First-year Kelley student gains real-world work experience through Business Plus Program

Unlike most first-year students in college, Brie Dillman, BS’27, did not have to wait until her sophomore or junior year to complete an internship. A Direct Admit to the Kelley School of Business Undergraduate Program, Brie applied and was selected for the new Business Plus program at Kelley Indianapolis, where she will have ongoing opportunities to intern and co-op at local businesses, starting her first year.

“I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to gain real-world experience, even if the internship isn’t something I major in, I’ll have something to add to my resume, broaden my skillset and have some friendly competition with other Direct Admit freshmen at Kelley,” Brie said. “Business Plus gives me the opportunity to professionally develop my interview skills, how to talk to employers, commute to a job, and balance a job with school. It’s been super exciting for me going in.”

Why Kelley Indianapolis

Brie enrolled at the Kelley School of Business for opportunities like this. After graduating from Center Grove High School, just south of Indianapolis, she had already earned an associate’s degree through her school’s Early College program. Brie wanted an affordable college with a good reputation that could help launch her career. Kelley Indianapolis was her first choice.

“My parents have worked really hard to get me where I am today, so I wanted to maximize what they’ve given me at a place like Kelley; a place close to home where I could commute and still have a high standard of excellence and competitiveness,” Brie said. “Kelley Indianapolis offers a high-quality education with a reputation that precedes it. This school was a no-brainier for me.”

Applying to Business Plus

As a Direct Admit to Kelley Indy, Brie was invited to apply for the new Business Plus program, and she immediately signed up. The process required a resume, which inspired her to update hers for the first time in a while. The application asked Brie to list her major and career interests, and she was funneled into marketing and human resource opportunities. Ultimately, Brie was invited to interview for a marketing position with animal health pharmaceutical company Elanco in January 2025.

Many freshmen like Brie have only held part-time jobs in food service or retail when they begin college. Students begin Business Plus at the start of their freshman year with classes and opportunities that prepare them for the internship ahead. By the time Brie started at Elanco, she felt prepared and supported to begin her first professional job.

“I’d never had a real professional job interview. The Business Plus program gave us valuable tips for preparing for the interview: How to update a resume, what to wear, what to say, what questions to ask. It was an amazing part of the program,” Brie said. “When it was my turn to interview, I wanted to sell them with my interpersonal skills and my ability to communicate. It was the best interview I’ve ever had. I was not stressed; I was telling a story about me. It was great to have that as my first real interview experience. It doesn’t have to be this big stressful thing if you’re prepared to connect.”

First internship freshman year

At the start of her second semester at Kelley, Brie began the internship at Elanco. She is taking 17 credit hours between Monday and Wednesday and commuting 50 minutes from where she lives in Mooresville to Greenfield each Thursday and Friday. She says the fact that Kelley offers a few of her classes online has been key to balancing school, work, and mental health.

“The online cases have been a huge help to me and my schedule. This experience has really helped me learn my main priorities in my life and it’s taught me intentional sacrifice, because you can’t do everything. It’s something I struggled with in high school, but it’s easier now. Everything you do takes energy, and you need to know how to prioritize,” Brie said. “The Business Plus program has really helped me explore what kind of schedule I like. This has given me the courage to try something new.”

Internship lessons

Part of trying something new is learning about the field of marketing in a hands-on environment. In her internship, Brie’s marketing wor k is largely project based, and there was a learning curve as she adjusted to a professional role. Like many students in their first job, Brie expected to walk in and be given a list of tasks. Instead, she’s learning how to navigate real-world projects through communication and taking initiative.

For one project, Brie was asked to help her team solve a problem through software platforms she had never worked in. It was her job to get the ball rolling by independently researching software options and then finding solutions that she could present to her team.

“I’ve been learning how to take initiative through this experience and approach work with a solutions mindset. I set up meetings with people to bridge the gap between what I didn’t understand and what I needed to know to get to a solution,” Brie said. “I didn’t have a lot of technical knowledge, so I had to go in and ask for the help that I needed. I didn’t have to wait for someone to say, ‘To do this project, you’ll need to learn xyz.’ I had to realize my knowledge gap and equip myself with those resources to solve it. It’s helped me to take on a lot of responsibility.”

Future Business Plus opportunities

Freshmen who complete the first year of Business Plus will have the opportunity to apply for internships with the same (or different) companies the following year and over the summer. Students can then continue to pursue opportunities in Business Plus through their senior year, with the potential for full-time co-op positions.

Halfway into her freshman year, Brie says the program has given her huge head start in understanding the work she wants to do, the professional opportunities available through Kelley Indianapolis, and her own ability to achieve them.

“Before Kelley, I had a lot of nervousness about what I was going to do with my life. Now that I’ve practiced this one opportunity with intention, I know this is going to prepare me for whatever I decide to do in the future,” Brie said. “The best thing about Business Plus is that it assures you that other people have your back. I know I have faculty and peers behind me who will help open doors for me anywhere I go in the workforce. I’m excited.”

Brie has chosen to major in finance and pursue the Kelley Venture Creation Certificate. Ultimately, she’s interested in becoming an entrepreneur. Through the marketing opportunity at Elanco, Brie says she’s gaining a whole new skill set that will be helpful wherever her career takes her over the next three years and beyond.

“As an entrepreneur, these skills may mean the difference between outsourcing your work or doing it yourself, which is huge if you’re leading your own startup,” Brie said. “If this is something I do down the road, this experience will be invaluable to me.”

Brie says the Business Plus experience has given her a huge leap forward in professional development and understanding her own abilities and priorities. She has the confidence to step into something new and explore where she wants to take her degree and her career. And she’s building a network that will support wherever that path leads.

The Business Plus Program is a great first step for Direct Admit Kelley freshman to find their path through business school and to their future. Her advice is to be intentional about growth and work on building a busy schedule because one day, those skills will serve you professionally.

“Do everything with intention. Really invest time into making yourself more marketable, whether that’s figuring out how to present yourself authentically in interviews or improving your resume. That’s been the biggest game changer for me, and I wish I’d been more intentional about at the beginning,” Brie said. “Find ways to add more tasks into your schedule and prioritize them while still being engaged in what you’re doing. Show up for more clubs, go to more events hosted by Kelley Indy, apply for scholarships on a random day. Add more things to your busy schedule so you’re actively preparing for your future.”