By ELLIOT HARRIS

Staff Writer

The Lou-Ark Chapter of the National Association of Purchasing Managers has awarded its annual scholarship to a senior finance major.

The recipient, Kayla Porche, said she was surprised to win.

"I was shocked to be nominated in the first place," Porche said. "To have a professor remember you from a past class is a great honor."

Porche said she will use her award to pay off accumulated school expenses.

The National Association of Purchasing Managers, composed of professionals in the purchasing business, consists of members throughout northeast Louisiana.

The Lou-Ark Chapter of Monroe chooses new scholarship recipients annually from the University of Louisiana at Monroe and Tech.

Dr. Travis Willis, incoming president of the chapter for the 2004-05 year and a professor of management, said this is the first time in several years that a student from Tech has been awarded the scholarship.

Willis said Porche is an outstanding student.

"She has showed an interest in the purchasing area and has taken all the courses," he said. "She already has a job upon graduation in purchasing."

Porche's GPA of 3.8 fit the requirement to apply, and she showed an interest in a purchasing management career. She used three references, which included two faculty members and one personal reference, as recommendations for the position.

Dr. Ray Inman, a professor of management and marketing, nominated Porche.

Porche will work for Kellog, Brown & Root as an assistant buyer for a military base in Kuwait, Camp SPOD.

She will purchase construction, plumbing and mechanical materials for reconstruction efforts in Iraq.

Porche said she will work on the job four months at a time and will get a two-week break, which she will spend at home.

Porche will have the chance to visit some of her family members, who are already working in Kuwait. Her father works as a warehouse manager, and her brother is a maintenance supervisor.

Porche said she is excited about attaining a job in a place she has always wanted to visit.

"I've had an interest in working in Kuwait and to be overseas," she said. "The [purchasing and material control management] class opened me up to a new career field I never thought of before."

Porche will leave for Houston on May 24 for orientation for her job in which she will do one week of training and undergo a medical evaluation. Porche will board a plane for Kuwait one to three weeks later.