Nine IU freshmen were awarded the Kelley Scholarship, which offers full tuition and fees, a living stipend and funds for overseas travel.
“We believe the Kelley Scholarship to be one of the most prestigious scholarships at Kelley,” special project and academic adviser Amanda Denton said.
The Kelley Scholars program began in 1997 when E.W. Kelley presented the School of Business with a $23-million gift to be used for students wishing to major in business, according to the website.
Denton said the scholarship is annually awarded to approximately 10 of the most promising business leaders entering the Kelley School as freshmen.
“These students are among the very best who applied to IU as potential business majors,” Denton said. “They not only excel academically, they also must be leaders in their schools, churches and communities.”
Denton said as part of the selection process, the 20-25 finalists go through a rigorous weekend on the Bloomington campus, including group and individual interviews, a writing sample and faculty and student interactions.
“The interview weekend itself was a humbling experience, because the other finalists seemed so well-qualified for the scholarship,” said Brandon Luebbehusen, a freshman Kelley Scholar from Saint Anthony, Ind. “I felt honored simply to be chosen as a finalist.”
Denton said that upon graduating, the Kelley Scholars go onto a variety of careers in areas such as accounting, consulting, investment banking and advertising. The Kelley Scholar graduating class of 2014 went on to accept positions at Procter and Gamble, Bain and Company, Macy’s, KPMG and Teach for America.
Andrew Bentivoglio, a freshman Kelley Scholars from Westfield, Ind., said being a Kelley Scholar is a fantastic opportunity he will not take for granted during the next four years.
“I can’t wait to work with the other Kelley Scholars,” Bentivoglio said. “We’ve spent a lot of time together while we were interviewing for the scholarship and at orientation, and it’s a great group of motivated students. I think we all expect big things from ourselves, so I expect the group to do great things.”
Luebbehusen said because the Kelley Scholars come from entirely different backgrounds, he thinks they will benefit each other by sharing their diverse ideas and experiences.
“As a group of motivated students who share a passion for business, I anticipate that we will continuously push one another to further succeed,” he said.
Freshman Kelley Scholar Tanner Snider from Vincennes, Ind., said he wants to get involved with student government, greek life and a speech or debate team.
He said while at the business school, he expects to develop connections and relationships with professors, peers and business leaders from IU and around the world.
“I am fully confident that this hope will be fulfilled, as I have already met several professors and students during the Kelley Scholar interview weekend,” Snider said. “I have been introduced to several current and incoming Kelley Scholars and all of them are exceptional students and leaders.”
Sophomore Kelley Scholar Caroline Cronin said she is most excited to find out the new addition to her mentor family.
“Our families are comprised of a Kelley faculty member and one scholar from each year, and it’s a great way for us to connect with both older and younger classes,” Cronin said. “We pass down advice about everything from class scheduling and experiences studying abroad to living off campus and extracurricular activities.”
In addition to Bentivoglio, Snider and Luebbehusen, the other freshmen Kelley Scholars include Abigail Aylward from Fishers, Ind., Alyssa Fain of Greenwood, Ind., Josh Shalen from Munster, Ind., Daniel Resner of Indianapolis, Ind., Rachel Hentz from Fort Wayne, Ind., and Maria Halloran of Bloomington, Ind., a ccording to the press release.
“College can’t come soon enough,” Bentivoglio said. “I’m not really nervous, just excited and ready to get going.”
