San Jac logistics program earns $30,000 in Transportation Club scholarships
PASADENA, Texas – Seven students and one professor in San Jacinto College's Bachelor of Applied Technology in Logistics and Supply Chain Management program received Transportation Club of Houston scholarships totaling more than $30,000.
The scholarships represent 30% of the club's $100,000 in annual awards to students in logistics, supply chain, and maritime programs at regional universities and colleges. San Jac is the first community college to participate at this scale.
Seven of the program's 43 students received Transportation Club of Houston scholarships this year, while five others earned awards from the International Trade and Maritime Association, the Southwest Association of Rail Shippers and the Institute for Supply Management, bringing total industry scholarship support to more than $56,000.
"We have received transformational funding for our students in the inaugural cohort for the bachelor’s program," said Margaret Kidd, logistics and supply chain management department chair. "Industry votes with their pocketbook and time invested in programs like ours. We are blessed to be part of this community and to have Professor Jenkins guiding the next generation."
Among the recipients is Kitara Smolinski, a mate on offshore supply vessels who transports materials and provisions to ships and oil rigs in the Gulf of America. She earned an Associate of Applied Science in Maritime Transportation from San Jac in 2025 and will begin the BAT program this fall.
"Pursuing a degree in logistics and supply chain management is an investment for a future career pathway once I transition from actively working on offshore vessels to a shoreside position," Smolinski said.
Smolinski said scholarships have been instrumental in making her education possible and will help her continue building on the experience she has gained at sea.
"Scholarships funded by organizations like this one made the biggest difference in my ability to complete that first degree," Smolinski said. "I am grateful for the opportunity to accept this award and use it toward my future."
For fellow recipient Axel Cruz, a simple question sparked his interest in logistics: How do products get from manufacturers to store shelves?
"Most people go to a store, buy what they need, and leave without thinking about how the product they bought got there in the first place," Cruz said. "Those are the kinds of questions I ask myself, and that's what made me interested in pursuing a career in logistics."
Now on track to graduate in 2029, Cruz said credits professor Ivy Jenkins and department chair Margaret Kidd inspired him to apply for the scholarship.
The Transportation Club also recognized Ivy Jenkins, logistics and supply chain management professor, with a scholarship supporting his doctoral studies through Sam Houston State University.
"As a descendant of generations of individuals who were not afforded the opportunity to pursue a formal education, I view my educational journey as both a personal achievement and a tribute to their resilience, sacrifices, and unrealized aspirations," Jenkins said.
He said the scholarship will help him complete his doctorate while continuing to mentor future logistics professionals.
"Receiving this scholarship is both humbling and deeply meaningful," Jenkins said. "It provides critical support as I work toward completing my doctoral program."
San Jacinto College's Bachelor of Applied Technology in Logistics and Supply Chain Management prepares students for careers in transportation, maritime, trade and supply chain industries through applied coursework, industry partnerships and real-world learning opportunities.
- Cruz
- Jenkins
- Smolinski
- Cynthia Alanis
- Sandra Castellano Amadiz
- Heather Guajardo
- Elizabeth Tigner
- Venus Turner
Learn more about logistics and supply chain management at San Jac
About San Jacinto College
Surrounded by monuments of history, evolving industries, maritime enterprises of today,
and the space age of tomorrow, San Jacinto College has served the people of East Harris
County, Texas, since 1961. The College is ranked second in the nation among more than
1,100 community colleges, as designated by the Aspen Institute and was named an Achieving
the Dream Leader College of Distinction in 2020 and 2026. As a Hispanic-Serving Institution
that spans five campuses, plus an online college, San Jacinto College serves approximately
45,000 credit and non-credit students annually. It offers more than 200 degrees and
certificates across eight major areas of study that put students on a path to transfer
to four-year institutions or enter the workforce. The College is fiscally sound, holding
bond ratings of AA+ by Standard & Poor’s and Aa2 by Moody’s. San Jacinto College is
accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
