It excites Uyanga Tsogtbaatar to think about the impact her education could have on her home country of Mongolia.
Steady access to the country’s goods, services, businesses and health care does not extend far past the capital city of Ulaanbaatar. Much like in the United States, access wanes in rural areas.
This is where an expertise in supply chain management and logistics could help build a foundation of transportation and infrastructure to support the country’s rural population better. It’s the degree Uyanga earned December.
“I want to be a good citizen to my country,” she said. “I want to be an active part of improving its logistics and supply chain field and the infrastructure of my country.”
Logistics and supply chain management is a major Uyanga landed on after trying so many others to no avail. She came to Arkansas because of her extended family, an aunt and uncle and cousins who lived in Little Rock. It took several different majors and a transfer for her to land in the UCA College of Business and the Logistics and Supply Chain Management program.
After that, it didn’t take long for her to find her niche.
“I’m not someone who likes to stick to one thing or task,” she said. “In supply chain, it is a wide variety of responsibilities. It’s the reason I love it so much.”
One of the reasons she came to UCA was because of the on-campus atmosphere. Campus life was thriving at UCA with activities and student organizations. In the College of Business’ Logistics and Supply Chain Management program, she found faculty who supported her.
Whether it was Jim Dittrich, Scott Nadler, Ph..D., or Doug Voss, Ph.D., Uyanga said “they have all been so supportive of me and helpful.”
It was Voss who helped her obtain a $1,000 scholarship in her final semester from the Trucking Industry Defense Association (TIDA).
“My mom and dad both work and help me pay for school, and $1,000 is a lot of money in Mongolia,” said Uyanga. “I was so excited to receive that scholarship because it helped so much.”
A few months removed from graduation, Uyanga is focused on gaining a few years of experience in the industry before she returns to Mongolia. Her former professors, like Dittrich, think she’ll find success in whatever she pursues.
“She is the most driven student I have met at UCA,” said Dittrich. “I think she will be very successful at whatever she sets her mind to do.”