Maria Escobar transferred to Temple from Bucks County Community College as an Estee Lauder Scholar, giving her the internship experience of a lifetime. 

Name: Maria Escobar 
Major: Supply chain management 
School/college: Fox School of Business 
Year: Class of 2028 
Hometown: Philadelphia 
Previous institution: Bucks County Community College

In her first semester at Bucks County Community College, Maria Escobar submitted an application that would set the course for the rest of her college experience: the Estee Lauder Scholars. Upon acceptance, she and her advisors began crafting a plan that would take her through several full-time supply chain internships at the company and eventually to Temple’s Fox School of Business.

When you were transferring, how did you decide on Temple?

To be honest, I didn’t really think much about different schools or anything like that when I went to Bucks. I got accepted into a scholarship program with Estee Lauder, and so right from the get-go, I think it was my first semester, I already knew that I was going to Temple because the program was specifically for future supply chain majors at Temple.

What has the Estee Lauder experience been like? Can you tell me a bit about it?

I started working at Estee Lauder full time that summer. And then during the semesters, they are able to really accommodate whatever my schedule is. So, I give them my schedule, and they build a plan for me.  

My resume is so full; I get compliments on it all the time, so that’s pretty nice. But I’ve also gotten experience in their production and manufacturing warehouses. It’s commerce and distribution as well as shipping logistics, so I’m pretty well-rounded in the different areas of supply chain, which is nice. Right now I’m working for their distribution center.  We’re preparing for our peak season, which is November and December for Christmas time.

How did transferring to Temple go for you?

I’m not going to lie; it’s been a little hard. I think I was used to just having slightly easier classes, because I used to play softball at Bucks, too. So I had my softball days, my work and then I would have classes. I had it all kind of figured out because I didn’t have to spend so much time studying and getting my work done. But coming here and having that more challenging workload for classes and working at Estee Lauder, I’m like, this is a little difficult. So I’ve been working with my advisors, and I’ve come up with a plan to take four classes each semester. But overall, everyone’s been really, really helpful, especially my advisor.

What has been the best part of transferring to Temple so far?

I think probably getting a more realistic college experience. I love Bucks, but it’s very small. You kind of just know everyone, and everybody has similar schedules. Even if you didn’t know their names, you know their faces.

Versus here, I see so many people every day, and it’s honestly really awesome to just be in a slightly bigger environment and getting to know so many other people. So when I say realistic, I mean it’s more like the real world. It’s more like a city with a lot of people, whereas my community college was more like a suburb, or a smaller community.

How did how did you go about making friends and finding community as a transfer student?  

I’m definitely still working on that, honestly. I find myself spending a lot of time with other transfer students who came from Bucks with me. I usually hang out with them, but a couple friends from high school have introduced me to their friends, too.  

I’ve also made friends with classmates. Like, you know, you buddy up with them in the beginning, and then you get a group project and then you just end up becoming really close with them.  

If you could give your younger self (or any other transfer student) any advice, what would it be?  

That it’s okay to not follow your plans 100%.

I think I came here thinking, this is what I’m going to do. This is my plan.

And then I realized, maybe I can’t keep up this pace. But I have a good support system through, friends, family and even here at Temple, and that made me realize it’s okay to deviate from plans that I had originally proposed as long as my goal is the same. The journey that I take can always change.