Finding Direction at McCoy College

by Valerie Figueroa

By the time Landon Ash walks across the stage at Texas State University’s Strahan Arena in May, to the cheers and applause of his family, friends, and peers, he will have spent four years learning, connecting, building, and preparing himself for one of the most competitive industries in the country.

Ash, a management senior at the university’s McCoy College of Business, didn’t spend his time at the university idly. During his academic journey, he served as vice president of the university’s Net Impact chapter, participated as a student panelist in the college’s Business Leadership Week, and developed the Supply Chain Management Association, a new student organization that provides management students with information about professional opportunities in supply chain operations.

He also turned his interest in operations into a procurement internship with Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, a leading global security, defense, and aerospace contractor, and secured a full-time role with the company after graduation.

Ash, who grew up in Atascocita, Texas — a Houston suburb — had an upbringing that was anything but ordinary. His father’s career in the chemical industry led the family to Düsseldorf in western Germany for several years, where Ash attended school and spent his weekends and school breaks visiting surrounding countries. That early exposure to different cultures and ways of life would ultimately shape his academic and professional pursuits.

When it came to choosing which university to attend, Ash was deliberate. As a Texas native, he had a clear understanding of the state’s college landscape. He says Texas State was at the top of the list because it aligned with his academic goals, and the IH-35 corridor between Austin and San Antonio provided access to nearby opportunities.

He chose management as his major for its flexibility. He wanted to be able to explore without committing to a set career path too early. He realized supply chain management was a natural fit for someone interested in flexibility, travel, business operations, and cross-border work.

Building a Student Organization 
The Supply Chain Management Association did not exist when Ash arrived at Texas State. After developing an interest in supply chain management, he figured other students may be interested in learning more about the industry and potential career paths as well. He and two fellow students — now alumni — set out to build SCMA as a hub of information and resources aimed at providing students the tools to navigate a competitive and often complex industry.

“I think that it's very limitless,” he says. “There are many jobs now in the field that aren't even explored or haven't been touched in terms of what AI is going to do. The value of these programs is going to be irrefutable as the world changes, and we get more autonomous.”

Three semesters in, SCMA has been busy with events, hosting guest speakers, conducting industry tours, and bringing in alumni to connect with students and share what supply chain management entails.

As the organization’s president, Ash is committed to keeping student interest in supply chain management alive and relevant. He is also thinking about what comes after he leaves.

When asked about his proudest accomplishment, Ash says: “Seeing where the program that we've developed is at today, the traction we've gained, and the time that we have put in. The other 50% of that is ‘who’s going to take this over now?’ Leadership doesn’t stop when you graduate.”

Before SCMA, Ash served as vice president of the college’s Net Impact chapter, a nationally recognized organization that served as the blueprint for what he believed a well-run student organization could look like.

“That organization alone helped me develop what SCMA is now and the people that I met along the way,” he says.

This past spring, Ash also served as a student panelist during McCoy College’s Business Leadership Week, joining fellow student leaders in a conversation focused on helping underclassmen get more involved on campus and how leadership roles in student organizations can support their professional growth.

Finding His Way
Ash credits Col. Jeff Haynes, now retired from McCoy College, with giving his career a clear direction. Haynes taught the Introduction to Business in a Global Environment course, which covers the modern business enterprise and focuses on how different business functions work together in a global context.

“His class was monumental in leadership basics and direction, and where to take a career in supply chain,” Ash says. “He opened the doors to where I am now.”

Haynes later made the introduction that ultimately led to a full-time opportunity with Lockheed Martin. At the time, Ash was considering a path in the automotive industry, but Haynes encouraged him to broaden his options and connected him with a former student who now works at Lockheed Martin for a potential internship and the opportunity to break into the industry.

Aware of the challenging and often turbulent job market, Ash jumped at the opportunity. Early on, he understood the value of leveraging the connections and resources available to him at the college.

“You’re buying into the service of earning a degree and taking these professors’ time and their knowledge,” he says. “Why not make that office hour visit weekly or just pick their brains as much as possible because that’s the service you’re paying for.”

Breaking Into the Industry
Ash is a procurement intern in Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Development Programs (ADP) department. His daily tasks include assisting buyers and subcontract associates on the team. He creates non-disclosure agreements, supports program managers, and serves as a liaison between engineers, programs, and procurement processes.

“The team has been open to just exposing me to different programs inside of ADP,” he says.

Shortly after graduation, he will be stepping into a full-time role with the company in procurement subcontract management, supporting the F-35 program in Fort Worth, Texas. He said he’s keeping his options open as he considers future paths in global trade or supply chain risk, but for now, he is focused on gaining a deeper understanding of the industry before deciding his next step.

Four Years Later
Looking back at his freshman year, he says the growth since then is evident and meaningful.

“Leadership rigor has changed, and just being somebody that wants to get out there,” he says. “You come in as a freshman and see … these seniors and juniors that are running these groups, it can be pretty intimidating early on.”

He turned that intimidation into motivation. For Ash, college was not a passive experience. The students who get the most out of it are the ones who treat every room as an opportunity, and that’s what he’s done.

Now, with graduation a few weeks away, he is trying to fully appreciate the stretch of river and Hill Country between Austin and San Antonio before trading it in for the Fort Worth skyline. He grew up camping and hiking, and the area around San Marcos has been easy to love.

“Between Austin and San Antonio, it's a luxury to have as much as we have here," he says.

Ash will be leaving McCoy College with a degree, a job offer, the legacy of building a student organization from scratch, and the determination to make an impact in a rapidly changing industry. ✯