Orr fellows meet with employers at a networking event. Photo from Orr Fellowship website.
ERIC YOUNG | STAFF REPORTER | emyoung2@butler.edu
A record-breaking number of Butler students were accepted to the prestigious Orr Fellowship Program. This year, eleven Butler students make-up a portion of the six percent of graduates the program accepts. Orr Fellowship provides seniors with full-time jobs with Indianapolis-area companies following graduation. It is a two year program that is “designed to challenge and propel” graduates to career success.
Alex Adams
Major: Marketing
Host company: Lev, a digital consultancy in Indianapolis
Adams was not sure what she would do after college but applied because she felt this opportunity would allow her to network and explore opportunities in the area.
“I am most excited about meeting the people I am going to work with at Lev and also starting the professional development Orr offers,” Adams said.
Addyson Aiman
Major(s): Chemistry and Spanish
Host company: The Heritage Group, a privately held portfolio of companies.
Aiman said she wanted to follow a business career and felt Orr Fellowship would allow her to transition from chemistry education into a business professional.
“I am most excited to utilize Orr’s incredible network to meet and learn from some of the most successful business leaders in the midwest,” Aiman said.
Sarah Burkhart
Major(s): Entrepreneurship and innovation, marketing
Host company: OneCause
Burkhart applied for the program because she did not want an everyday job. To Burkhart, Orr Fellowship is a way to continue growing through learning and developing “in and out of the office.”
“I was nervous to see how I would find balance in my life with a full-time job and the fellowship, but I think being a Butler student has prepared me well for that,” Burkhart said. “Butler pushes you to become a better version of yourself, and I think I will find that same experience with the Orr.”
Tanner Cline
Major(s): Engineering and economics
Host company: enVista Corp, a business management consultant company located in Carmel, Indiana.
Cline said he did not want to go the traditional engineering route and saw Orr as a way to go a different direction. Cline said he is also excited by the number of the opportunities the program comes with. Cline attributes much of the opportunity to Butler’s alumni from the program, who provided him with information and stories of their experience in the program, that helped convince him to apply.
“The thing I am most excited about is being able to participate in all of the extracurricular provided through Orr such as the speaker series, workshops and social events,” Cline said. “Not to mention the enormous network that comes with joining the fellowship.”
Sarah Forhan
Major: Marketing
Host company: Indiana University Health
Forhan wanted to stay in the Indianapolis area after graduation. Forhan said she felt the close community that comes with Orr Fellowship was another reason she made the decision to apply. “I’m most excited to get connected and close with the other Orr Fellows, the opportunity to grow my network in Indianapolis, and hopefully gain a better understanding of what I want to do in the future,” Forhan said.
Lyndsey Isenhower
Major: Strategic communication
Host company: Apex Benefits, a consultant firm
Isenhower took up the opportunity due to the ability to work with a network of peers while also having access to many influential people in Indianapolis such as executives.
“I’m most excited about meeting new people in the Fellowship and the challenges that my career will bring,” Isenhower said.
Will Marty
Major(s): Finance and Marketing
Host Company: Greenlight Guru
“Orr provides an extensive network of alumni, and current fellows that are aiming and working at making an impact within their communities, and working at developing the next generation of entrepreneurial businesses,” Marty said. “I wanted to surround myself with people that embodied those values, and not only learn from them, but also to work directly with them and sharpen my skills. “
Carly McCarthy
Major(s): Science, technology, and society major; chemistry minor
Host company: product marketing specialist for Greenlight Guru
McCarthy chose the job over attending graduate school after graduation. She saw the two-year opportunity of Orr Fellowship as a way to stay in Indianapolis while continuing to gain experience, increase her skill-set and find a future career path.
“I am the most excited to learn about the growing businesses and civic opportunities here in Indy through the Orr Fellowship,” McCarthy said. “Although I went to Butler, there is still a lot more that Indy has to offer and I am excited for Orr to jumpstart my involvement in the community. There are also a lot of host companies doing great things and the Orr community is one of the first resources to learn and get involved with these opportunities.”
Kendall Povilaitis
Major(s): Creative writing major with a digital media productions minor
Host company: Covideo
“I applied to the Orr Fellowship because I knew some people in the organization and thought it wouldn’t hurt to try,” Povilaitis said. “I’m really excited to be around new faces, but I’m nervous about the transition period at my new job.”
Rachel Schafer
Major: Marketing
Host company: Sigstr, an email signature marketing company.
Schafer applied to Orr fellowship because she wanted to challenge herself in the professional workplace. Schafer also wanted to be in a place where the group works for both career and personal growth.
“I am most excited to officially start the next chapter of my life and discover more of what Indianapolis has to offer,” Schafer said.
Olivia Schwan
Major(s): Marketing and Spanish
Host company: Lessonly, a software company
“I’m most looking forward to learning from some of Indy’s best business leaders, growing myself professionally, and joining such a supportive and engaged community of young leaders in the city,” Schwan said.
