Inspiring Graduate: Nolan Harke (’25)
- Hometown: Kimberly
- Degree: B.S. Supply Chain Management
Nolan Harke chose to attend UW-Stout because of its polytechnic focus and for its strong supply chain management major, completing internships at Fastenal and Pierce Manufacturing, in Appleton. He also chose UW-Stout to play baseball in one of the best Division III conferences.
“Being involved in a team environment at Stout not only for baseball but also during my capstone course has provided me with invaluable experience and skills that I will certainly bring to my field,” he said.
Harke, of Kimberly, plans to work in the Fox Valley area. He earned his bachelor’s in supply chain management on May 10, along with 1,174 UW-Stout graduates.
“I hope to make an impact by being a valuable team member who will lead by example and will make others around them better,” he said.
“I also hope to add value to the suppliers that I will be working with by improving metrics like supplier service levels, relationships with suppliers and identifying savings opportunities.”
How has UW-Stout prepared you to work in your field?
I interned with Fastenal my sophomore year as a supply chain associate, which was a good introduction to the field, helping me understand inventory management, delivery and creating strong relationships with customers.
For the past two years, I interned at Pierce Manufacturing as a strategic sourcing intern. I managed relationships with two plastic and composite suppliers, led on-time delivery meetings, supported savings projects and presented quarterly business reviews with suppliers.
My internship experience at Pierce also stood out to me as I was able to expand my scope and work on many different projects for many different commodities. The internship program also provided many opportunities to network with other interns and employees at the Oshkosh Corp. headquarters.
Gene Gutman’s supply chain classes allow students to get out of our comfort zone, practice our critical thinking skills and problem-solve real-life situations.
My capstone course was very challenging but also taught me more about supply chain and more about myself than I could have ever imagined. Our capstone team held weekly mentor meetings, where we discussed our findings and created weekly slide decks and status updates to report to our mentor and professor.
All of these experiences, whether during my internships or in the classroom, have helped prepare me for life after college. I am grateful to have had this experience.
How did your involvement on campus impact your experience?
I was an outfielder on UW-Stout’s baseball team. I was fortunate enough to earn Academic All-District in the 2023 and 2024 seasons and was a 2025 Scholar Athlete.
I also received Career Services’ Outstanding Cooperative Education and Internship Program Student of the Year Award in 2024 for my internship with Pierce Manufacturing.
What challenges did you face in earning your degree and how did you overcome them?
The supply chain management major is made up of many courses that challenged me not only to think critically but also to create good time-management habits, presentation skills and attention to details.
My yearlong capstone course has certainly been my biggest challenge due to the complexity and rigorous nature of the course. Although I have to admit there have been many difficult moments and long nights working in the lab, I couldn’t be more grateful for the supply chain experience and real-life scenarios and problems that we tackle each and every day.
Staying levelheaded, writing down notes and goals each day and ensuring I understand my priorities helped me overcome these challenges. I am proud of the hard work, dedication and perseverance that have been needed to balance my capstone and coursework.
