Jenny Pan
University of Tennessee (Haslam)
“There’s food at this meeting? Say no more.”
Fun fact about yourself: I understand 6 languages (Fujianese, Mandarin, Cantonese, English, Spanish, Korean) in varying degrees of fluency, and I am currently taking an introduction to American Sign Language course at UTK.
Hometown: Corona, Queens, New York
High School: Brentwood High School
Major: Supply Chain Management
Minor: Information Management Collateral
Favorite Business Course: Legal Environment of Business and Global Strategy Management
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:
- President, Vice President, Secretary of Diverse Organization of Business Students
- Business Administration 100 Peer Mentor
- Case Competition Coordinator – Council of Supply Chain Management Professional (CSCMP)
- Vice President SCPro Certification – Council of Supply Chain Management Professional (CSCMP)
- Supply Chain Management Scholar of Distinction
- Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity – Zeta Lambda
- Vice President – Korean Student Association
- Central Program Council (Campus Event Board) – Marketing Team
- 2nd place in CSCMP/PepsiCo Case Competition
- Professional Development Certification Program
- Junior Achievement of East Tennessee – Volunteer
Where have you interned during your college career?
- McCormick & Company Inc. – Distribution Intern, Belcamp, MD
- BMW Manufacturing LLC – Physical Logistics Intern, Spartanburg, SC
- The Boeing Company – Supply Chain Analyst, Everett, WA
Where will you be working after graduation? After graduation, I am excited to work at Dell in Austin, TX as a Commodity Management Analyst.
Who is your favorite professor? My favorite professor within the Haslam College of Business is Dr. John Bell. As part of the business core, I took Business Administration 331, Supply Chain Management, and I truly found the concepts fascinating. I was still able to develop a close relationship with Dr. Bell. He was really approachable and I recall stopping by his office hours multiple times when I was deciding on internships. Dr. Bell was in the U.S Air force prior to joining the UT faculty, and he gave me tips on how to stay up to date with the aerospace industry prior to me starting my internship with Boeing.
What did you enjoy most about your business school? The various opportunities for student involvement and engagement. The college is always hosting events and informing students about ways they can get involved.
What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? It is important to learn and be competent in business concepts, but it is equally important to have interpersonal skills and be able to work with others. Building connections and meeting new people will go a long way.
What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? Be proactive in what you want to accomplish, whether it is to gain leadership skills, to find an internship, or to improve your GPA. If you need help, there is no shame in reaching out. There are tons of resources on campus to help you.
“If I didn’t major in business, I would be majoring in or studying…culinary. My dad was a chef and I was lucky to grow up eating delicious, homemade Chinese dishes made by him.”
What has surprised you most about majoring in business? There is not really a defined career path, and it is really up to what you want to do with your degree. Obviously, there are people who major in accounting and will work at an accounting firm or a marketing major who will work at a marketing firm, but you ultimately decide what you want to do and that is one of the reason why I love being a business major.
Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college? My brother played a big role in influencing me to pursue business in college whether he knows it or not. Being a first-generation college student, I asked him for college advice when I was deciding on what to pursue.
Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I was awarded a full scholarship to study Korean in Seoul, South Korea through the National Security of Language Initiative for Youth for summer 2014. It was my first time traveling outside of the country alone, and I was able to meet some of the sweetest people and experience Korea’s vibrant culture. It inspired me to want to travel more.
Which classmate do you most admire? I met a fellow classmate and friend, Jian, during freshman year. I remember how impressed I was that despite how busy and involved he was at school, he still made sure to give himself time to do things that he had a passion for, such as breakdancing. Now, after almost yeo years of graduating, he founded his own company, Ajax Intel Inc., and is currently pursuing his master’s degree in Germany.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? There are several people throughout my life who have contributed in molding me into the person that I am today. I would like to give thanks to my family, friends, faculty of University of Tennessee, and mentors from my internships in guiding me with every big and small steps in life.
What would your theme song be? “You Gotta Be” by Des’ree – I first listened to this song when I moved from New York to Tennessee and I was struggling to adjust to the new city, new school, and the new environment. The lyrics to this song really resonates with me and helps me when I need a little motivation boost.
What are the top two items on your bucket list? Learn how to drive a stick shift and visit all the Seven Wonders of the World.
Favorite book: The Last Lecture
Favorite movie: Interstellar
Favorite vacation spot: Somewhere I haven’t been yet!
What are your hobbies? Traveling, listening to music, restaurant hopping, watching cat and dog videos on Facebook
What made Jenny such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2018?
“Jenny has been a core member and officer of the Haslam College of Business student chapter of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, a student organization that I advise. Supply chain management (SCM) is the largest major at the University of Tennessee now, so managing the organization is no small undertaking and Jenny is a key part of that. She is one of my go-to students when I need something managed with little oversight. Jenny oversaw a large case study competition for more than 30 students with one of our corporate partners. Additionally, she conducted a weekly study group for an initiative in which students take a professional certification test called SCPro. I would not give this responsibility to just any student. I am extremely confident that Jenny represents our brand in the manner that we want to portray to industry, which is that Haslam SCM students are the best and the brightest of any university in the world.”
Lance Saunders
Assistant Professor
Haslam College of Business
Department of Marketing & Supply Chain Management
DON’T MISS: THE BEST & BRIGHTEST BUSINESS MAJORS OF 2018 — THE COMPLETE LIST
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