Two students from the Whitman School of Management have been awarded the 2025 AWESOME Excellence in Education Scholarship. This is the first time both nominees from Whitman have received this honor, which is given to top-performing undergraduate women in supply chain management.
AWESOME (Achieving Women’s Excellence in Supply Chain Operations, Management and Education) annually selects 20 students nationwide for this scholarship. The nominees come from 35 leading supply chain programs across the United States, with each school submitting two candidates.
The recipients from Whitman are Odette Sherk ’26 and Deedra Samuel ’26, both majoring in supply chain management. They have shown leadership qualities both inside and outside the classroom.
The scholarship includes an all-expenses-paid trip to the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) EDGE Conference and the AWESOME Symposium. It also offers long-term career support through mentorship, retreats, webinars, and professional networking.
Julie Niederhoff, a professor of supply chain management at Whitman who led their nominations, noted the competitive nature of the selection process due to the high caliber of students at Whitman. “Choosing which two students to nominate is always tough because every student has a compelling story with unique strengths and interests,” she said. She added that Sherk and Samuel stood out for their initiative and feedback from professors regarding their performance.
Sherk is triple majoring in supply chain management, marketing, and environment and sustainability policy. She participates in Syracuse’s Shaw Center for Public and Community Service and Whitman’s case competition teams. “This scholarship is a chance to be part of an incredible network of women who have not only excelled in their careers but are committed to making it easier for others to follow,” Sherk said.
Samuel majors in supply chain management and business analytics with a minor in global security studies. Her focus areas include risk management, supplier diversity, and supply chain resilience. As a resident advisor and former case competition participant, she has developed skills in leadership and data-driven decision-making. “Winning this scholarship genuinely means a lot to me,” Samuel stated.
Whitman has now had six students selected since the program began 12 years ago.
