OSM Alumni Spotlight: Claire Belke

OSM Alumni Spotlight: Claire Belke - B.S. Operations & Supply Management, B.S. Spanish for Professions, International Business Minor, 2023

Claire Belke graduated in Spring of 2023 with a B.S. in Operations & Supply Management, B.S. in Spanish and a Minor in International Business. She currently works as material control specialist for ReFab Metal Fab.

She states, “This summer I was a supply chain intern for DeWys Manufacturing, where I gained experience in procurement, inventory management, and supplier development. I just recently accepted a full-time position as a material control specialist for ReFab Metal Fab, a company under the DeWys umbrella. In this role, I am continuing to do procurement and inventory management, as well as implement business practices I learned during my internship into ReFab.”

As far as the OSM curriculum she writes, “Networking through opportunities, provided to me through the OSM program, is how I got my job! I attended the regional supply chain management conference, with other OSM students, where I was able to meet many business professionals from different companies. The experiential projects in many of the classes were also immensely helpful in preparing me for my first post-grad job because I was able to get insight and experience in the field that many college students don’t have when they graduate.”

Claire’s advice to current current/future students is, “Stay connected with your peers. I played club soccer all 4 years and was on the leaderboard as president my senior year. I think that being a part of an organization helped me stay motivated and gave me leadership experience I otherwise would not have gotten. Although I cannot speak for all RSO’s, we got busy during the season trying to balance schoolwork, jobs, and traveling for games. Being a part of a team in these times helped me stay on track, even when I was busy, and we all had each other for support.”

She adds, “Also, stay connected with your advisors and take advantage of every opportunity you get. I only went to the regional supply chain management conference my senior year, but I wish that I had gone every year possible, it gave me so much insight and allowed me to connect with so many new people. I would also recommend joining a business RSO. There are multiple active ones, and each one comes with its own benefits and new experiences.”

Thank you for sharing your story, Claire. We hope your future endeavors include staying connected with the Ferris alumni community and our OSM Program!