Anna Bewsey, MSA'19

Why did you decide to pursue further education after your undergrad degree?

I started out with a double major in finance and accounting when I was an undergrad, but after struggling through intermediate accounting in my junior year, I dropped the accounting major. I always regretted not finishing that part of my degree. I worked as a financial analyst for about eight years but once I had kids, I took a step back from my career to be home with them and only worked part-time doing bookkeeping and payroll. I knew that when I went back to work full-time I wanted a more challenging and rewarding career. When my youngest son turned one, I decided that I wanted to go back to school and earn my master’s in accounting, so that I would have more options and be more valuable when I went back into the job market.

Looking back at the journey, what are your favorite experiences while at Kelley? Anything you got involved with, or classes you took, that you would recommend to other students?

By far, my favorite class was auditing with my favorite professor, Diane Sturek. Professor Sturek could teach a master class in how to engage students and make any topic interesting. Our entire class would routinely stay past the end of the session so that we could keep working through questions and get input from her. She is truly the best teacher that I have ever had, and I would urge every Kelley student to enroll in one of her classes.

What have you gained from your time at Kelley that will help you in your current or future career?

As an undergraduate, I stayed to myself. Unless group work was required, I usually worked alone. As a graduate student, I quickly realized that working with classmates is a much more efficient use of time. I made so many more friends as a graduate student than I did as an undergraduate, and these are people that I can now turn to in the real world for help or advice in my career.

What advice would you give to current students as you graduate?

You can never overestimate how long it will take you to finish a project or prepare for a test. I always felt like I was fighting deadlines and running out of time. My own procrastination was my worst enemy when it came to causing stress over school.

Seth Fickel, BS'19

Seth Fickel, BS'19, is the recipient of the 2019 J. Dwight Peterson Key Award, the most prestigious award conferred to undergraduate students by the Kelley School of Business Indianapolis.

Looking back at your journey at the Kelley School at IUPUI, what are your favorite experiences?

My favorite experience at the Kelley School at IUPUI was I-Core. I really enjoyed getting to interact and present to a real company from here in Indianapolis and develop a new service offering for them. Outside of that, I got to be part of some fun high-level teams for different class projects. My favorite class project was for P-429. In that class, we got to do a Six Sigma project, and I was fortunate enough to be able to do one for Delta Faucet Company, which is where I had my internship as a buyer/planner. In doing the project, I was exposed to a lot of different things and found a real love for process improvement.

What were you involved in/with, during your time at the Kelley School at IUPUI? 

During my time at Kelley, I was fortunate enough to be a part of many different student organizations, guest speak for a class, and participate in other things off campus. Outside of Kelley, my fraternity, Phi Delta Theta, has had the biggest impact on me. I've been very involved with my fraternity holding 5 positions, including an executive board position. Most recently, as philanthropy chair, I led the planning and execution of our biggest event yet, a 5K to raise money for the LiveLikeLou Foundation. LiveLikeLou helps families who have been impacted by an ALS diagnosis. Currently, I am the director for the 2nd Annual Onward Run/Walk for ALS. I will continue in this role post-graduation through the event on September 19, 2019. You can learn more here Phideltatiupui.com/5k.

What are your plans after graduation?

I will be starting my full-time position at Acuity Brands as a buyer/planner on June 10^th. In this position, I will be responsible for the supply of material to 3-5 lines and the management of the hourly employees at those lines. Prior to starting, I will be traveling to New York and North Carolina with my wife, who is pregnant with our first child.

Do you have a Kelley moment?

My Kelley moment was when Professor Mohan Tatikonda came to Delta Faucet Company when myself and fellow classmate and intern, Neil Lampe, were presenting our continuous improvement project to three managers for approval. Neil Lampe and I took on this project for Professor Tatikonda’s Continuous Improvement class.

It was the engagement that Professor Tatikonda showed that helped me realize just how special the school I was attending is. I knew it was a great school, but for a professor to take time out of their day to listen to a 30-minute presentation with a Q&A, and then stay even longer to give feedback on the presentation was truly special. The project has since been implemented with annual savings of about $10,000.

What advice would you give to current students, as you graduate?

Be open to trying new things and to taking classes that you aren’t certain you would enjoy. I was 'certain' I would be going into marketing. Thanks to I-Core and a supply chain internship, I found a love for supply chain that I didn’t know I had. I will be pursuing that career instead.

Kelsey Harrington, BS'19

Looking back at your journey at the Kelley School Indianapolis, what are your favorite experiences?

When I reflect on my journey at the Kelley School Indianapolis, my favorite experiences were the moments that I was confronted with a challenge, project or opportunity that I did not believe I could persevere and accomplish, and yet I or my team did. Two primary examples of this were in I-Core and J411. In I-Core, my team found a financial error the day before our presentation that took our project from an obvious “reject” recommendation to an overwhelming positive net present value, making it an “accept” recommendation. All of the documents we had previously submitted contained the wrong information, and we were charged with making an unexpected presentation to our professors. Desperately preparing, we spent the entire day before the presentations in the library to get ready. When we finally presented our semester-long work, we were shocked to be the team that our business partner chose to talk to about initiating our idea. In J411, my team chose to pursue a niche differentiator strategy for our corporate simulation. Although we strategized, we were disappointed not to see any results in the first few rounds. We decided to keep our heads down and stick with what we hoped would pay off. In the end, we were one of the top performing teams in our industry, rising from the bottom of the rankings. Both of these experiences were some of the ways that I felt I embodied and strengthened my tenacity to persevere as a Kelley.

What were you involved in/with, during your time at Kelley Indianapolis? 

My involvement while at the Kelley School was kind of spread out across the board. I began my journey in Bloomington for my first year, lived on IUPUI’s campus the second year, and then commuted from Muncie for the last two years. I was primarily involved in community service, volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House at Riley, assisting with their data management and guest services. Further, I really enjoyed my internships in sales, marketing, and events at the Horizon Convention for two summers. Last summer, I traveled to Cape Town, South Africa to complete an internship in social entrepreneurship. This was definitely a highlight of my student involvement during my time at the Kelley School.

What are your plans after graduation?

As of April 29th, I have begun my role as the program associate for the George and Frances Ball Foundation. In this role, I work directly with our grantees, serving as a liaison between these wonderful organizations and our board of directors. My experience with them began in September when I was brought on the team as the community engagement intern. Through my internship experience, I really saw ways that this work could be a career for me. This space has allowed me to connect my business and philanthropy degrees with my passion for supporting and engaging with my community. I am eager to pursue a career with such a proactive and family-oriented organization that s eager to invest in my hometown of Muncie, Indiana.

Do you have a Kelley moment?

My Kelley moment is a unique one, as it happened before I ever stepped foot on campus as a student. Both of my parents have business-specific degrees; my dad’s a software executive and my mom was a high school business teacher. Business was my natural path, but when I applied to Kelley, my test scores were inches shy of the requirements for direct admission. For this reason, I decided to attempt direct admission through petition. On a snowy night in February, I had just cheered a basketball game. On my way out to the bus, I saw the email notification that I had accomplished direct admission. I ran to my parents to tell them the news and my dad picked me up and spun me around. I will never forget the sense of pride I felt to be a Kelley in that moment.

What advice would you give to current students, as you graduate?

The advice that I would give to current students after experiencing this journey is that it really is all about who you know. Network, make friends, build connections. Take advantage of unique opportunities because they make your journey and story “yours.”

Jonathan Jared, BS'19

Why did you choose Kelley?

Back in 2015, my twin brother and I were attending our freshman year at a small college in middle Tennessee, when our Mom was transferred to Columbus, Indiana as part of her job with Cummins. After exploring the area and the schools in Indiana, Daniel and I saw a wonderful opportunity at Kelley Indianapolis to learn at a top business school and be connected with so many companies in downtown Indianapolis.

What has it been like going to school with my twin?

It has been awesome going to school with my twin. Daniel is my best friend, and our skills complement each other very well. His personality complements mine well, and we work like a top-notch team together. Going through our classes at Kelley, we always tried to take as many classes together as our different majors programs would allow. This has allowed us to have some wonderful experiences together. Because we enjoy working so much together, we want to open a consulting business later in life together.

Looking back at your journey at the Kelley School Indianapolis, what are your favorite experiences?

My favorite experiences were going through I-Core and the senior capstone courses with my twin brother, Daniel, experiencing the opportunities at Kelley (Kelley Indianapolis is amazing for gaining connections and experience) and the day that Daniel and I were accepted into Kelley.

What were you involved in/with, during your time at the Kelley School? 

While at Kelley I was involved in the Kelley Indianapolis Accounting Association in many positions including the class delegate, vice president and president. During my last couple of years at Kelley, I became heavily involved with tutoring students for both A100 (Basic Accounting Skills) and A201 (Intro to Financial Accounting). My love for tutoring led me to take a position as a teaching assistant for A100. Outside of school I have been very involved in obtaining real world experience. So far, I have interned at three different companies and will begin my fourth internship with Salesforce this summer. I have been fortunate enough to intern with Ehlen Heldman CPA as a sales and use tax intern, Dauby O’Connor and Zaleski as an audit intern, and Republic Airways, Inc. as a accounting and finance intern.

What are your plans after graduation?

I will be attending the MSA program at the Kelley School in Indianapolis, while continuing my real-world experience at Salesforce this summer.

Do you have a Kelley moment?

My Kelley moment happened when I discovered my love of teaching. Spring 2017, Professor Angela Andrews messaged me to see if I would be interested in helping some of her students out in the Intro to Financial Accounting course. I happily agreed. This moment has defined my career path and has strengthened my accounting skills.  

What advice would you give to current students, as you graduate?

Invest in yourself. Take the time to develop yourself in your career path of choice and as a leader. College is the perfect time to set yourself up for excellence, so take advantage of it, by not just attending classes but becoming involved in clubs for networking, obtain multiple internships and never stop bettering yourself.

Andrew Koch, MBA'19

Why did you decide to pursue further education after your undergrad degree?

I’d been interested in business school for quite a while-- following music school and graduate school in arts administration—as a way to get great high-level perspective that would be useful in almost any field.  When my family and career plans presented the opportunity to stay in Indianapolis for a while, the part-time MBA program was the right fit at the right time to pivot out of my industry and into something new.

Looking back at the journey, what are your favorite experiences while at Kelley? Anything you got involved with, or classes you took, that you would recommend to other students?

I was grateful to be placed in a small “core” group within my cohort that was phenomenal in many ways.  Five people of differing backgrounds, industries, cultures, personalities, strengths and weaknesses, and we really functioned well as a team and as friends throughout the three years.  This was a great microcosm for business leadership teams and taught me the value of working with a balanced, non-homogenous team.

What have you gained from your time at Kelley that will help you in your current or future career?

I see every learning opportunity from Kelley as another tool in my toolkit.  After three years, I feel well-equipped to understand many business leadership situations and find the right tool to make confident, informed decisions.

Do you have a Kelley moment?

Early on, I thought my unusual background in non-profit arts management would be an impediment. Kelley MBA candidates are a high-achieving and intimidating bunch! My Kelley moment came when one professor reminded me that a unique perspective made me even more valuable, business needed more leaders with my skills, and that my classmates would benefit so much more from my input. That was so empowering!

What advice would you give to current students as you graduate?

Always remember to thank the loved ones who support you through the degree.  Part-time MBA students give up a lot to attend school while working—and the family and friends that support us do, too.

Devi Neelakantan, BS'19

Devi Neelakantan, BS'19, was named to the Top 100 at IUPUI, received the Visionary Leadership Award at the 2019 Student Organization Award Ceremony and was named the 2019 Outstanding Management Student Award at Kelley Indianapolis. To see Devi's feature in our Top 100 write-up, click here.

What is your Kelley moment?

It was never just one moment, but rather an amalgamation of moments. The first was getting honored this semester, not just once, but with three distinct IUPUI awards. I was pleasantly surprised, but I also recognize that I would not be where I am without my support system of family and friends. Also while at IUPUI and Kelley, I got to meet and work alongside some of my closest friends in college. They continue to inspire me with their work ethic, tenacity and drive.

The last moment was participating in the alternative spring break program sponsored by Kelley Honors, in collaboration with Alternative Spring Breaks. We travelled to Boston (MA) for a service-learning trip centered on corporate social responsibility- meeting with the head of GE’s CSR team in the process.

Collectively, these moments mark the pinnacle of my undergraduate time through the Kelley School.

What are your plans after graduation?

I'll be taking half a gap year to travel to Dubai (UAE), Trivandrum (India) and Manila (Philippines). Before I begin my professional career, I wanted to give myself time... crucial time to decide on my 'best-fit' career path that aligns with my passions. During this interim period, I will also prepare for the GMAT.

What were your favorite organizations or extracurricular activities you were involved with during your time at Kelley Indy and IUPUI?

I’ve been able to make the most of my undergraduate time by finding a balance. It’s difficult for me to categorize them all, but several favorites come to mind:

1) Being a third year Social Justice Scholar. This role has allowed me to develop my passions for both social and global issues, which has ultimately fueled my desire to pursue a career that aligns with diversity, equity and inclusion work.

2) Former President and current Student Advisor of the Filipino Student Association at IUPUI. This organization is a remarkable documentation of my leadership, growth and grit; which ultimately helped me emphasize the importance of cross-cultural understanding and diversity.

3) Economic Development Intern at the Indy Chamber of Commerce. All of my work connects to the central effort of driving economic growth to Central Indiana. The current President & CEO, Michael Huber, is also a Kelley MBA graduate, and a remarkable leader driving the Indianapolis region forward.

4) Lead Volunteer at Paws Pantry IUPUI. Food-immediacy is a microcosm of socio-economic privilege, which feeds into the larger pool of equity issues. Paws Pantry is one of IUPUI’s solutions to resolving this for our community here.

During my time at IUPUI, I also was a First Year Seminar mentor with OTEAM, a summer undergraduate researcher through CRL at IUPUI, participated in the Kelley Honors Program, and was a strategic planning office assistant at IUSM's Space Planning and Utilization Office.

What is your advice to current Kelley students?

Get involved! It doesn’t matter if the experience is not an immediate or direct connection to your major. College provides multiple opportunities for you to better understand yourself and your passions. Getting involved will also broaden your network and teach you how to better serve your future self. You’d be surprised to find the intersections between your current interests and future career path. Gain student organization leadership experience, volunteer for a cause you believe in and intern – Downtown Indianapolis is your career playground!

Autumn Orser, MD, MBA'19

Autumn Orser, MD, MBA'19, will graduate from the Kelley School Business of Medicine Physician MBA Program this year. She currently works at Peak Vista Community Health Centers in Colorado, where she will transition to Vice President of Medical Services this month.

Dr. Orser is most proud of her use of Lean Six Sigma principles to revamp the immunization documentation process at her place of work, which led to fewer errors, increased team member satisfaction, and a potential cost-savings of over $100,000. She says it "was amazing to take lessons learned from the entire MBA Program and make a difference in the way we deliver care to our patients."

She says one of the things she enjoyed most about the Physician MBA Program was being able to learn alongside incredible leaders in the healthcare industry, who've taught her just as much as the professors ("and the professors are excellent, so that's saying something!" she added.)