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When management major signed up for his capstone course in his last semester at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ, he had no idea it would end up leading to his first full-time job at a Fortune 500 manufacturing company.

As part of Associate Teaching Professor Jacqueline Einstein's senior-level Management 401 course, Farr was paired with Fastenal, a national industrial supply chain company with a location in Canton, MA. His task: researching the company’s internship program.

After a semester of getting to know management-level personnel, Farr asked one of the managers if they would have any entry-level positions open around the time of his graduation.

"He told me he'd make a position for me," said Farr, who'll start as a Supply Chain Associate in June. "Seeing all of the hard work paying off is such an incredible feeling. It definitely made me feel accomplished and appreciated. There's still so much more to learn and do, but getting started is the hardest part."

For Farr, who has long-term career goals of owning his own company, this position represents the perfect opportunity to learn what it takes to effectively manage a large organization. Below, Collin shares how UMassD prepared him for that opportunity, what he appreciates about the management major, and advice for out-of-state students looking to make the most of their college experience.

"You can do virtually anything with a management degree. It's the all-encompassing major that forces you to learn a base understanding of every aspect of a business. If you're going to lead employees and gauge their performance, you have to know how to do it yourself."

Studying management

Why did you choose to major in management?

"You can do virtually anything with a management degree. It's the all-encompassing major that forces you to learn a base understanding of every aspect of a business. You're just as invested in the quantitative side (accounting and finance courses) as you are the people skills in management and marketing. If you're going to lead employees and gauge their performance, you have to know how to do it yourself."

When did you develop an interest in supply chain management?

"ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ a year ago through various courses such as POM 345, learning about different pathways in a business, I decided I'd be more interested in operations planning than the sales side. I'm not someone who wants to cold call or walk door to door. I'd rather make a difference behind the scenes."

Extracurricular activities

Besides classwork, what else prepared you for a career in management?

"I was on the executive board for the student alumni association, the president of Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity, and a lead admissions ambassador. These leadership experiences are so valuable to a college student. Everyone on a team learns and operates differently. As a supervisor, it's your job to cater to everyone's needs to get the job done."

What did these experiences teach you that you'll bring to your career?

"Greek life taught me about team morale and the importance of purpose. Providing incentive opportunities is sort of analogous to giving employees bonuses. Working as an admissions ambassador helped me understand event operations and how to leverage your colleagues' strengths and weaknesses to set them up for success."

How did you manage your time between these experiences and classes?

"On-campus jobs and other extracurricular experiences are very good about understanding that you're a student first. If you take on too much, it's easy to dial back your hours or the number of organizations you're involved in. Finding the right balance of what you're capable of taking on is another skill translatable to life after graduation."

Out-of-state experience

What was life like as an out-of-state student?

"I think I grew a lot more than if I went to school close to home. You have to be self-sufficient when you can't just go home for the weekend. Whether it was cooking for myself, addressing problems with my car, or just finding things to do, I taught myself a lot."

Do you have any advice for other out-of-state students?

"Just do it. Whatever activity you're thinking of trying, event you're thinking of attending, subject you're considering studying – just give it a try. The worst-case scenario is you find out it's not for you. College is full of experiences, but you need to subject yourself to them. That's the best way to learn about yourself."

Why UMassD?

Is there one thing you'll miss most about ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ?

"The support of the community. I feel like everyone on this campus just wants to help everyone else grow. Whether it be the faculty and staff, clubs and orgs, , or classmates."

Can you describe ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ in one word?

"Home."

Collin Farr '25: Finding opportunities

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