Go Big

Go big, is good advice. It’s what Melissa Littleton recommended students do both in life and when participating in the Follow the Supply Chain Study Abroad program. Melissa, who participated in the 2019 study abroad program, gave this advice during an event where alumni of the program and the 2024 cohort of students, talked about what they saw and learned during the study abroad program.

The Follow the Supply Chain Study Abroad program has become so successful and, in many cases, life changing, that we wanted to make sure more people are exposed to what the students in the program are learning and seeing. And that’s an up-close, practical look at how supply chains work and in a country—Vietnam--that is at the center of global supply chains and a key international partner for Washington state’s economy. And it’s a program that’s affordable. Students only pay $600 to participate. Thus, the debrief program where we invited sponsors, supporters and others to hear directly from the students who have completed the program, a group as diverse as our state.

Students touring packaging facility in Wenatchee

It’s so successful that next year we are also expanding the program to seven colleges from the current five (see list below). Students in this year’s program are also required to participate in virtual programs throughout the spring. One of these virtual workshops focused on supply chains where speakers from industry talked about different aspects of global supply chains. Another virtual workshop was all about Vietnam, its economy, history, culture and politics. That program featured former U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam, Michael Michalak. The idea of these meetings is to provide students with a foundation of information before they travel to Vietnam and to organizations and businesses in Washington State. They prepare the students to understand supply chains and Vietnam before they follow products in the supply chain to and from Vietnam and Washington state.

On the first site visit in Washington, students spent most of the day at Brooks Sports which has an assembly plant just north of Ho Chi Minh City. At its Seattle headquarters, Brooks staff explained how the shoes are designed, talked about their supply chain operations, discussed trade compliance and essentially described how their shoes go from an idea in their head to being laced up on our feet.  

A few weeks later, the students traveled to Wenatchee where CMI Orchards showed us how apples are grown, packaged and distributed. Apples are, of course, another product in the supply chain the students follow. In this case, to Vietnam where they are exported. It is a much higher technological process than most of us realize to grow apples and get them to market. Students saw this process up close with industry experts guiding them.

And then, after building a solid foundation of knowledge, and seeing the supply chain on the Washington state side, students in the program traveled to Vietnam. Once there, they are briefed at and also tour the factory where the Brooks shoes are assembled. They walk the factory floor seeing the various stations where shoes are assembled.

They also tour SSIT port which is located two hours south of Ho Chi Minh City where products like shoes and apples flow through into and out of Vietnam. Customer service and logistics manager for the Port Le Thi Doan Minh Nguyet—a long name but she goes by Ms. Moon—provides a thorough briefing on how the port works, who its customers are and its challenges and opportunities. She also offers a great role model for the students, someone who has not only mastered her craft but is an engaging and well-intentioned leader.

Students touring SSIT Port in South Vietnam

Students also spend a day at a Vietnamese university, this year at Saigon International University, interacting with their student peers who are also studying trade and supply chain. Together, they learn about each other countries, supply chains and perhaps most important, each other.

Throughout the week, students stay busy diving into supply chains and Vietnam itself, immersing themselves in the culture, food and everyday Vietnamese experiences. Yes, the students should go big, as Melissa recommends. Our Follow the Supply Chain Study Abroad Program tries too, as well.


Another  huge thanks to our sponsors who make this program possible:
This program is supported by the Port of Seattle, the Transportation Club of Tacoma, the Transportation Club of Seattle, Alaska Airlines, the U.S. Department of Education Center for International Business Education & Research housed at the University of Washington Global Business Center and the University of Washington Center for Global Studies