriculum, organizers say the lecture series is aimed to expose students to experts and thought leaders on proven capabilities in leadership that are based on competencies outlined by the SCM Governing Board. The Board is comprised of some of industry’s “most progressive” corporate leaders.

According to Lisa Smith, director of the SCM program, the series emphasizes the following focus areas:

  • Thought Leadership – The ability to make sound and informed decision in using accurate information to understand and resolve issues
  • Result Leadership – Developing a Customer-Centered Focus in meeting and understanding the customer’s needs
  • People Leadership – How to increase commitment through engagement, influence, and communication to inspire others to actively support the organization
  • Personal Leadership – How to demonstrate and manage ethics and compliance

The Executive Leadership Lecture Series is free and open to the public. For more information contact Lisa Smith at (615) 963-7137 or [email protected].

 

 

 

Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

 

 

About Tennessee State University

With nearly 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 undergraduate, 22 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.