National Career Development Month: Anastasia Sparages

For National Career Development Month, CSCR is catching up with recent Penn State Supply Chain and Information Systems (SCIS) alumni and exploring their journey from student to full-time professional. Learn more about Anastasia "Ana" Sparages, a 2023 SCIS graduate, and her mission to continue to advance her career development.

Tell us about yourself!

The URDP rotational program (three rotations) that Honeywell offers is to recent graduates from top supply chain universities. Here, we get the opportunity to interface with company executives, work on impactful projects, and gain a deep understanding of how Integrated Supply Chain processes work at a multi-national Fortune 100 manufacturer. Currently, I am in my second rotation, supporting our Fire & Life Safety business (think all the fire systems in commercial buildings and the tech Fire Departments use to keep people safe 😊). 

What career accomplishment are you most proud of?  

There are a few career accomplishments that come to mind—but I am most proud overall of being trusted to own processes early on in my career. An example of this is our corporate delivery priority process. Within my first rotation, this is something I was onboarded onto and now am the main point of contact for. When escalations are needed for customer sales orders, or anyone in Building Automation has a concern regarding delivery priority, I am the go-to person. I’m appreciative that I can influence and enhance strategies in a large company even as a rotational—it makes a difference in my experiences as a young professional.  

How do you plan to continue your professional growth?  

One of my career goals is to learn various tools and ERP systems that are the backbone of Honeywell’s operations. Ultimately, learning how to navigate these, like SAP and Kinaxis RapidResponse, will result in becoming a “jack of all trades.” It will give me insight into the data that we use to make decisions as a company. These sorts of skills are easily transferrable and something I can take with me into any future role. Alongside the knowledge I gained from my Lean Six Sigma green belt, I will continue my professional growth in these data-driven areas.  

What was the biggest success/challenge you faced going from college to your job?  

One of the biggest challenges was becoming comfortable with a corporate office job. It’s tough to be inside a building all day—but thankfully I’ve set aside a quick break to get some fresh air now in the afternoon, and learned how to create a good work/life balance.

A success I would say is building a network of people I was excited to be around. From friends at work, church, and the gym (and of course some PSU friends!), I’m grateful for different circles of people I can rely on and who make me look forward to each day.

What aspects of Honeywell caused you to choose to return full time? What values of the company stood out to you?  

As an intern, I placed an emphasis on getting to know people in the organization who would support me and my career growth. The environment at Honeywell cultivates this sort of mindset which made networking easy and enjoyable. Each person I reached out to happily agreed to meet with me—and this spoke volumes to the values of Honeywell. It’s not just about transactional interactions, but about building relationships. Many of the leaders at Honeywell want to support young talent and take successful people alongside them as they themselves get pulled into higher roles. For me, that was something I most definitely wanted to come back to in a full-time position. As cliché as it sounds, the people make work more fun and align with personal values of supporting one another, both personally and professionally.  

What is the most important risk you’ve taken and why? 

Following my first internship with Honeywell Aerospace in 2022, I was apprehensive about taking a second internship and changing businesses. I figured I’d pigeon-hole myself in Honeywell and not have many opportunities. Taking the risk to accept a second internship and move to a new place ended up being the best move of my undergraduate career. Honeywell is a company with numerous opportunities within supply chain and beyond. Taking the internship did not hinder any potential success for me, but the opposite. I understand a broader picture of Honeywell as a company and how their supply chain differs amongst divisions of the company.

What do you feel you took from Penn State to your current role?  

My classes at Smeal, especially where real-world projects were incorporated, have all impacted me today. Specifically in the sourcing role, I deal with a lot of spend analyses and external communications with suppliers. Right away, I recall looking at supplier scorecards, practicing negotiations, and discussing cost/benefits. All of these, alongside Smeal’s professional development opportunities, have given me a great foundation for the corporate world.

What is your dream job if you had no limitations?  

My dream job would selfishly be to run a food and travel blog. If anyone needs Atlanta food recommendations, let me know!