Six ambitious students gained some peace of mind about pursuing their educational and career dreams in the supply chain industry, thanks to the Food Shippers of America (FSA) John J. Murphy Scholarship.

First place winner Courtney Carlson, a senior at the University of Colorado Boulder, discovered the FSA scholarship after being accepted into the Master of Science in Business Analytics program at the University of Notre Dame. Thrilled to receive the scholarship, Carlson said the funds will go far beyond just financial support.

“It’s a recognition of the people and values that have shaped me, especially the women who came before me,” Carlson says. “Education has always been a core value in the Carlson household. My grandmother, who never had the chance to pursue higher education, made it her mission to ensure that my mother attended college. In turn, my mother worked tirelessly—commuting long hours and making countless sacrifices—to guarantee that I would have the same opportunity.”

Carlson’s mother passed away from cancer during Carlson’s junior year of college. Carlson promised her mom she would finish her degree.

“Graduate school, to me, represents more than professional growth,” she says. “It’s a testament to my mother’s legacy. Thanks to the John J. Murphy Scholarship, I now have the opportunity to carry that legacy forward.”

Runner Up Alicia Peterson is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management at Winona State University in Winona, MN. Through her deep respect for her father’s commitment to Bush Brothers & Company, and with her own experience working for the organization, she applied for the scholarship. Peterson says she also applied in hopes of finding some personal validation on choosing the right career path.

“I have been a hard worker throughout high school and in my daily life,” she says. “I wanted to see that hard work and dedication pay off in my studies, and it has. I chose to pursue human resource management as my major because I have a deep passion for people. I love to see people succeed and to help them in that process. I firmly believe that a company’s only competitive advantage is its employees, so I knew this would be the right major for me.” 

According to Peterson, receiving second place helped her see that her dedication to her studies and future career was worth the effort. 

Nicholas Ferrel, this year’s third-place winner, received the runner-up position in 2024. 

“It feels surreal that I was able to win again,” Ferrel says. “Winning the scholarship again helps me to acknowledge that I am on the correct path towards realizing my dreams. This acknowledgment motivates me to work harder in my studies and involve myself within my department and community.” 

Ferrel currently is majoring in Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics at the University of Alabama. Coming from a family with strong ties to supply chain management—his father worked in the field and his brother studied it—Ferrel found that the FSA scholarship perfectly aligned with his interests in both food distribution and aerospace. 

“It is because of these personal ties that I have been acquainted with the supply chain management and logistics industry since I was a child,” he says. ”Being able to apply the teachings and problem-solving of the engineering discipline to the supply chain management industry will allow me to combine both of my two favorite careers into one.” 

Fourth place winner Emma Bausch is headed to Fairfield University in Fairfield, CT. Bausch has planned to major in marketing and planned to apply her skills in the food shippers industry. 

In addition to these scholarship recipients, there were two fifth-place winners, including Aubrey Pixler, currently pursuing an aerospace engineering degree at the University of Notre Dame, and Elise Robbert, who has planned to pursue a business and logistics degree at Peirce College this fall. 

Related Articles:

• About the FSA Scholarship Program
• Aspirations of Young People: Potential Careers in the Supply Chain
• FSA Helping Individuals through Scholarships

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