Two Seniors Selected for Prestigious Orr Fellowships
February 26, 2016 (Notre Dame, Ind.)—Saint Mary’s College is proud to announce that for the fifth consecutive year, seniors have been selected as incoming fellows within The Governor Bob Orr Indiana Entrepreneurial Fellowship. Lauren Hlavin '16 of Stillman Valley, Illinois (on the left in the photo) and Lauren Jamieson '16 of Granger, Indiana were named members of the next fellowship class. Since 2012, seven Saint Mary’s women have served as fellows, including current fellows Clare Maher ’15, Samantha Moorhead ’15, Sara Napierkowski ’14, and Bailey Shrum ’15.
The Orr Fellowship, established in 2001,provides a unique opportunity to graduates of Indiana and Ohio colleges and universities to jumpstart their careers with a two-year fellowship. Fellows work for Indianapolis-based host companies, receive executive-level mentorship, and build professional and peer networks.
Current fellow, Samantha Moorhead ’15, said the program has provided her with continued learning and professional development. “I have had opportunities to learn about business law, computer programming, and pretty much anything else that has the potential to advance my career,” Moorhead said.
Successful applicants demonstrate strong leadership potential on and off campus, a strong interest in entrepreneurship, business and/or technology, and an aspiration to actively make a difference. With over 800 qualified applicants this year, The Orr Fellowship welcomed an outstanding 47 new fellows to work at 32 host companies in 2016, including Hlavin and Jamieson.
Lauren Hlavin ’16, a communication studies major and business administration minor, will work with a small team running general operations for tech startup Digby Home Automation, LLC, based in Indianapolis. Beginning its business venture in November 2015, Digby Home Automation is a startup that partners with builders to include various Digby technologies into their newly built homes.
“I will be one of five employees. I will run operations alongside my co-workers on all aspects of the company,” Hlavin said. “I’ll be in charge of presentations, sales, installations, and any other tasks that require my attention.”
Lauren Jamieson ’16, a business administration major with concentrations in finance and management, will work for CloudOne. Based in Fishers, Indiana, CloudOne is dedicated to helping clients bring together critical tools and elements into a global, secure, virtual private cloud environment.
“At finalist day, I walked away from my CloudOne interview wanting to be a part of their team and it feels great to know they felt the same way,” Jamieson said.
Both Hlavin and Jamieson are thrilled for this next step in their lives, and that Saint Mary’s prepared them for the professional world.
“Saint Mary’s offered me several leadership opportunities where I was able to harness my skills and improve on weaker areas,” Hlavin said. “I’ve also developed and strengthened my critical thinking skills which has allowed me to have a broader perspective on situations, making me more versatile.”
Jamieson said that she will still be able to count on Saint Mary’s alumnae as she enters the program. “Saint Mary's alumnae who are current Orr Fellows took me under their wing throughout the entire application process,” Jamieson said. “They have been great mentors.”
About Saint Mary's College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, residential, women’s liberal arts college offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study, such as business, nursing, art, chemistry, and social work. Saint Mary’s College also offers two graduate degrees: a Master of Science and a Doctorate. All programs that fall under these degrees are co-educational and include a Master of Science in Data Science, a Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology, and a Doctorate of Nursing Practice. Founded in 1844 by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, Saint Mary’s College seeks, according to its mission statement, to educate students, develop their talents, and prepare them to make a difference in the world. Saint Mary’s College ranks among the top 100 Best National Liberal Arts Colleges for 2016 published by U.S. News & World Report. Follow Saint Mary's College on Twitter @saintmarys and @saintmarysnews.
Contact for News Media: Gwen O’Brien, director of media relations, Saint Mary’s College, gobrien@saintmarys.edu (574) 284-4579
~Press release written by Melissa Fitzpatrick ’16, media relations intern.