Our Graduates: Kate Bruni

Kate will be graduating as an English major with a minor in folklore. Shortly thereafter she will be leaving our fair city for an apartment complex in Chicago that has a pool and a concierge. And also lots of dogs. It would seem that all her dreams have come true.

Kate came to us as a sassy, sweet, funny freshman who quickly made herself a staff favorite. Aside from simply being a great worker, which made her an obvious choice for student supervisor, she is someone who is equally at home discussing literature and philosophy, as well as why Oreo cookies are her frenemy. Her gift is language, though, and rarely have we had someone so quotable working for us, where seemingly mundane things become hilarious. A few of my favorites:

“My family gives meat as presents.”

“After three ‘whats’ you can’t say ‘what’ anymore.”

“It was like Noah blew his nose and all the people came out of the library”

Here is Kate’s farewell in her own words: “I have dreams of owning my own dog village, so maybe that can happen one day. Until then, the boyfriend and I are moving to Chicago where we will eat our way across the city and try not to get fat from the smell of the chocolate factory that is right next to our apartment building. I plan on sitting by the pool and binge-watching Parks and Rec for the foreseeable future.

I know whatever job I get will never live up to my time at the library, but working here did teach me what I care about in a job:

• Having comfy chairs to sit in for hours
• Having bosses you can speak freely with about how much your roommates suck
• Having birthday Wednesdays (or some other day I guess) where I can get free cookies and cupcakes
• Making sure that ice-breakers are not just ice-breakers (alpacas are good in these situations)
• Having a super cool bunch of people to work with, who you can count on to always look up what the Ninja Turtle actors like look like now.

Hopefully I can find at least a few of these things!”

I am sure you will do great wherever you end up. We wish Kate, and her boyfriend Davis (who is so well liked he is almost an honorary Business/SPEA employee) the very best. You are irreplaceable, and you will be missed! 

Our Graduates: Nell Wentling

Nell, who is from Chicago, will be graduating with a business degree in Marketing, Professional Sales, and Sustainable Business. Which sounds like a lot, but Nell has a lot of energy, and she channels that energy into a very active life that includes basketball whenever she can get a team together.

Nell fuels this active life in part by the myriad snacks she brings in during her shifts. The snacks are always interesting and healthy, and occasionally something I can't identify. I believe her energy also comes from the judicious application of naps – Nell has mastered the art of napping at the break table.

Most of all, though, I think Nell's energy comes from being a genuinely positive person. Never one to get too rattled by anything, Nell always has a smile on her face. It's as if, in Nell's world, there can only be so much time allotted for freaking out when a problem comes along, and then it's down to the business of either fixing what's wrong, or dealing with it as best you can.

Here is a little of that positivity, in her own words: "I've worked at the library since my sophomore year and couldn't be more grateful! From the spirited discussions to the numerous naps, it has been the perfect work environment."

Nell has landed a job with Anheuser Busch and will be shipping out to St. Louis in July to begin training in the sales development program. She will be with us until then, however, which is fortunate, because we will miss her. We are all proud of you Nell – congratulations!

Our Graduates: Clayton Hobbs

Clayton has been a familiar face around here for a while now, having started with us as a freshman, back in the long ago. His is not just a familiar face, but an unfailingly friendly one. Clayton is very well liked by everyone here at Business/SPEA, and has gone above and beyond for our patrons more than once. It's always especially difficult to say goodbye to the people who have been with us so long, which is the bitter part -- but we also love seeing them off into the next phase of their lives, like Clayton going to work for Hershey, which is, of course, the sweet.

Here are Clayton's own words about his time here:

"As graduation is approaching quickly, it is a great time to reflect on the times and lessons from the past four years. Coming to college has thought me so much inside and outside of the classroom. Studying Marketing and Management at the Kelley School of Business has been a privilege that has provided me with amazing opportunities, amazing people, and an amazing education. Kelley taught me the importance of creating meaningful relationships. The education and soft skills I learned through Kelley helped me land a sales job working for the Hershey Company (Yes the chocolate company!). I will be commuting to Columbus Indiana from Bloomington for training this summer so if you are in Bloomington I will be around!

Working at the library has been a staple of my college career and I could not have asked for better job during my four years here! The library showed me how important it is to listen carefully and understand. My bosses were excellent listeners whether I was talking about ways to better library, or just talking about what I did over the weekend. Their listening helped me feel more at home, empowered me as a worker, and inspired me to do the same for our patrons.

My piece of advice for anyone that has time left at IU is take advantage of opportunities outside of the classroom. College is a one-time experience and getting out of the house makes you take advantage of all that IU has to offer. Getting out of your comfort zone socially can teach you valuable life lessons as well as give you some great memories.

It has truly been a pleasure working with all of you! I hope everyone enjoys their time at IU and everything that comes after!"

Best of luck, Clayton! It's been great having you with us.

Our Graduates: Jacob Lucas

Jacob, who hails from the near east-side of Indy, will be graduating with a major in History and minors in both Economics and Mathematics. He plans to jump right back into academia by going to graduate school, and is considering his options as to where to go and what to study. Jacob will continue to work here and in the Wells library over the summer as he plans his next move.

Jacob came to us late in the game, and will have been with us for only a year by the time he graduates. Not that he was new to the library game – Jacob had spent the three previous years working for the Swain library. When that library closed, we happily welcomed him to the Business/SPEA fold (as we did tall Matt and Natalie Wozniak). Even in the short time he’s been here, Jacob has been able to make his mark, having coined a term that will be a permanent part of the Business/SPEA lexicon --

KeyTSD (noun): a condition in which the sufferer is especially attuned to the sound of jingling keys, even to the point of imagining the sound when it isn’t occurring

Here is what Jacob had to say about working here: “Having been at Swain Hall Library for 3 years, I wasn't sure what to expect here at the BSIC. I was glad to learn that everyone was incredibly helpful and kind in helping me get the lay of the land, and I can genuinely say that I felt welcome as soon as I stepped through the doors. It was a great senior year, and a pleasure to meet and work with everyone here!”

We feel the same way! We have been very glad to have you here, and we wish you well on your next endeavor!