Indianaโs esteemed Orr Fellowshipย is expanding into the Evansville area, and fellows and businesses have wasted little time jumping on board.
Thirty finalists spent several hours on Nov. 15 interviewing with companies such as Berry Global, Old National Bank, United Companies, CenterPoint Energy, Toyota, and Warehouse Services Inc. Through the fellowship, which was created in 2001, new college graduates are prepared for leadership roles in the workplace. The Southwest Indiana chapter will welcome its first class in June 2025.
Among the interviewees on Nov. 15 was Evansville native Grace Wagner, an industrial engineering student at Clemson University in South Carolina. Wagner heard about the Orr Fellowship from her mother, who once worked with Tad Dickel. The Evansville-based leadership and strategy consultant and owner of consulting firm T.A. Dickel Group, LLC. is involved with the fellowship.
Wagner is looking forward to the new opportunities she is being afforded, as well as the vast network at her fingertips.
โAll the fellows and Orr Fellowship board members have been at our disposal,โ says Wagner, who interviewed with Toyota Indiana and Old National Bank. โI donโt see another scenario where Iโm interviewing with a bank because thatโs not a typical engineering path to take. This was an opportunity to see whatโs out there in Evansville. These companies want our input, they value our skills.โ
The Mater Dei High School graduate later received an offer from Old National Bank.
Another interviewee was Joshua Stockton, an environmental management student at Indiana Universityโs Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Stockton learned of the program during an information session at IU and hopes he can put his skills to use and have a network of people with similar skills.
Former Orr fellows have provided some direction, but for those who are selected to participate, much of their mentoring will take place during their fellowship.
โThey have been very communicative and transparent with whatโs going on,โ says Stockton, who interviewed Nov. 15 with Berry Global. โA lot of these companies are interested in continued learning in a workplace.โ
Read more about the Orr Fellowshipโs expansion into the Evansville region in the December/January issue of Evansville Business.
