Twelve students across nine campuses to champion the state’s agbioscience story through the Field Atlas career exploration platform and experiential learning programs
AgriNovus Indiana, an initiative focused on growing the agbioscience economy, announced today that 12 students from colleges and universities across Indiana will serve as Field Atlas Ambassadors for the 2026-2027 academic year, helping connect their peers to professional development, career exploration and opportunities in agbioscience.
Field Atlas Ambassadors are selected college students who serve as the on-campus champion for the state’s agbioscience sector. From exploring career paths and fields of study online to engaging with students on the impact of innovation across the sector, Ambassadors connect students to Field Atlas and its experiential programs, including Company Tours, the Agbioscience Mentorship Program and other hands-on opportunities that bring them closer to the sector.
“Field Atlas Ambassadors play a critical role in helping students discover the breadth of opportunities in agbioscience,” said Christy Wright, president and CEO of AgriNovus. “From marketing and finance to biology, environmental science and beyond, Ambassadors are the peer engine that provides insights and real-time opportunities in an industry making meaningful impact on people and the planet.”
For the 2026-27 academic year, AgriNovus has selected these students to represent Field Atlas:
Chloe Borders – Environmental Management, Indiana University
Bhuvikaa Ghai – Management and Human Organization, Indiana University
Cora Gibson – Civil Engineering and Environmental Geoscience, DePauw University
Kady Graves – Agribusiness Communications and Public Policy, Huntington University
Bridget Hollingsworth – Engineering Design, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Caleb Kauffman – Finance, Ball State University
Chintu Mane – Biology, Purdue University
Navnoor Mutti – Biomedical Health Sciences, Purdue University
Olivia Parmer – Biology, Marian University
Jasleen Randhawa – Biology, Indiana University Indianapolis
Evan Trent – Agricultural Business Management, Purdue University
Camille Zoe – Psychology, Butler University
Since its inception in 2020, Field Atlas has served as a foundational digital resource for career exploration in agbioscience, helping students understand the value chain and its components as well as the local and global impact of the sector. Supplemented by its experiential learning opportunities, Field Altas programming supports a holistic overview of the agbiosciences, addressing knowledge gaps that often go unrecognized by students interested in one facet of the ecosystem.
Field Atlas Ambassadors are led by AgriNovus’ Career Success Manager Karis Witte. More information about the program, including how to connect with Witte, is available here.
This article was written by Janiya Beason, communications intern for CICP.
Internships offer students more than workplace experience—they provide opportunities to develop new skills, build professional relationships, and explore potential career paths. This summer, four interns joined the CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) and its initiatives, contributing to projects that support Indiana’s advanced industries while gaining valuable real-world experience.
Hands-On Experience
From communications and marketing to business analysis and AI, each intern had the opportunity to contribute to projects with real impact this summer.
Janiya Beason, Communications Intern for CICP and a TechPoint Xtern, helped launch the See Yourself IN TikTok account, created a website feedback survey to gather user insights and opinions, contributed to a media kit, and collaborated on content and social media ideas.
Camila Garcia, Marketing Xtern for TechPoint, managed Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube content, created blog posts for the Xtern program, and interviewed Mira Awards finalists to help tell the stories of Indiana’s growing technology ecosystem.
Reflecting on her experience, Camila said one of the most rewarding aspects of the internship was the opportunity to work with many different platforms and audiences.
“I’ve learned how to adjust my voice and format depending on the platform and audience, which has been one of the most valuable parts of the experience.”
Gianna Bird, Business Analyst Intern for CICP, she supported outreach and logistics for the Indiana AI (IN AI) Roadshow while analyzing AI readiness among businesses across Indiana.
Krish Gajaria, AI Strategy and Innovation Intern at AgriNovus Indiana, focused on developing an AI implementation strategy to improve everyday operations, researching workforce development, and supporting the Velocity startup accelerator. One of the highlights of his internship was presenting AgriNovus’s AI strategy during a board meeting.
“Having the opportunity to share my thoughts and insights with a group of people coming from a myriad of different backgrounds was an incredibly valuable and formative experience that further reinforced my belief in the importance of communication.”
Together, these projects gave each intern the opportunity to make meaningful contributions while gaining hands-on experience in Indiana’s advanced industries.
Growing Professional Skills
Beyond their day-to-day responsibilities, each intern developed technical and professional skills that will prepare them well for future careers.
Camila expanded her digital marketing skillset by learning WordPress and writing SEO metadata for website content.
Janiya strengthened her collaborative skills while taking initiative and offering ideas in meetings, as well as researching how to connect and engage different audiences through content.
“One skill I’ve gained was giving my input and researching how we can reach different ages and audiences. Working in communications, I feel it’s important to know your target audience and how to engage them.”
Gianna built confidence through networking and connecting with professionals while promoting the IN AI initiative.
“This got me out of my comfort zone and talking with people I had never met before.”
For Krish, one of the biggest lessons was learning that effective communication is just as important as technical knowledge.
“Knowing how something works is one thing, but being able to break it down and share your knowledge with others is a whole new ball game.”
Looking Ahead
While each intern worked on different projects throughout the summer, the experience helped each of them gain a clearer vision for their future careers.
Camila hopes to use storytelling to help brands and organizations connect with diverse audiences through meaningful content.
“Marketing lets me shape how a story gets told, and international studies reminds me that the same story lands differently depending on the audience and culture. I love figuring out how to bridge that gap.”
Janiya looks forward to creating engaging content that reaches wider audiences and hopes to continue finding various ways to grab attention through content. She hopes one day to manage social media for major brands.
“What excites me the most is coming up with creative content that could reach a wider audience, and finding different ways to engage people. I also hope to possibly manage social media for big brands!”
Gianna says working at CICP showed her the value of a collaborative workplace where teammates celebrate one another’s successes.
For Krish, the internship reinforced his passion for applying business and technology across industries to solve meaningful challenges.
“I’m excited about the diversity. To me, business and economics are less about isolated fields of study and more about bringing new perspectives that can be applied across disciplines.”
As another successful summer comes to a close, these internships have provided students with more than just professional experience—they’ve offered opportunities to learn, grow, and make meaningful contributions to organizations shaping Indiana’s future. Through hands-on projects, mentorship, and collaboration, CICP continues to invest in the next generation of talent while helping students build the skills, confidence, and connections they’ll carry throughout their careers.
This article was originally published by TechPoint. Click here to read the original article.
On June 26, Xterns gathered for their second programming weekend of the summer, this time at Republic Airways in Carmel, IN. IndyHackers and a group of former Xterns joined the cohort for a full day centered on AI and the ever-changing workforce.
Welcome Remarks
The morning began with remarks from Matt Belanger, Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer at Republic Airways, who welcomed Xterns into the space and spoke to the importance of interns and the work they contribute. He even gave a shout-out to Republic’s own Xtern, Samuel Ortner.
Today’s AI: We’ve Seen This All Before, and Will Again
Chris Vannoy, President of IndyHackers, delivered the morning’s keynote, built around one central idea: we’ve seen this before. He pointed to three previous technology cycles over the past 40 years: personal computing, the internet and mobile phones. He pointed out that each reshaped how we live and work by moving through the same three stages: boom, bust and absorption.
Chris Vannoy leads the Xtern AI Day keynote, “Tech Epochs of the Last 40 Years,” walking Xterns through four decades of major technology shifts ahead of a deeper look at artificial intelligence.
Vannoy defined the boom as the moment money starts flowing and experimentation runs wild, the bust as the point where that money comes due and clear winners and losers emerge, and absorption as the stage where the technology finally becomes mainstream and fades into the background of everyday life. In his view, AI is currently in its “boom baby” phase, with much of its potential still being discovered. “No one knows for certain where this is headed. I have theories, but only because I’ve lived through this before,” he told the group.
He also pointed to the opportunity AI presents for Gen Z specifically, noting that companies are already subsidizing employees’ use of AI tools. His advice: play around, experiment and have fun learning and growing alongside the technology.
AI & Skill Change Panel
Following the keynote, Sally Reasoner, VP of Talent Strategy, moderated a panel featuring Mike Hocherman (Trava Security), Tylor Garret (Sense), Alex Correa (Eli Lilly), and Daniel Shickell (Republic Airways). Notably, Tylor, Alex and Mike were all members of the very first Xtern cohort.
Mike Hockerman of Trava Security, Tylor Garret of Sense, Alex Correa of Eli Lilly, and Daniel Shickell of Republic Airways joined TechPoint’s Sally Reasoner (left to right) for a panel focused on AI and skill changes panel.
Reasoner asked the panelists about their use of AI tools day-to-day and how their expectations compared to reality. Across the board, the consensus was similar: AI is useful for a lot of things, but it can’t replicate the emotion and connection that only humans bring to the table.
Correa emphasized the importance of getting comfortable with AI now, since every career path will eventually intersect with it. Whether that means streamlining a workflow or getting help revising an email. When the conversation turned to job interviews, the panelists were unanimous: don’t let AI tell your story. Personal projects and experiences that don’t show up on a resume tend to generate real excitement in an interview, and that’s worth leaning into. Hocherman added that personal, human questions resonate far more than anything AI-generated ever could, so let your enthusiasm show.
While using AI early in your career is almost expected at this point, Correa encouraged Xterns to also seek out a mentor, someone who can teach the things AI simply can’t. Shickell agreed, adding that as AI continues to advance, human connection and the ability to have a real conversation will only become more valuable. Still, staying curious and continuing to experiment with AI matters. As one panelist put it, human skills won’t be replaced, because humans are intelligent and resilient – so don’t be afraid to use the tools available.
AI Workshops
Xterns then broke into one of three workshops: AI Safety, AI for Business and Marketing Professionals, or AI in CAD. Each session explored how AI is being applied within a specific field, introduced different AI tools, and underscored the importance of using AI safely and responsibly. Students left the workshops ready to share what they learned and put those tools into practice.
Xterns work through a hands-on 3D modeling exercise during an engineering workshop session at summer programming.
The AI Safety workshop dug into the rapid rise of agentic engineering in software development over the past six months. It covered both the advantages and pitfalls of AI-generated code – including cost – and how to strengthen an agentic toolchain with better guardrails and auditability. The session also walked through how Skills, Agents and Servers function within Claude Code and Codex, along with practical tips for setting AI on autopilot, and introduced Statewright.ai, an agentic harness designed to close some of the current gaps in agentic engineering software development lifecycles
The AI for Business and Marketing Professionals workshop looked at how generative AI has reshaped marketing and sales from the ground up. Content marketing has had to adapt to a landscape flooded with undifferentiated AI-generated content, all while search engine traffic has dropped significantly. At the same time, new startups are emerging daily with AI-driven bots and avatars aimed at replacing SDRs and BDRs. The session examined how the industry is adjusting to this new reality – which tools are rising to the top, how the day-to-day work is changing, and which skills matter now more than ever.
The AI in CAD workshop explored how AI is being built into PTC’s Creo Parametric software through three stages of maturity: Advise, Assist, and Automate. Creo Advise acts as a chatbot for engineering support, while Creo Assist works directly with a user’s model to validate designs, check compliance, and surface insights. Looking ahead, Creo Automate, expected in late 2026 or early 2027, will use historical CAD data and manufacturing standards to suggest and optimize designs automatically through multi-agent orchestration via the Model Context Protocol (MCP).
Closing Remarks
Sally Reasoner closed out the afternoon by looking ahead to upcoming events, including Community Connect on Friday, July 24, at the NCAA Hall of Champions in Indianapolis from 9 am to 1 pm.
Current Xterns who still need to register, or who want to register a project to present, can do so here. Community members interested in joining TechPoint at Community Connect can learn more and register at techpoint.org/communityconnect.
This article was originally published by TechPoint. Click here to read the original article.
On June 5, TechPoint welcomed the 2026 Xtern cohort for its first programming weekend of the summer at the Dallara Experience Hub in Speedway. Throughout the day, Xterns participated in professional development workshops, peer networking activities, industry discussions and workplace readiness sessions designed to help them make the most of their summer internships.
Welcoming Remarks from TechPoint CEO and President
The morning began with remarks from TechPoint’s CEO and president, Eric Christopher, who shared his journey growing up in Richmond, IN as the son of a blue-collar worker to becoming a first-generation student at Indiana University, co-founding Zylo, and ultimately leading TechPoint.
Reflecting on his experiences as a builder and entrepreneur, Eric spoke about the value of creating opportunities through technology and the impact that innovation can have on Indiana’s economy. He emphasized that technology enables individuals to not only build successful businesses but also to create jobs and lasting value within their communities.
When asked about Gen Z’s greatest strengths and challenges, he pointed to artificial intelligence as both. While AI presents opportunities for innovation and growth, he noted that gaining meaningful work experience remains one of the biggest hurdles for recent graduates.
“Xtern is built to give you that,” he told attendees.
Understanding Indiana’s Industry Landscape
Sally Reasoner, vice president of talent strategy at TechPoint, provided an overview of Indiana’s evolving technology and innovation landscape while sharing the history of the Xtern program.
Launched in 2014 with just five participating companies, Xtern was created to help employers address recruitment challenges by showcasing not only career opportunities, but also the advantages of living and working in Indiana.
Over the past 13 years, the program has expanded far beyond its original focus on software development. Today Xtern opportunities span industries including engineering, marketing, healthcare, manufacturing, finance and aviation.
Industry Leaders Discuss the Future of AI
A panel featuring industry leaders Mike Cronin (SEP), Scott Sobczak (V2X), Kristi Steppe (IU Health), and Troy Kelley (E-gineering Inc.) explored the growing role of artificial intelligence within their respective industries.
The discussion addressed both the opportunities and responsibilities that come with AI adoption. Panelist shared perspectives on how AI is improving efficiency, supporting decision-making and helping organizations better serve customers and communities.
Cronin addressed concerns about AI replacing technical talent, noting that the demand for developers continues to remain strong. Steppe highlighted how AI is helping healthcare organizations reduce harm events through enhanced monitoring and support systems.
When discussing responsible AI use, panelists emphasized several key themes: protecting sensitive information, maintaining ethical accountability, and ensuring that technology enhances, not replaces, human creativity and judgement.
A recurring message throughout the discussion was the importance of continuous learning.
“Don’t be afraid to jump into the unknown as long as you’re willing to learn,” Sobczak advised.
Navigating the Human Side of Work
Andi Hines-Logemann of Elevate Ventures led a session focused on managing stress and micro-stress while transitioning into the workforce.
She encouraged Xterns to view confidence as a skill that can be developed over time rather than as a fixed trait. One of the sessions central messages was that curiosity is more valuable than perfection, especially early in a career.
As interns navigate new responsibilities and unfamiliar environments, Hines-Logemann reminded attendees that employers do not expect them to know everything. Instead, asking thoughtful questions and demonstrating a willingness to learn are often the strongest indicators of future success.
Body Working – Listening with Your Eyes
Mitch Isaacs of Shafer Leadership Academy introduced Xterns to the role body language plays in professional interactions and networking.
Describing body language as “an outward reflection of inward reality,” Isaacs challenged participants to think about how their posture, presence, and nonverbal cues influence the way others perceive the. He encouraged attended to adopt a balance approach- confident and approachable without appearing overly closed or overly assertive.
The session concluded with hand-on practice ahead of the evening networking reception.
Putting Learning into Practice
The day concluded with a networking happy hour, where Xterns had the opportunity to connect with employers, tour the Dallara Factory, and experience the Racing SIM Garage.
By the end of the evening, many participants were already applying the lessons they had learned throughout the day: approaching conversations with greater confidence, asking thoughtful questions, and building meaningful professional connections.
As the summer continues, Xterns will participate in additional programming designed to support their professional growth while strengthening Indiana’s next generation of talent.
Follow TechPoint’s social channels to see what Xterns are accomplishing this summer, and stay tuned for the next programming weekend June 26-27.
When people think about the Month of May in Indiana, they usually think about fast cars, race day traditions and the excitement of the Indy 500.
But behind every lap is an entire team of people working across Indiana’s advanced industries to develop and test the technology, make and move things around the country (and the world), analyze data and make decisions that bring race day to life.
Modern racing depends on advanced industries — and many of the careers that help power race day are the same careers helping shape Indiana’s future every day.
Whether you’re interested in hands-on work, problem-solving, creativity or technology, there are many ways to be part of industries like these right here in Indiana.
Engineering
From designing vehicle systems to improving performance and safety, engineers help turn ideas into reality. Engineers across disciplines use creativity, problem-solving, and technology to design, test, and improve systems people rely on not just on race day, but every day.
Some careers in this field include:
Mechanical Engineer
Industrial Engineer
Electrical Engineer
Systems Engineer
Engineers often work with advanced technology, testing systems, solving problems, and helping improve performance and safety in fast-paced environments.
Advanced Manufacturing
Careers in advanced manufacturing combine hands-on work with advanced technologies and precisions tools that help drive innovation across Indiana’s economy. Advanced manufacturing professionals help build the parts, materials and systems used across industries including transportation, life sciences, aerospace and motorsports.
Some careers in this field include:
CNC Machinist
Automation Technician
Quality Engineer
Robotics Technician
Indiana is a national leader in advanced manufacturing and logistics, with companies across the state helping design, produce and move products around the world.
Technology + Data
Technology plays a major role as its own sector as well as across Indiana’s advanced industries, from software development and cybersecurity to data analytics and artificial intelligence. In the context of racing, teams rely on software, analytics and real-time data to make decisions quickly and improve performance.
Some careers in this field include:
Software Developer
Data Analyst
Cybersecurity Specialist
Data Scientist
TechPoint’s Careers in Tech platform helps you uncover some of the top career paths and opportunities across Indiana’s technology sector. Visit techpoint.org/careersintech to learn more!
Logistics
Getting materials, tools and equipment where they need to go takes planning, coordination and teamwork. Logistics and operations professionals help coordinate the movement of products, materials, and equipment across complex systems and supply chains.
Some careers in this field include:
Supply Chain Specialist
Logistics Coordinator
Operations Manager
Transportation Analyst
Indiana’s advanced manufacturing and logistics industries play a major role in moving products and materials across the country and around the world.
Media + Communications
Race day also depends on creative professionals who help tell stories and connect with fans. Photographers, videographers, marketers and communications teams help bring events to life both in person and online.
Some careers in this field include:
Videographer
Graphic Designer
Social Media Manager
Communications Specialist
These careers combine creativity, storytelling and technology — and opportunities exist across Indiana’s advanced industries.
Finding Your Path
There’s no single path into advanced industries careers. Explore more opportunities at SeeYourselfIN.com.
Whether your interests are in technology, engineering, manufacturing, logistics or creative work, Indiana’s advanced industries offer opportunities to explore careers that help power innovation every day — on and off the track.
We’ve all heard those stories about engineers who started out as little junior engineers. When they were kids, they were always building things with Legos or tinkering with machines.
Braxton Bragg says that wasn’t him.
The future Product Innovation Engineer with Evansville’s Berry Global was more into sports.
As he got older, though, the foundation for a career in engineering took shape. At New Albany High School, along with participating in athletics, Braxton found that chemistry, physics and math interested him, and that he wasn’t half bad at those subjects. His junior and senior years, he took a job working on a farm and discovered that the mechanics of the tractors and other equipment fascinated him. As these factors pulled together, he recognized where his path was leading. When he headed off to college at the University of Southern Indiana, he majored in engineering.
And when an opportunity for an internship at Berry Global came up during his sophomore year, Braxton jumped on it. He was familiar with the plastic container and product company, but didn’t know much about its operations. What he learned hooked him in a hurry.
“I was blown away by how much goes into making a plastic drinking cup or plastic lid or the container that holds your products in the grocery,” Braxton says. “The kind of technical crew it takes to pull off efficient production of something like that, it took me for a shock.”
Hired on as a full-time employee in 2019 and promoted to his current position in 2020, Braxton says he enjoys being a part of the company’s global headquarters because that gives him a front-row seat to everything from product ideation to seeing items he worked on come off the production line. He currently has five or six projects on which he serves as project manager, he says, all in different stages. He enjoys the variety of the work and the fact that every day can be a little different.
He also enjoys the constant drive to make better products more efficiently. “Coming up with a better way to make a better widget that nobody else can make, that’s always the process,” Braxton says. “Innovation as a whole is consistent on the product and process side.”
And he’s delighted to have landed a job with all those features just a short drive from his hometown. Married to his high school sweetheart, Braxton enjoys staying in touch with friends and family and taking advantage of Southern Indiana’s hunting and fishing options. And while engineering ultimately took up a larger part of his life than the sports that he focused on as a kid, he hasn’t given up athletics completely. He’s taken up running, and he’s preparing to run his second marathon.
You could call Carter Burnett’s career a turn-key operation.
When he turns the key in the ignition of the truck he drives, Carter is on the job, piloting a $250,000 piece of equipment carrying a payload likely worth a lot more and tracking an endless parade of variables to make sure he gets products where they need to be, when they need to be there.
It can be tiring and stressful, but Carter enjoys the independence that comes from not having a boss looking over his shoulder. Best of all, when he turns the key to shut off the engine, he leaves the job behind … unlike people who constantly worry about workplace responsibilities.
“Once I step down from the cab, I’m no longer at work,” he says.
Carter hadn’t always planned this career. When he left high school in Owensboro, Ken., he headed off to college because that’s what people said you needed to do to be successful. But that didn’t go the way he planned. After a while, he was back home working construction.
Then he got an unexpected opportunity: He could learn to drive trucks like his dad and grandad, for the company that employs his dad. Although he had never imagined following in his father’s footsteps, Carter was encouraged by the fact that his dad had made a rewarding quarter-century career out of driving a truck. And the company, Evansville’s JR’s Expedited Freight, was offering to pay for the training Carter needed to get a Commercial Driver’s License. In exchange, Carter signed a two-year contract.
That was about 18 months ago, so now you’ll find Carter on the road a few days each week, driving hundreds of miles at a time, usually between Henderson, Ky., and Virginia Beach, Va. It’s a job that requires sharp time-management skills and trustworthiness – after all, you’re in charge of hundreds of thousands of dollars of equipment and cargo – and you have to balance the time away from home with the freedom you get when you are home.
As unexpected as a career in the trucking industry was for Carter, he plans to stay, albeit not always on the road. He hopes someday he’ll find a role to play that keeps him closer to home, where he can be with family and spend more time tinkering with cars.
Regardless, though, he is confident he’ll consider himself a success, despite what he thought when he left high school.
“Success isn’t defined by what degrees you have and what colleges you went to,” Carter says. “Success is, ‘Am I doing something I enjoy?’ Because if I go home every day and hate what I’m doing, I’m not going to think I’m successful.”
The 2025 See Yourself IN High School Summit brought together hundreds of high school students, educators, and industry leaders for a day designed to spark possibility and illuminate real pathways into Indiana’s advanced industries. From the moment students arrived at the AMP at 16 Tech on November 13, the energy was unmistakable: curiosity, excitement, and a genuine eagerness to explore what’s possible for their futures.
Learning from the Leaders Who Shape Indiana’s Economy
We kicked off the 2025 See Yourself IN Summit with an opening from Kristen Lampkin and Latoya Botteron of CICP, who encouraged students to think boldly about their futures and to go into this day with an open mind of what is out there in Indiana.
We then welcomed Olivia West, in-game host for the Indiana Fever and Indiana Pacers, to the stage, where she shared an inspiring keynote about the importance of values – our GPS system – and how those values lead us toward decisions that affect our future. She inspired all of us to think big and to stay curious, both at the summit and in life.
Across the Summit, speakers from CICP’s branded initiatives and partners — TechPoint, AgriNovus, BioCrossroads, Conexus Indiana, and Ascend Indiana — shared insights into the future of work and the incredible opportunities emerging in technology, life sciences, agbiosciences, advanced manufacturing and logistics, and beyond. They were also able to share opportunities for students to get plugged in and get a jumpstart on their careers, whatever that path may be.
The morning session ended with two valuable panel discussions that exposed students to real stories of success and validation that it’s okay to not know your next step. We first welcomed a group of current students who are tied to CICP’s various talent programs, including Field Atlas, Xtern, and the Modern Apprenticeship Program (MAP). These individuals – Mackensi Schneider, Megan Van Dyke, and Rex Cole – were joined by AgriNovus Indiana Career Success Manager Karis Witte to discuss their respective programs as well as their advice for students who may be interested in following in their footsteps.
We then transitioned to a panel of early-in-career professionals who have been able to make an impact and find success (and their voice) in various advanced industry careers. Susie Cox, an Automation Leader at Corteva Agriscience, Katie Murphy, a Manufacturing Engineer at Arcamed, and Lilia Sanchez, a Postdoctoral Fellow at Indiana Biosciences Research Institute joined moderator Emily Kitterman, Director of Careers in Tech at TechPoint on the stage. These individuals were able to share advice to students about finding their path and ways to find success in the advanced industries, as well as offered some perspective on what the “advanced industries” really mean and why they are so important, not just to our state but to our world.
Beyond the stage, the Summit’s industry activations transformed career exploration into something students could touch, test, and experience. From learning about life sciences through VR to extracting strawberry DNA, coding alongside tech mentors to learning about how to use AI, students had a chance to see these advanced industries come to life in very tangible ways. A special thanks to the following groups who volunteered their time and talent to provide these hands-on demos to our students:
Corteva Agriscience: Strawberry DNA Extraction
EMC2 – Facility and Lab Tour
Ivy Tech School of IT and Gaming: Coding Activity
iXplore: Virtual Reality Experience
Machyne at 16 Tech – Tour of Machyne Makerspace and Welding Demo
Telabotics: Robotics Demonstration and Activity
TechPoint – AI Workshop
Many students were eager to share that this was their favorite part of the day, the moment careers felt tangible, accessible, and exciting.
In addition to these hands-on activities, we had several partners who set up booths at the AMP where students could learn about opportunities to take the next step. Butler University’s Founder’s College, IU Indianapolis, Purdue University, Ivy Tech, and each of our branded initiatives – Ascend Indiana, AgriNovus Indiana, BioCrossroads, Conexus Indiana, and TechPoint were able to share opportunities for our high school students to get plugged in and turn today’s excitement into an actionable step forward.
Student Takeaways and Outcomes
Throughout the day, one message came through clearly: There is a place for every student to see themselves IN Indiana’s innovation economy.
As students got their ice cream and headed home for the day, they left with an idea of their values, a new awareness of growing career paths and opportunities, direct connections to mentors, employers, and continuing education, and insights into the skills needed for today’s (and tomorrow’s) jobs.
Perhaps most importantly, they left with a greater understanding that their strengths, interests, and values can help shape their decision-making and influence their path to a fulfilling career, right here in Indiana.
The learning doesn’t stop when the Summit ends. Students, families, and educators can continue exploring resources, career pathways, and videos throughout the year at SeeYourselfIN.com.
A Community Coming Together for Students
None of this would have been possible without our incredible network of partners:
Panelists and speakers who generously shared their time and stories
Exhibitors and activation partners who brought advanced industries to life through hands-on demonstrations
Educators and school leaders who championed their students and made participation possible
CICP’s five branded initiatives who collaborated to create a seamless, meaningful experience for students across the state
This collective effort is what makes the See Yourself IN Summit so powerful. It represents the very best of Indiana’s commitment to developing its future talent.
For Bryce Maxwell, ‘25, the decision to attend Indiana State University was rooted in family and practicality. Born and raised in Terre Haute, Maxwell chose to pursue a degree from Indiana State because of stories he had heard from family members.
“My mom, my dad, and my older brother all went to Indiana State,” he shares. “I had three great examples of success stories, so I thought I’d stay in my hometown. The tuition was great, and I knew Indiana State was a nice school. I could find my way and figure out what I wanted to do.”
Finding that way, however, took time. Maxwell entered college unsure of his future career plans, initially majoring in finance. “I knew I liked numbers, so I thought, ‘What do numbers go into? Finance,’” he says. It wasn’t until he discovered the business analytics minor—and the mentorship of Dr. Concetta DePaolo—that his path began to take shape.
“I was sitting in her class one day and realized I enjoyed it a lot more than my finance classes,” he recalls. “She showed me how analytics overlapped with supply chain, and that same day, I switched my major.”
Switching majors late could have been challenging, but Maxwell found the supply chain management program to be a welcoming, supportive environment. He quickly built connections with faculty and peers, and through collaborative projects, he gained confidence that he had made the right decision.
“I had no idea what supply chain management was,” he admits. “But supply chain management is in every business. It follows products through the whole production line, and there’s so much you can do.”
When asked what he enjoys most about his major, Maxwell struggles to pick just one thing. “I really enjoy all of it. There are so many parts to supply chain management that once you find a part you like, you can have a completely different experience than someone else. There are so many opportunities and routes you can go down.”
Mentorship played a pivotal role in Maxwell’s Sycamore journey. He credits Dr. DePaolo for her guidance and support, recalling how she spent an hour with him discussing career paths and helping him make the switch from finance to supply chain management. “My favorite class was solving with Excel sheets – taking real-world situations and optimizing them, saving companies money,” he says.
That academic preparation paid off during an internship at Cummins, Inc., in Columbus, Indiana. At Cummins, a global leader in power generation products, Maxwell worked in supply chain planning and analytics – helping set up a new engine line and ensuring all parts were brought in properly. That internship experience led to a full-time job offer after graduation in December.
Maxwell credits Indiana State’s curriculum for preparing him well, especially with its emphasis on analytics and real-world problem-solving. “I felt like from day one, I had a better grasp on what we were doing,” he says. “The real-world examples we worked on in class taught me to think quickly, problem-solve, and adapt – skills that are crucial in supply chain.”
Outside his major, Maxwell found community through club volleyball, playing all four years and forming friendships across the University. “Joining that club took up a lot of time, but it was definitely worth it. I made friends I never would have met otherwise,” he shares.
He describes Indiana State as a community that truly invests in its students’ success – both during college and beyond. His advice to future Sycamores is simple: take advantage of every opportunity.
“Attend networking events, career fairs, and speaker sessions,” he says. “Even if you never talk to someone again, you never know where a conversation might lead. Build your network, build your skills, and be open to learning.”
As Maxwell prepares to graduate and begin his career at Cummins, he reflects with gratitude for the mentors, friendships, and experiences that shaped his Sycamore journey at Indiana State.
“Indiana State cares a lot about its students. Professors give you countless opportunities to learn and grow. They want you to leave here ready to succeed.”
When Eric Wildeman was wrapping up his degree in public relations, advertising and applied communication at the University of Southern Indiana, he didn’t know what he wanted to do next. So, he interviewed with a variety of organizations, one of which happened to be a logistics firm. But it wasn’t what the company did that won him over. It was the way the company did it.
“It was more of the atmosphere that intrigued me,” he says. “It was a true sales floor. Everyone’s on the phone talking out loud, thinking out loud. It reminded me of a mini Wall Street.”
That was half-a-dozen years ago. Now a business development representative at Evansville’s PFL Logistics – which takes care of warehousing and transporting goods for companies – Eric says he continues to get a rush from the high-energy, fast-paced logistics environment.
Days go by quickly, he says, as he helps customers meet their needs and solve problems. For example, he recently helped a customer with a refrigerated product after the delivery truck was turned away at its destination. As scheduled, the shipment was picked up on a Thursday and delivered by 9 a.m. on Friday, but the receiving dock wouldn’t allow it to unload. Keeping the product refrigerated while waiting for a later delivery slot would cost the client a lot of money, Eric says, so he went into action. Juggling phone calls, pulling together documentation and aligning everyone’s objectives, he got the truck a delivery slot before things got too heated.
It was an achievement that leaned a lot on attributes Eric says are important to his job: problem-solving, communicating clearly and frankly, and managing your time while responding to multiple clients’ needs. Eric credits his family upbringing with giving him a work ethic that allows him to enjoy such challenges, along with an ability to communicate with people with varying roles – from the accounting office to the warehouse floor.
It helps that he gets to do this work in familiar territory. The Evansville native is happy that he found a job that allows him to settle with his wife in his hometown, where he now helps to coach the football team at his alma mater, Mater Dei High School.
Despite stumbling into logistics, Eric says he couldn’t imagine doing anything else. He loves the energy at PFL and in his industry. “It’s something different every day,” he says. “You never do the same thing all day or every day … it’s definitely what I was looking for.”
Camila expanded her digital marketing skillset by learning WordPress and writing SEO metadata for website content.
Gianna built confidence through networking and connecting with professionals while promoting the IN AI initiative.
