Koontz is one of only 78 students to be offered Orr Fellowships, out of 916 total applicants from 60+ universities.
By Amy Hanna, Borshoff—
INDIANAPOLIS– Marian University senior Brylee Koontz has been awarded the prestigious and highly competitive Orr Fellowship. A Gaston resident, Koontz is one of only 78 top-tier college seniors selected as Orr Fellows for the Class of 2024. Two other Marian University students were also awarded Orr Fellowships.
Orr Fellowship, one of Indiana’s most celebrated non-profit talent programs, is a two-year post-graduate program that places high-achieving college seniors nationwide in full-time, paid positions at dynamic companies in Indianapolis.
From 916 applicants and more than 60 universities, Koontz was one of 122 students invited to interview with the high-performing partner companies in the Orr Fellowship network, and is one of 78 to receive full-time job offers. Upon graduation in May 2024, Koontz will work at The Heritage Group in Indianapolis.
At Marian University, Koontz is a double major in Business Management and Marketing, president of Marian University’s student chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management, Student Body President, President of the Campus Activities Board, and a Presidential Ambassador for the university.
Orr Fellows have become successful leaders in the Indiana economic ecosystem. Many former Fellows are now company leaders or founders of their businesses. Some former Orr Fellows have also reconnected with Orr to become Partner Companies themselves.
“As these extraordinary students embark on this impressive journey, I am confident that Koontz will continue to exemplify Marian’s Franciscan sponsorship values, and contribute mightily to the Orr Fellowship community,” said Marian University President Daniel J. Elsener. “Her success reflects her accomplishments and the high-caliber education and mentorship opportunities she has received at Marian.”
About Marian University
Founded in 1937, Marian University is the only Catholic university in Indianapolis and central Indiana, serving more than 5,100 students, including 4,000 undergraduate and 1,200 graduate students, earning degrees in the arts, business, education, engineering, math, medicine, nursing, ministry, and the natural and physical sciences. The university’s high-impact, experiential curriculum provides hands-on, collaborative learning opportunities. Marian University has earned the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as a national doctoral/professional university. In 2013, Marian University established its College of Osteopathic Medicine, the first new school of medicine in Indiana in more than 100 years, and in 2023, opened the new E. S. Witchger School of Engineering as part of the university’s continuing efforts to graduate students that help meet the Midwest’s growing STEM workforce needs. The university also provides undergraduate nursing education at Marian University’s Ancilla College in Plymouth, Indiana. Marian’s national champion varsity athletic programs include the 2012 and 2015 NAIA Football Championship, the 2016 and 2017 NAIA Women’s Basketball Championship, the 2019 NAIA Women’s Volleyball Championship, various track and field events, and nearly 50 USA Cycling national championships. Follow Marian University on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Tik Tok and Twitter.
About Orr Fellowship
Dedicated to matching exceptional, high-achieving college seniors to full-time, paid jobs at dynamic companies and organizations of all types and sizes in the Indianapolis area since its first cohort in 2002, Orr Fellowship’s Fellows receive two years of extensive programming and networking opportunities by night as they devote themselves to theircareers by day. Learn more about Orr Fellowship here.
