A Note from the Director–The Chain Newsletter, Fall 2019 The Sweet Sixteen on Study Abroad

If you’re lucky, you keep getting older and with each year you meet more people. And, again if you’re lucky, a good percentage of those people you meet will be interesting, smart and helpful. We upped our percentage tremendously the last few weeks during the inaugural Follow the Supply Chain Study Abroad program to Wenatchee, Seattle and Vietnam.

You can read more about the trips to Vietnam, Wenatchee and Seattle in the article below but let’s pause for a moment and talk about the students themselves. After all, students are what the program is all about.  Over the years, in previous work, I have led many missions overseas with industry professionals and public officials. I have to say these students asked more and better questions than those business or elected leaders did (any of my old business or public official delegates reading this excluded, of course!).

These 16 students represented their four colleges—Highline College, North Seattle College, Tacoma Community College and Wenatchee Valley College—well, they took care of themselves and each other throughout long work days, occasional torrential downpours and new cultural experiences. They even took care of your humble Center Director when needed. The students hail from all manner of backgrounds, ethnicities, races and ages. But, they came together as one coherent, caring group. They put the e pluribus into the unum.

Of course, this was all made possible by the generous support of our sponsors: The Boeing Company, Lynden Logistics, the Federal Way Chamber of Commerce and the UW Global Business Center. Their support meant that we only had to charge a $500 fee for participating students. These companies and organizations made it possible for students from many walks of life to participate.

These students and their character and hard work during the study mission program are really what is great about our community, and for that matter about the little rotating globe we all call home. It was an honor to travel with them.

Sam Kaplan, Director, Center of Excellence for Global Trade & Supply Chain Management, Highline Community College