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Embracing opportunity and loss

Enviable experience—that is what comes to mind when you get an initial window into Sydney Osinski’s college career. A double major in food marketing and supply chain management, she is a top �鶹��ý in both majors, earning a category management certification, winning case competitions, landing a valuable co-op position and working with young dancers to help them explore self-expression.

Osinski has been a leader on multiple �鶹��ý teams, presenting a fresh perspective for companies. Her team won a protein category presentation to Meijer, and she had two winning presentations in her introductory food marketing course—one regarding placement suggestions for Justin’s Almond Butter and the other on adding fish jerky to Wellshire Farms’ current assortment. Her marketing analytics group was recognized for their innovative idea for a Reese’s Hot Chocolate Bomb.

If that was not impressive enough, she also worked in a supply chain co-op position as the Kellogg Company split into Kellanova and WK Kellogg, which gave her on-the-job experience during a historic time at the corporation. Supporting Wakefern, the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the United States with 362 retail supermarkets, she has played a variety of key roles especially in using SAP and process improvement to manage logistical concerns related to orders.

“Working during the transition from one company to two taught me a lot about teamwork,” says Osinski. “There was a natural fear about dividing the workload during the transition, and I found this an opportunity to learn about the concerns and how to effectively manage them. I attended all the company town halls. During the transition, a new buyer came onboard at Wakefern. We adapted our ordering process due to the transition, and learned a new buyer and their habits. I gained resilience as we formed a new normal. One of the projects I am still working on is a streamlined set of processes and schedule for Wakefern in light of these changes.” Osinski will begin as an end-to-end supply chain associate lead at Kellanova after graduation.

While many �鶹��ýs would look at Osinski’s resume and hope to be as successful, the road she has been on has not been an easy one. The most devastating point in Osinski’s life came during her sophomore year when her father died. Her dad had influenced her to pursue a career in supply chain management due to her results-driven mindset. His loss left her reeling while she juggled the many responsibilities of a college �鶹��ý working two jobs.

“I had a heightened awareness of the brevity of life and a desire to make the most out of my �鶹��ý,” she says. “I set high expectations for myself because I wanted to honor my father through my academic and career achievements. In the midst of grief, I found myself grappling with questions of identity and self-worth. The loss of my father prompted a profound reevaluation of who I was. This introspection, while crucial for healing, also became a breeding ground for imposter syndrome. I questioned whether my achievements were a reflection of my abilities or merely a façade to mask my internal struggles. It seemed like everyone around me was effortlessly navigating their academic and personal lives, while I was constantly on the verge of feeling like I was not enough.”

In time, with the support of her family, friends and faculty, she began to recalibrate her expectations and realize that healing is gradual and that she was more than enough.

“Dr. Russell Zwanka has been there to support me by encouraging me to reach for the bright future in front of me, as has Dr. Bret Wagner. They have both recognized my need to have someone to call upon for basic things like car maintenance or how my classes are going where I once would have relied upon my father to check in. They have helped me prepare professionally and personally to become a person I know my dad would be proud of.”