Saying that working as a Supply Chain Specialist at Fastenal, the largest fastener distributor in North America, keeps Steve Koldykowski busy is an understatement. From forecasting and inventory to purchasing and order processing, he looks for improvements that will benefit the company and client alike. It’s an exciting field and one that Koldykowski wants to build a career in — and he’s counting on the online Master of Science in Integrated Supply Chain Management program to help him do it.
“I’m looking to take my career to the next level and the program offered by UW-Platteville in Supply Chain Management looked appealing because of the different areas of emphasis offered, the variety of classes, the unique opportunities such as the NSF STEM Master Scholar program, and the ability to learn on my own time,” Koldykowski said.
The NSF STEM Master Scholar program complements the Integrated Supply Chain Management degree at UW-Platteville by providing students with scholarship funding, plus academic and professional resources. Each student is assigned a peer mentor from a UW-Platteville degree program and an industry champion to give them support and insight into the student’s career field.
“The NSF STEM Master Scholar program is amazing. There’s so many opportunities and extra resources that help me thrive. I was assigned a Peer Mentor and she has been great answering any questions I have about UW or specific classes so far,” Koldykowki said. “There have been several meetings, called Scholar Spots, where a guest speaker provides a presentation on various subjects that help both academically and professionally. I became a Peer Mentor myself for a new ISCM student this semester and I have found the leadership experience invaluable so far.”
Outside of the NSF programming, Koldykowski has also benefitted from his classes in unexpected ways. While he knew the program would cover topics like forecasting and buyer-supplier relationships, it has also helped him develop his communication skills, especially writing. “I always considered writing one of my weaker skills. However, after taking several classes and practicing my writing, specifically in ISCM 7100 International Supply Chain Management, I feel a lot more confident in my written communication ability.”