When he came to Eastern Kentucky University from Pikeville three years ago, Dalton Stanley “would have balked” at the mere thought of speaking before hundreds of people or even privately to CEOs of large corporations.
But he was never too frightened to “see my weaknesses at face value and really tackle them.”
“Terribly afraid of public speaking,” he joined the University’s nationally prominent mock trial program.
“Not the best at interpersonal and leadership skills,” he became president of EKU’s chapter of Phi Beta Lambda.
Unsure of a career path at first, he decided on supply chain management and two other majors only after extensive research.
Now, after interviewing with Domino’s executives over a two-week period, Stanley is the first EKU student to land a prestigious global supply chain management internship with the regional office of food giant Domino’s in Erlanger, Kentucky. He will learn his project assignment shortly after he starts May 14.
The internship is “strategically important, as it gives our program yet another top-tier firm for our supply-chain students to gain tremendous experience,” said James Kirby Easterling, a fellow Pikeville native who now heads EKU’s global supply chain management program (management.eku.edu/gsm). “It also says a lot about our program in that Domino’s only recruits from top supply chain management programs. This internship is particularly impressive, as Dalton will be meeting with and presenting to the Domino’s CEO and other senior executives, including our own EKU alum, Louisville native Troy Ellis, vice president for supply chain management.”
Ellis, a member of the EKU Foundation Board, had reached out to his alma mater to inquire about the possibility of employing Eastern supply chain management students.
In Stanley, Domino’s is getting an accomplished student with an impressive track record of academic success, leadership and work experience. The 2014 Pikeville High graduate, a Patterson Scholar and member of EKU Honors, boasts a 3.96 GPA, while pursuing a demanding triple major in supply chain management, managerial finance and computer information systems. Earlier this semester, he scored in the top 1 percent globally in the AACSB School of Business Field Test. In addition to his exemplary coursework, he has served as president for Phi Beta Lambda/Future Business Leaders of America, as treasurer of the Student Government Association and as student representative on the College Curriculum Planning Committee.
Meanwhile, Stanley has also served as a human resources intern with Cardinal Country Stores, property manager for C&O LLC Real Estate, and business tutor with the Bratzke Student-Athlete Academic Success Center on campus. This semester, he is a supply chain management intern with Carhartt Inc. in Irvine, where Jennifer Strauel, human resource manager, “can’t say enough about how wonderful he is (and) what a contribution he’s making to our organization.” Strauel also noted Stanley’s “kind heart and willingness to serve our community” after a recent severe storm damaged many homes, including those of Carhartt employees. “Dalton volunteered without hesitation alongside our employees” at a “Day of Giving” that the company organized to assist with clean-up.
Now Stanley is eager to begin his new assignment with Domino’s.
“It is always such an invaluable experience to be immersed in a company that has been so successful over the years,” he said. “This is an opportunity to see how the concepts I have learned in class actually apply in practice.”
He desires a career in supply chain management, adding that he is still trying to determine what branch would be the best fit. “I do know I want to work for a successful company with a family-like atmosphere where the employees genuinely care for and help each other succeed while continuously seeking to improve the success of the company as a whole.”
Stanley has found that family atmosphere and commitment to excellence in EKU’s supply chain management program.
“Without regard to the fact that this is a rapidly growing and dynamic field with so many choices for career paths, I would argue that the quality of our program would rival any program, even nationally,” he said. “This program has grown exponentially since I came here as a freshman, and it is not just because of the quality of wonderful professors. What really sets this program apart is its ability to provide a solid foundation for students in the classroom, and then get them into internships with quality companies to build on that foundation. We continue to build strategic partnerships with great employers that pay our students while giving them valuable work experience that will set them apart in the job market. These employers are always impressed with how well they are prepared for the career field.”
Stanley singled out Easterling for his mentor’s “guidance, direction, encouragement and advice. I will always be thankful for him. He is amazing at what he does for his students and has such a passion for seeing his students succeed.”
Easterling called Stanley “one of the most talented and hardest-working students I’ve had during my time here at EKU. I am absolutely confident he will represent himself, our program and EKU with the utmost professionalism and achievement.”
Stanley said he is “not the person I was five years ago, (but) I will always be a work in process, always growing, learning and improving on who I am now.”
Read more EKUStories...
