Michael Showalter, MSCM '20

Michael Showalter says he never expected he would end up at the University of Michigan, especially considering he was a graduate — and lifelong fan — of Michigan State University. While he knew that he wanted to build upon his undergraduate degree in supply chain after he graduated from MSU, he wasn't exactly sure where he'd land. It wasn't until he happened to connect with a Michigan Ross admissions representative at a recruitment fair that he started to think about the Master of Supply Chain Management (MSCM) degree at Ross. After a visit to the campus during Preview Day, he was sold. 

Michael says he remembers thinking:

This is where I need to be next year — for the prestige, for the emphasis on excellence, for the diversity — this school is so different from any other school I've been at; I know I have to be here.

Since joining the program, Michael remarks that, "The quality of the professors has been pretty surprising to me because they're all so well-experienced; they're so knowledgeable that you feel like it's almost an honor to have them teach you. Yet, they're all very down-to-earth, too." 

He also notes that his classes have been particularly interactive. "In the real world, a lot of what you do is in groups, especially in the supply chain industry, you have a lot of teamwork — and that's something that is very heavily emphasized here. In our classes, you often get together with four or five people that are very different from you and together use your skills, your education backgrounds, and your work experiences to achieve one goal." 

The MSCM program is made up of students with varying levels of industry experience, ranging from those like Michael who apply to the program straight from their undergraduate programs, to those who may have worked in the field for 5-10 years. Of his classmates, Michael says, "They teach me a lot, which really makes for a more holistic education because it's not just about the classroom, not just about the book learning, but it's also about learning how to handle yourself with people from many different backgrounds."  

Michael was able to extend that kind of knowledge beyond the classroom during the Business+Impact Challenge, an annual case competition comprised of teams from all three one-year master programs at Michigan Ross. Teams have 24 hours to find creative solutions for a Fortune 100 company or highly-visible community organization. Appointed one of the senior managers of the competition, Michael was able to lead a team of 60-70 classmates and find ways to best utilize all of the skills they brought to the table. "It was such a cool experience, seeing how our project idea evolved, from delivering information to people, to digesting that information, and then producing something of high quality in such a short period of time." 

Michael's advice to those considering applying to the Master of Supply Chain Management program? "Don't be afraid to apply. Michigan Ross is the place to be. You're not going to regret coming here. Absolutely everyone recruits at Ross, and spending one year here will give you a lifetime of benefit."