Ignited by Determination

PROVO, Utah – Oct 30, 2020 – Never give up. That’s a lesson that Allison Oberle learned early as a student at BYU that she has relied on often since graduation. While she initially struggled with deciding her career path, Oberle, a 2015 global supply chain management alumna from the BYU Marriott School of Business, overcame obstacles as a student and has excelled in her job, becoming an operations manager at a major corporation in only five years.

As a high school student, Oberle originally had no desire to study at BYU. However, after attending a college fair, Oberle had an overwhelming feeling that she needed to be at BYU. Oberle came to BYU eager to study accounting but initially struggled with the entry classes. “I took the introduction to accounting class but unfortunately did not get the grade that I needed to be accepted into the School of Accountancy at BYU Marriott,” she says.  Oberle says her experience in her challenging introductory accounting class made her question if she was really cut out for a career in accounting.

After thinking over her options, Oberle spoke directly with the advisors BYU Marriott’s undergraduate advisement office to find out how she could improve. “My past difficulty with the class fueled my fire to become better and meet the thresholds that were expected of me,” Oberle remembers. She was eventually admitted into BYU Marriott and believes that her perseverance is what led to that acceptance. This experience was a pivotal moment in Oberle’s determination to  never let anyone create limitations for her.

This acceptance was a huge accomplishment, and Oberle ultimately chose to major in global supply chain management after one of her student advisors, who happened to be a global supply chain major, helped her realize her aptitude for global supply chain. “My advisor was incredibly helpful and went into detail about what global supply chain management was and the type of people who are typically successful in global supply chain management. Everything he described fit me perfectly. From that moment, I knew I needed to pursue global supply chain management instead of accounting,” she says.

In addition to being persistent, Oberle consistently involved herself in the campus community, seeking to grow as a student and a global supply chain professional. She studied abroad with the BYU Marriott Europe Business program, became president of BYU Marriott’s Global Supply Chain Association, and even joined the BYU folk dance team. Now with a degree in hand, Oberle entered the workforce with many valuable opportunities and experiences provided by BYU Marriott.

Having graduated from BYU Marriott, Oberle excitedly took her first step in her career in global supply chain management. Unfortunately, in the first few years, Oberle faced obstacles that required her to adapt quickly. However, she continued to persevere. “I found my first job after graduation at Sun Products, but after just two years, Sun Products was acquired by Henkel Corporation, a leading global laundry and beauty care company,” she says. “Experiencing a company merger was one of the hardest things I’ve done in my short career and I felt like giving up many times. But it taught me a lot about the type of career I wanted and put me on the fast track for growth and development.”

Oberle attributes her success and endurance in her career to BYU Marriott. “BYU Marriott provided me with the necessary skills to help me excel in my career. I wouldn’t have been prepared for the acquisition and promotion to manager if not for BYU Marriott and my professors who pushed me to be better,” she says.

Staying determined, Oberle came out of the merger with a promotion to team lead and experiences that set her apart from her coworkers. “I’m grateful for the fact that we merged and I was able to stay with the company,” she says. Oberle believes that this is partly due to her strong work ethic.

Now Oberle manages specific areas of the company that were developed during the merger. In addition, in only five years, she has held four different positions and has learned to be a leader. “My current position stretches me professionally, but I never want to be complacent in my career. Instead, I want to continue to work my way up and grow as a professional,” she says. Since graduating BYU Marriott, Oberle has come a long way, and she remains determined to never give up and to be a leader and example to others.