A new graduate reflects on a college journey marked by determination and success

Arionna Sterling

Class of 2025

Majors: Leadership and Management, Supply Chain Management; concentration in Management Information Systems

Where will she launch her career: Campbell's Food Company

Q: What are you most proud of when you look back on your time at Rutgers Business School?

When I look back at my time at Rutgers Business School, I am most proud of the growth I’ve seen in myself and in my fellow classmates. I have known many of my friends since we first started, and it’s so exciting to see the different ways in which we’ve all developed. For me, I grew from someone who was shy and unsure of myself and my abilities, to being the student speaker at the Rutgers University-Newark Commencement. Every time I see the notification from LinkedIn pop up of someone celebrating a new achievement, I can’t help but feel an overwhelming pride for everything that we’ve accomplished as a student body. I won a graduation award, and I didn't really speak to anyone about it, so when I walked into the ceremony, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the majority of the award recipients were friends of mine. That experience was so special because it validated that I was in the right room with the right people, that I was standing in a room full of successful individuals who will no doubt be the future business leaders of the world. 

Q: What clubs or student organizations were you involved with at Rutgers?

I was involved with BASE during my time at Rutgers. BASE is a student club within the business school, and it stands for Business Association of Supply Expertise. I began as a member of the Excel Committee. After the fall semester, they asked me to step up to Excel director for the spring. I have to admit I was surprised they asked me because at that point, I wasn’t very outspoken or confident, but I definitely was determined to show them they made the right choice. The Excel program covers a variety of topics including text parsing, pivot tables, lookup functions, logical functions, and graphs and charts. I did my best to learn each of these topics inside and out so that I could better serve students. I also updated the material to be more relevant, for example, including XLOOPUP in the course. I served as the Excel director for three semesters, and it was such a pivotal role because it showed me that I could be outspoken and also make a difference in the lives of students. During my last semester, I set out to create an Advanced Excel program that filled the gaps of what I wish I knew when I began doing internships in the corporate world. With a group of talented committee members and my supportive Executive Board, we were successful in developing a program that taught students topics including Python, Macros and VBA, Power BI, advanced data analysis, and presentation skills. With a 90% pass rate, 19 students were able to complete the exam and receive their Rutgers-accredited certificate. The program was a success, and I learned about developing a project from start to finish, especially with topics I didn’t know much about at the start, and how to handle the challenges that arise along the way. 

Q: What work experiences did you have during college? What did you gain from them?

When I began college, I was working two jobs. I was always capable at managing my time, but this was challenging on a whole new level. I'll never forget having to wake up at 6 a.m. to attend my first class, then take the train home to work for two hours because there was no one else that could, then taking the train back to school to get to my next class, then commuting back home to do my shift at my other job. That experience affirmed my time management skills and solidified the idea that college was something I wanted to do. It would have been easier to have just taken a gap year, but I decided to continue working hard because college meant something to me. That semester, I ended with all As except for one B+. By the time spring semester arrived, I had gotten a promotion at my second job and decided to work only that one, which gave me a tiny bit more flexibility to spend time at school. I started becoming friends with people who were getting involved with clubs and focusing on getting internships. It pushed me to do the same. After a lot of encouragement and help from the Office of Career Management, I landed my first internship during the summer going into my junior year. I drove cross-country and spent the summer in Oregon to work at one of Campbell's manufacturing plants. It was an amazing experience because it taught me so much about being independent, making friends in a new place, and about supply chain. I loved the work, and I loved working there. The internship showed me that supply chain management was definitely what I wanted to do. After that summer, I returned to Rutgers and got heavily involved with my club. I did three more internships. During spring of my junior year, I quit my hometown job and worked at Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen subsidiary as part of its Global Supply Chain Reliability Co-Op. It was a great experience because it taught me even more about supply chain in an office setting, rather than manufacturing. That summer, I returned to Campbell's at their headquarters as a procurement intern. Being at the company’s headquarters gave me an opportunity to talk to so many different people from varying backgrounds and positions. I learned about their experiences which allowed me to make more informed decisions about what I wanted for my future. I did a final co-op with BP’s Castrol division. The experience taught me about developing projects and made me more confident.

Q: What class helped prepare you for a career by teaching you skills or connecting you with company recruiters?

Business Forum was a transformational class for me because it filled in the gaps on everything I didn't know. It also connected me with people who had a significant impact on me. When I came to Rutgers Business School, I had zero knowledge about business. I had spent the previous eight years doing theatre, and no one in my family was involved with business at all. Business Forum required me to create a resume and a LinkedIn account, and it showed me how to use LinkedIn Learning. It also taught me about what each major entailed. After a presentation from Professor Hussan Peavey about supply chain, I scheduled a coffee chat with him and decided to declare another major in addition to Leadership and Management. The Business Forum class was taught by Elizabeth Fieseler, who remained an amazing advisor throughout my entire time at Rutgers. She supported me and encouraged me to get involved and to do internships. She's emailed me opportunities to apply for, reviewed my resumes, gave me advice, celebrated my wins, and was an overall invaluable resource to me and countless other students. I attribute a lot of what I was able to accomplish to her, and I am forever grateful.

Q: After graduation, how will you begin your career? What will you be responsible for doing?

After graduation, I will be returning to Campbell's to be a part of their Supply Chain Leadership Rotational Program. This program extends over the course of two years and requires me to rotate positions every six months, and locations every 12 months, so that I will be doing a total of four leadership roles in two different locations. I was one of eight rotational interns invited to join the program, and I will be the only one stationed at the company’s headquarters in Camden, where I will be working on a big cross-functional project regarding Integrated Business Planning. From there, I will continue my rotations and see what else is in store for me.