Bethany Farmer finds new passion, confidence in W. P. Carey supply chain master's program

Bethany Farmer's (BA Business Law '24, MS-SCM '25) passion and love for business brought her to the W. P. Carey School of Business as an undergraduate at Arizona State University, and brought her back for the Master of Science in Supply Chain Management (MS-SCM) program.

"Business is one of the most beautiful and interesting things in the world for me," says Bethany Farmer (BA Business Law '24, MS-SCM '25), whose passion and love for business brought her to the W. P. Carey School of Business as an undergraduate at Arizona State University.

"As a little girl, I was always enamored by stories I saw on the news whenever a company made a scientific breakthrough or launched a unique and innovative product,” she says. “To me, these companies that made people’s lives better and helped the world run seemed like magic."

Farmer discovered the process behind that "magic" when she took a supply chain course as part of her undergraduate business studies, and she felt a strong pull towards the logistics industry. "Supply chain let me see the magic behind those innovative and important companies I fell in love with as a child," she says.

This led her to begin the Master of Science in Supply Chain Management (MS-SCM) program after she finished her undergraduate degree. While in the program, she's had hands-on learning experiences, solidified her career goals, and found mentors who have provided her with invaluable support.

The W. P. Carey School spoke with Farmer about her path to the MS-SCM program, the connections she's formed at the school, and advice she has for future students.

Why W. P. Carey?

Coming into college, Farmer had plans to pursue law studies. She learned about the business law undergraduate program at W. P. Carey, which combined her interest in both subjects. "Unbeknownst to me, this was the catalyst for me falling in love with the field of business," she says. "With each class I took, my W. P. Carey faculty had slowly built up my confidence and knowledge in both business and law."

Farmer describes the connections that she's made with faculty at W. P. Carey — both at the undergraduate level and from the Department of Supply Chain while in the MS-SCM program — as "the most meaningful and fulfilling part of my education."

"When I was having the worst year of my life, my W. P. Carey faculty showed me immense kindness, patience, and grace," Farmer says. "As I have continued through the MS-SCM program, I have grown increasingly grateful for all of my faculty and the time, care, and effort they have taken to mentor me and my peers."

She adds that being around faculty and classmates has also helped her become more comfortable in conversations and connecting with other people, something she had previously struggled with. "Before joining W. P. Carey, I was a very shy and introverted person. I was often too embarrassed to talk about my interests and start conversations with my peers."

"However, meeting and connecting with so many interesting students and professors have made me a lot more comfortable talking with people," Farmer says. "I have learned to relax and be less afraid of being genuine with my peers and professors. In doing so, I have found a lot of life-long connections, friends, and mentors who share similar hobbies, goals, and outlooks with me."

Why supply chain?

Farmer's first exposure to supply chain was during her junior year of undergraduate studies, which she describes as a difficult time. While trying to stay on track for graduation, one of the courses she took was SCM 300 Global Supply Operations.

She was apprehensive, as she had heard about the course's difficulty, but advice from a fellow student helped her not only with that particular class, but with her academic journey and career path as a whole.

"I had a friend in the supply chain undergrad program, and he said I needed to take the class with Professor Hitendra Chaturvedi," Farmer says. "He described Professor Chaturvedi as 'the most thought-provoking and inspiring professor' in W. P. Carey’s supply chain program. Taking his advice was one of the best decisions I made during my undergrad."

As an introduction to the world of supply chain and logistics, SCM 300 helped Farmer discover a strong interest and passion for the industry and how it plays a part in every aspect of business. "For the first time in my life, every business concept I previously learned at W. P. Carey clicked into place, and I could see how they all worked together like the gears of a clock."

Her passion for supply chain, which developed from that initial course, led Farmer to the MS-SCM program, and she intends to pursue a business career after graduation. "I know with certainty that I will leave equipped to start, lead, and grow those massive, innovative, and honorable businesses I fell in love with as a little girl."

What's next?

In her undergraduate business law program, Farmer took electives in entrepreneurship and intellectual property law. She plans to combine that knowledge with the MS-SCM program in her future career.

"I want to make a company that will help develop and make patents more widely available to companies and small entrepreneurs," Farmer says. "I think doing that would help make my dreams and some other people’s dreams come true. At the very least, I want to help make some useful and innovative products available to help people."

For those who also have dreams about working in business and making an impact, Farmer highly encourages them to look at ASU.

"If you love business and you know you want a business degree, get it at W. P. Carey," she says. "I have taken courses at schools like Stanford and Wharton, but no school has made me more excited to go into business than ASU. Almost every teacher I have met at W. P. Carey has filled me with knowledge, excitement, and passion for the field of business."