Finding Our Place, Lifting Each Other

When I first walked into Kelley Indianapolis in the fall of 2024, I carried quiet questions with me. Would I belong here? Would my voice matter in a school that, like so many business schools, has been shaped by traditions that often center on men? As a woman and a woman of color, I wondered how I would navigate classrooms, organizations, and leadership roles.

What I found in my first year surprised me. The community I stepped into was not only welcoming but intentional about creating spaces where women thrive.

Women at Kelley Indianapolis are not waiting to be invited to the table; they are building new ones, pulling out chairs for others, and reminding each of us that we belong.

The First Step

Finding your footing in college is never easy. For many women, that first step comes through Business Plus. I think about Victoria Delgado, a sophomore, who echoed how she walked into her Elanco internship as the youngest in the room. Instead of shrinking back, she pushed forward, bolstered by the program’s support. “Knowing that I had a support system behind me was very empowering,” she said.

Anna Almeciga echoed that sense of clarity, describing how Business Plus helped her see the corporate world for what it was and for what it could be for her. And for Pawanjeet Deol, the program offered something even simpler but just as powerful: the chance to see women leading, showing her she belonged at the table too.

Their words made me reflect on my own start at Kelley. The first semester is full of doubt, but programs like Business Plus act like scaffolding; they steady us until we can stand taller on our own.

A Community to Lean On

Belonging doesn’t stop with one program. At Business Connect, women find community in a way that reshapes their college experience. Ja’Niya Smith shared how she stepped into the spotlight at her end-of-year celebration, delivering speeches to peers and Indianapolis professionals. She walked away not only proud but changed. People now knew her name and her story.

For Diliana Reyes, a first-generation student, the program provided friendships and mentors that gave her the courage to imagine herself as a leader. She explained how those relationships pushed her to embrace her potential.

Listening to them, I thought about the way women at Kelley create communities of care. They don’t just network; they build families. In spaces like Business Connect, leadership isn’t about standing above anyone. It’s about lifting together.

Learning to Stand Taller

When I spoke with Nya Smith about Kelley R.I.S.E., she painted a picture of resilience and transformation. She described watching freshmen approach their table timidly at the start of the year, unsure of where they fit. After conversations with mentors and peers, they left standing straighter, their confidence already stronger.

I know what that looks like. I’ve felt it myself. The moment someone tells you that your perspective is valuable, you begin to carry yourself differently. That’s what Kelley R.I.S.E. does: it helps women see that they already have what it takes.

Leading by Example

What struck me most as I gathered these stories was how often the conversation circled back to mentorship. Kimberly Hestermann, president of Women in Business, spoke about the former leader who encouraged her to take risks she thought she wasn’t ready for. “That trust and mentorship were pivotal,” she told me.

Mackensie Neumann, president of the Kelley Indianapolis Marketing Organization, remembered learning under alumna Jacqueline DuBois in WIB. What she carried forward wasn’t just leadership skills but the courage to be authentic. When she revived the marketing organization, she led with that same principle:

Leadership means making space for every voice.

Hearing them speak reminded me of my own journey with Future Business Leaders of America Collegiate. Leadership here has never been about outshining others. It has always been about building spaces where more people can shine.

Faculty Who Walk Beside Us

Students are not the only ones shaping this culture. Professors model it too.

Professor Sara Coers told me how powerful it is when women see faculty supporting one another. She has watched programs like Business Plus and Business Connect embolden women to speak up in fields where their voices have long been scarce, like real estate and finance.

Professor Emily Murphy reflected on how mentorship shaped her career. A mentor once pushed her to trust her instincts and take on risks she might have avoided. Now she works to be that kind of mentor for her students, reminding them that leadership is not out of reach.

Professor Danny Cagnet described mentorship as “the number one way we empower our women students.” She explained that too many underestimate themselves, and she sees her role as walking alongside them until they see their own strengths.

Their commitment shows that at Kelley, support does not stop at the classroom door. It threads through lessons, relationships, and the way faculty walk beside their students.

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Written by Alabhya Prasad

In partnership with Indiana University Kelley School of Business Indianapolis