2018 Best & Brightest: Colleena Peng, Michigan State (Broad)

Colleena Peng

Michigan State University (Broad)

“I work hard now so my future dog can have the backyard he deserves!”

Fun fact about yourself: I love going to NBA games despite the fact I have no idea what’s going on.

Hometown: Rochester Hills, MI

High School: Shanghai American School (Pudong)

Major: Supply Chain Management

Minor: Information Technology Management

Favorite Business Course: Supply Chain Cost Management

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

  • Co-Founder & Former Co-President of the Corporate Retail Association (April 2015 – Present)
    • Filled the void of retail industry education and recruiting on campus by founding MSU’s only student retail organization.
  • Chapter Risk Management Chairman of Kappa Kappa Gamma Women’s Fraternity (January 2016 – December 2016)
    • Ensured that the fraternity’s bylaws and safety measures are being adhered to by collaborating with the organization’s national governance.
  • Honors College
  • Dean’s List: Seven Semesters / Seven Semesters
  • 1 of 6 2017 R. Gene Richter Scholarship recipients
    • A scholarship granted to the top Supply Chain Management students in the US
  • 2017 BP Scholarship recipient

Where have you interned during your college career?

  • GE Aviation, Sourcing Intern – Cincinnati, OH
  • Nestlé USA, Supply Chain Management & Procurement Intern – Glendale, CA
  • Ernst & Young, Business Advisory Intern – New York, New York

Where will you be working after graduation?

  • Tesla, Global Supply Management Intern – Palo Alto, CA

Who is your favorite professor? Dr. Bokemeier, who taught me Principles of Financial Accounting my freshman year of college. He managed the impossible – getting me to enjoy an accounting course.

What did you enjoy most about your business school? Being surrounded by my smart, ambitious, but most importantly, kind peers.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? Pursue the major based on what you truly enjoy, not based on your potential salary.

“If I didn’t major in business, I would be majoring in or studying… Veterinary Medicine because I love animals and would love to work with them every day.”

What has surprised you most about majoring in business? I always expected business school to be a competitive, cutthroat environment; however, I have found it to be a collaborative, supportive atmosphere.

Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college? My sister, Melody, most influenced my decision to pursue business. Having her major in business several years ahead of me showed me how we I could leverage my similarly-outgoing attitude to succeed in business.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I’m most proud of co-founding the Corporate Retail Association at MSU, which is the first student retail organization on campus. Three years in, CRA has successfully bridged the gap between our members and prominent retail recruiters through in-person meetings, Skype series, and corporate site visits. Through promoting awareness of the ever-changing retail industry, we’ve helped grow the Retail Management minor from its infant stages to a highly sought-after curriculum. In addition, we became the first student organization to bring Shinola and Nordstrom, two retail giants, on to campus to network with Spartans. The most rewarding aspect of co-founding CRA, however, has been helping our Executive Board and general members secure their dream internships and full-time positions, and bringing awareness to common misconceptions of the retail industry.

If you were a dean for a day, what one thing would you change about the business school? If I were dean, I would bring in therapy dogs to brighten the students’ day.

Which classmate do you most admire? I most admire my classmate Jessica; she faced a language-barrier, so she stayed after every class and attended every available office hour to keep up with the coursework.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? My family; they have inspired me, supported me, and celebrated me throughout my entire life.

What would your theme song be? The Game of Thrones theme song because it’s potentially the greatest introduction song of all time.

What are the top two items on your bucket list?

  1. Travel to every continent
  2. Foster or adopt a dog

Favorite book: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Favorite movie: The Godfather

Favorite vacation spot: New Zealand

What are your hobbies? Traveling, trying new restaurants, yoga, and watching dog videos on Facebook

What made Colleena such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2018?

“Colleena is a very caring individual which is demonstrated by her tutoring. Her support with the MSMR program and also in helping the general office of MKT/SCM was fantastic. I interviewed Colleena for a general student position for MKT/SCM, but could tell immediately in the interview that her talents/expertise would not be tapped to its truest potential. I recommended her to Ms. Bunce (Director of the MSMR Program) and she was instantly hired and has proven a tremendous asset.”

Deb North
Business Manager, Undergraduate Academic Services

“Colleena demonstrated a keen interest in sourcing and developed a great paper focused on how a small buying organization could use cost analysis to negotiate with a larger supplier.  She and a fellow student founded a great student organization, the Corporate Retail Association, that demonstrates her ability to recognize a need and then have the wherewithal to fill it.”

Gary Ragatz
Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management

DON’T MISS: THE BEST & BRIGHTEST BUSINESS MAJORS OF 2018 — THE COMPLETE LIST

Questions about this article? Email us or leave a comment below.