While most students noted the lack of a fall break this year, three students and one professor from UW-Eau Claire had the opportunity to go on a mid-semester trip.
Eau Claire’s chapter of The Educational Society for Resource Management sent the four people to San Diego, Calif., in early October for this year’s APICS International Conference and Exposition.
Seniors Angela Haskovec, Meredith Marx and Dave Zappa, along with Theresa Wells, senior lecturer of management and marketing, were selected to attend the conference.
| “The students were basically treated like VIPs.” –Angela Haskovec Senior |
Marx said 48 students were chosen from around the country. Each student received $400 for airfare and hotel charge. In addition, the parent chapter of Eau Claire donated another $100 to each participant, Haskovec said.
“Since there were three students per hotel room, we didn’t really have to pay for anything except for food, beverages and souvenirs,” she said.
The students were in San Diego Oct. 9 to Oct. 13. It was an educational conference with about 3,000 professional members from around the world in attendance.
Each student helped with a different session every day, Haskovec said.
The general sessions were the best part, she said. As students, they were able to sit in the front row of an auditorium filled with 2,500 people. After the presentations, they met the speakers.
“The students were basically treated like VIPs,” Haskovec said.
Each student also was assigned a mentor.
“All of the students were appointed a professional mentor from somewhere in the world,” Marx said. “It was very helpful. We made lots of new contacts.”
Wells, who attended the conference as a professional, received the National American Production and Inventory Control Society Student Chapter Mentor Award.
“Through this award, APICS recognizes the unequaled dedication necessary to be a successful and influential role model,” said Professor Robert Sutton, chair of the management and marketing department, in the press release. “It gives Terry the recognition she so deserves for the many hours and all of the work she has put into advising her students and the student APICS chapter.”
Wells said she received a plaque and some money and accepted the award onstage in front of the entire conference.
“It’s a fantastic honor, especially because it started with the students who nominated me and wrote letters on my behalf,” she said in the press release. “The best part of my job is being with students.”
The students all were fortunate to attend, Marx said.
“It was just a great networking opportunity for us to go.”
