Welcome 2022 NOFOs!
We are thrilled to welcome you as part of Orr Fellowship. If anyone understands the transition you are about to go through from college to Orr… it’s the current Orr Fellows! The second years are here to support and empower you in this new journey. We have asked a variety of the 2021 class, who are currently transitioning into their second year, their tips and tricks for navigating Orr. Our goal is to create a smooth transition to post-grad and share in the excitement of joining Orr Fellowship.
Moving into a completely new chapter can be challenging. These four categories will help you make the most of your first year in the fellowship!
Shaping your Orr experience
Q: If you could go back to the beginning of your Orr experience, what’s one thing you would do differently?
A: “If I could go back to the beginning, one thing I would keep top of mind is that what you put into Orr is what you will get out of Orr. At first, I viewed Orr as more of a work obligation than a community that I could lean into and learn from. Once I started attending more events and building relationships with the other Fellows, I realized Orr is a huge opportunity to grow personally and professionally.” – Kendall Summers, Genesys
Q: If you could go back to the beginning of your Orr experience, what’s one thing you would do again?
A: “I would always advise that you bring your full and authentic self to any interaction you have within Orr and your POCO. Orr is truly a community and the only others who really know what you are experiencing are the other Fellows. I have found friends that I know will extend well past our two years!” – Lin Gary, Genesys
Acclimating to your POCO
Q: How did you make a transition from a non-business focused major to a business career after college?
A: “I approached transitioning into the non business world to the business world by acknowledging that, explaining my background in neuroscience, how I ended up at my POCO, where I wanted to go, and what I wanted to learn. For me, it was extremely helpful sharing this background with my coworkers so that they knew I would need some help and education along the way. Then I just got curious, I would google things I didn’t understand or acronyms I didn’t recognize as well as ask my coworkers to explain what something was if I didn’t know. Because they knew I didn’t have a business background they were more than happy to help me and show me what I needed to know. They even provided me with books, videos, and podcasts to get adjusted. My best advice would be to not be too proud or nervous to share that you don’t know something. If you’re in a healthy work environment, they should encourage curiosity and education, not stifle it!” – Mariah Parsons, Malomo
Indianapolis as a community
Q: How has your work in Orr impacted the community of Indianapolis?
A: “Whether it’s creating partnerships with Launchpad that impacts youths knowledge on entrepreneurship, or recruiting other Orr Fellows to sustain a program that creates business leaders and encourages post-grad students to explore Indy’s rich history, sports, arts, and food culture— my time and talent in Orr deeply invests in the Indy community.”- Alea Rashid, Kiwanis International
Q: What is your favorite hidden gem in Indy?
A: “I love the canal downtown because it’s such a cool and different area for a picnic or walk. Call Sara and enjoy the Virginia B. Fairbanks Nature Park. When we first moved here there were a ton of weekends when I would just go walk around the lake with my dog.” – Alex Oleson, Woven
Q: What is your favorite thing about living in Indianapolis?
A: “I love that I moved here only nine months ago, but I am already starting to understand the inner workings of the tech scene. I enjoy that there are so many bike trails…even downtown!!! I like that I can hop on my bike, ride up to Broad Ripple, pass a state park, have lunch, and then come back downtown where I can walk to the grocery store, the gym, and countless restaurants!” – Crystal Bell, KAR Global
Balancing your priorities
A: I would say I split my time between Orr Fellowship and my full-time position by setting boundaries and keeping my calendar updated.
“By keeping my calendar updated, I am able to communicate to others and remind myself where, when, and what I am spending my time on. This also helps me prepare for things such as a long work day or if there are multiple things “due” at the end of the month for Orr. If I know I have a few reports due at the beginning of each month for work, I can plan ahead and complete everything needed for Orr before.
As for setting boundaries, I strongly recommend doing this! There is nothing wrong with saying “no” to a request if you don’t have the capacity to do so. I always say to myself, it’s better to say no ahead of time so they can find someone else that has the capacity to complete the task. It’s like a win-win situation. You win because you don’t overwhelm yourself with things and they win because they are able to find someone who has the capacity to do it (which could mean they were able to get the task faster/better because they found someone who had the time and mental capacity to do so). In addition, don’t forget that you are on a team! Therefore, you do not have to do everything yourself because you have teammates/coworkers/peers that lend a helping hand!” –Hannah Robinson, Realync
We hope you take this advice and use it during your journey in Orr Fellowship. Again, we are ecstatic to have the Class of 2022 join the fellowship. We look forward to the great things that your class will accomplish and achieve in your time here. Welcome to Orr Fellowship!
Sincerely,
YORR Second Years
