Esther Quon Interview

September 2022

My name is Esther Quon, and I am a fourth-year student studying Technology and Operations Management with a focus in Supply Chain Management, alongside pursuing a Marketing minor. I am originally from Monterey Park, California and enjoy traveling, playing basketball, tending to my houseplants, and building 1000-piece puzzles on the side!

Post-graduation, I plan on traveling to Malaysia for a month to visit my family who I haven’t seen since I started college in 2019. After that, I’m looking forward to kickstarting my career in the Operations and Supply Chain field with Target at one of their distribution centers in San Bernadino County.

In terms of career interests, I’m looking to learn more about Operations and Supply Chain Analyst roles in the retail, sports, or entertainment industries. I would love to combine some of my passions and my professional aspirations into a career that is both fun and financially rewarding. Beyond that, I am also looking to pursue a Master’s Degree in Supply Chain Management after getting to know the industry for around five years.

On campus, I’m involved in two clubs outside of my usual class schedule. The first is a professional business fraternity called Alpha Kappa Psi, where I served as the Director of Mentorship under the Membership Committee for the past year. This semester, I’m expanding new horizons as the Pledge Educator and am really excited to guide our new members towards their own personal and professional goals. I’m also a part of our Women’s Club Basketball Team that competes against other club basketball teams in California and neighboring states. I served as the President for the past two years and am returning as the Vice President for the current academic year. I love that club sports have allowed me to continue playing competitive basketball with a less demanding schedule, and it’s really fun to travel and meet new people that share a similar passion!

This past summer, I was an Operations Manager Intern at Target’s Regional Distribution Center in Rialto. More specifically, I spent eight weeks in the Inbound Department and managed 115 team members who were responsible for unloading and receiving freight that comes from vendors across the nation. I learned a lot about warehouse operations and how various functions in the warehouse affect each other, and about what it takes to be a manager that team members can trust and hold accountable. I enjoyed going through the day-to-day tasks of an Inbound Operations Manager and challenging myself to succeed in a fast-paced environment, as this internship was my first real-world work experience.

Advice

Regarding advice for fellow students, I would really encourage others to get involved in a community that they can both grow in and give back to. It’s so rewarding to not only see yourself change throughout college, but also graduate knowing that you made an impact on the people around you. There are so many communities at Cal Poly Pomona that have students from all kinds of backgrounds, and you can learn so much from perspectives that are different that your own. Along those lines, I would definitely recommend that students get to know people outside their major, class, or usual circle. You never know what knowledge they might share with you or what opportunities they might push you towards!