Ali Arguello Service Recipient, Ben Blaine, Accepts Award While in Belize

Ben Blaine (linkedin)

Ben Blaine on the first day of his eight-week service internship with the Mayflower Bocawina National Park in Dangriga, Belize.

The Alexis "Ali" Arguello Service Award is a prestigious honor bestowed each year upon a senior student majoring in supply chain management who has demonstrated exceptional service to others. This award is a tribute to the memory of Ali Arguello, a senior studying supply chain management in the Sam M. Walton College of Business, who passed away suddenly in 2016.

Ben Blaine, an honors student at the U of A, is the recipient of this year's Ali Arguello Service Award. Majoring in supply chain management and marketing at the Sam M. Walton College of Business, Blaine has displayed a reputation and passion for serving others.

This summer, Blaine is taking his commitment to service to an international level. He is working at the Mayflower Bocawina National Park in the Stann Creek District of Belize. In this role, he is working closely with the board of directors, focusing on process improvement, logistics management, market research and strategy implementation. This position allows him to apply his knowledge in supply chain management and marketing in a real-world setting, with the ultimate goal of bringing more revenue to the park and serving the people of Belize.

Belize is also where Blaine learned he had received this award. "I'm both surprised and honored to have received your email and the Ali Arguello Service Award," Blaine wrote via email upon learning of the recognition. "My time in Belize has already allowed me to grow and push outside of my comfort zone immensely, and I'm excited to see what the rest of the summer holds and how I can best help and come alongside my colleagues here with the knowledge I've gained from the University of Arkansas and Sam M. Walton College of Business."

"Ben Blaine embodies the spirit of the Ali Arguello Service Award through his dedication to service, leadership and academic excellence," said Brian Fugate, department chair for the J.B. Hunt Transport Department of Supply Chain Management at the U of A. "His commitment to helping others, both in his professional and personal life, and his service in Belize, make him a deserving recipient for this award."