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Leadership through Tutoring

Recipient: Kevin Sadikin
Submitted by Robert Hendrickson on 04/11/2023

Before the Class of 2023's Core Finance final in Fall 2021, Kevin Sadikin held a two-hour long review session with over thirty classmates attending. Kevin broke down material into digestible bits to help those who did not have a finance background. Kevin patiently answered questions and assisted every classmate who showed up. In 2023, Kevin continued to show leadership through tutoring. Kevin interned at Silicon Valley Bank and during the SVB crisis, Kevin led a Market Talk to detail the reasons for the crisis. In addition, to his Market Talk, Kevin volunteered (without being asked) to set up a Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint shortcut session for all his classmates about to re-enter the workforce. Kevin Sadikin has consistently demonstrated selfless leadership to his classmates while asking for nothing in return. Kevin is an exemplary classmate and friend and is deserving of a Kelley Coin.

Standout leader in terms of collaboration, community and inclusiveness!

Recipient: Julie Penedo
Submitted by Anonymous Coin Giver on 04/09/2023

Over the last academic year, I have been so impressed with the work that Julie Penedo has done as the leader of the Women in Business group. They have had a number of meaningful events and meetings, including several lunch time panels on current topics. And, particularly noteworthy, was the 2022 edition of the MBA Faculty auction. Purely based on outcome (a recent record in terms of total dollars raised!), it would warrant a nomination; but the execution and professionalism of the pre-event coordination and the actual caliber of the event was exceptional. Though it was the first auction that I have personally attended, I heard from several staff and faculty that the tone and culture of the event was impressive.

Leadership and Impactful Guidance: Nominating Nabil for Kelley Coin

Recipient: Nabil Ahsan Noor
Submitted by Rishi Dubey on 04/04/2023

Nabil is a leader who quietly made a big impact at Kelley School of Business. He isn't one to seek attention or recognition, but his contributions to the student body are undeniable. As an international student new to Kelley, I found myself struggling with networking. I knew I needed to connect with alumni and second-year students, but I didn't know where to start or how to approach them professionally. It was a frustrating experience, and I felt lost. Then, Nabil stepped up as the VP of the Data and Operations Club and organized mock networking sessions for 1st year students. He volunteered to help us navigate the networking. This event was a game-changer for me and 50 other first-year students. Nabil's feedback and guidance were instrumental in guiding us how to network effectively and professionally. What impressed me most about Nabil was his genuine desire to help others succeed..Nabil embodies the Kelley values of excellence, integrity, collaboration, and professionalism. He leads by example and is always willing to go above and beyond to help others. That's why I believe he deserves recognition for his work. I'm nominating Nabil for the Kelley Coin, not just because he helped me personally but because he's made a significant impact on the entire Kelley community. His leadership and dedication to helping others succeed are truly admirable.

Bringing our former DJ back into the limelight: Community, Collaboration, and Excellence

Recipient: Chang-Min Song
Submitted by Rachel Tuskes on 04/04/2023

Chang's actions to foster community, collaboration, and excellence in our MBA program deserve recognition. Collectively throughout the first year, but particularly in the Spring 2023 semester, he has volunteered: • His DJ talents for MBA tailgates and for his classmate Emily Skooglund's 5-Year Wedding Anniversary; • His insights on Strategic Cost Analysis for two review sessions in preparation for exam time (both in excess of two hours each) and developed an excel tool to assist us with breaking down a word problem into its relevant parts; • His time and initiative through leading the effort to redo the bulletin boards in the graduate student lounge – including aggregating the Class of 2023 and Class of 2024 photos from social, academic, and professional events and getting professional photos printed; • His creativity through content creation and management of the new KSBMBA Instagram account; • And shared his warm and welcoming personality with accepted students during our Experience Weekend event through co-organizing an evening out with Neelay Bhaskar. Chang also dropped everything last-minute to accompany me when we heard that there were prospective students who arrived a day early and were hoping to mingle. He quietly takes upon himself the responsibility of the chaperone whenever he is out with friends – keeping us all together, safe, and happy. Chang cares deeply about giving back to the Kelley community and is always willing to take time to help others in need whether that be a classmate, a friend, or a prospective student. He sees areas of improvement and goes forth with enthusiasm to create – or become part of – solutions.

Excellence and Collaboration

Recipient: Sarah Kiley
Submitted by Anonymous Coin Giver on 04/04/2023

Saying that Sarah has gone above and beyond during her time at Kelley is a gross understatement. She is always assisting classmates with casing, mentoring first years, helping Scott with Consulting Academy every Friday and doing all of this with professionalism and excellence. Sarah embodies all of the values of Kelley and exhibits them every day. The success of our class and the future success of the first-year class, in my humble opinion, is due in a large part to her collaboration with all of us. It seems every time I see her on a Friday or talk to her on a Friday she is mentoring and advising her first-year team on calls or in person at Kelley. This has also been exhibited during her time as a second year GLOBASE leader and going above and beyond taking over two teams while in country due to one of the leaders being sick and unable to travel. Further, she is a great voice for Kelley and our values, holding her teammates in class teams to a higher standard. Sarah is always driving class teams to be better and taking the lead on group projects. I have been fortunate enough to be on her team for a lot of classes and she's always holding us accountable to meet and discuss the project in advance of the due date, to where we're not scrambling to finish or rush our deliverable. I can't think of someone who is more deserving of a Kelley coin and someone who better embodies the Kelley values!

Excel-lance

Recipient: Asa Palley
Submitted by Emily Skooglund on 04/04/2023

I was quite nervous about taking K507 this semester. While many recommended the course, it was almost described as a necessary evil. Suffer through the class so you can perform well in your internship. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the course and very impressed with its instructor, Asa Palley. Professor Palley’s teaching method prioritized student learning over all else. While this may have delayed his timeline for the class a few times, it resulted in authentic and applicable student learning. He clearly has a passion for his area of expertise and communicates well the information he seeks to impart to his students. In addition to being an excellent instructor, he is also an excellent person. He treats his students with great patience and understanding. For example, he brought us tangerines and granola bars for “brain food” during our first exam. Not only did this act of kindness make us all smile, but it relieved the stress many of us felt going into the classroom that day, which allowed us to perform better on the exam. Professor Palley is an outstanding example of excellence in Kelley’s faculty. Not only did I learn a great deal in this course, but I enjoyed doing it. K507 quickly became my favorite class for the first half of this semester. Thanks to Professor Palley, I feel much better prepared for my internship now. My only regret about taking K507 this semester is that there isn’t a follow-up class I can take this fall. Professor Palley is a prime example of excellence in the Kelley Community.

An embodiment of Kelley Values

Recipient: Cedrick Agorbia-Atta
Submitted by Anonymous Coin Giver on 12/01/2022

I got to know Cedric about a year ago on an admission chat. Since that session, Cedric has been my go-to person for everything Kelley. He was immense in my decision to come over to Kelley for my MBA. I contacted him when I got my invitation for interview during my application and the advice he gave me was very useful during my interview. After I gained admission, Cedric has taken it upon himself to make sure I am up to speed with everything on campus. He paid for my Go Shuttle express fare when I arrived in Indiana. He helped me secure furniture for my room. I've lost count on how many times he has helped me with academics. He also makes sure I don't miss deadlines by notifying me about crucial deadlines. Granted I have not been on campus for long but I can confidently say there are few people who embody the Kelley values as much as Cedric does. I want to take this opportunity to nominate him for Kelley coin because I believe there are very few on campus deserving of this accolade. Thank.

Moksh to the Rescue

Recipient: Moksh Karira
Submitted by Rachel Morrison on 11/27/2022

Moksh is always coming to the green cohort's rescue! He exemplifies collaboration and excellence. During Core, Moksh has led multiple study sessions for all 3 cohorts in multiple subjects from Economics to Quant. Moksh would survey the class in groupme to find a great time for everyone else, and make sure the meeting happened, whether it be in-person or virtual. During the first 7 weeks of Core after leading a lengthy review for Econ, Moksh then agreed to partner with Juan Diego to do another multi-hour review for quant. He constantly helps those around him to understand topics. Moksh also will help the technologically challenged fix their computers and help us understand Excel. Moksh is there to lend a helping hand when he sees others struggling. He uses his intelligence to demonstrate excellence and collaboration with his peers every day.

Leadership and Collaboration

Recipient: Taydra Jones
Submitted by Paulos Tewolde on 11/13/2022

Taydra has quietly been one of the most impactful leaders at Kelley this past year and it deserves recognition. Last Fall, after a many students missed out of job opportunities because of their inability to case, Taydra spoke with several students about what we could do to make a difference. Instead of complaining about the situation, Taydra immediately took action; she shared concerns with faculty/staff, spoke with students at other schools about best practices and offered SOLUTIONS. Those solutions took time, energy and effort that most students and staff did not have, as such, Taydra stepped up and drove the process herself. After being elected as President of Black MBA, Taydra immediately began designing a schedule and curriculum to support incoming students; she wanted people to learn from our mistakes. Taydra reached out to current students, helped us craft case-interview trainings, and connected us with incoming students who wanted to case. Taydra developed a curriculum and training that took a very difficult skillset in case-interviewing and broke it down into digestible 1-hour sessions to support incoming students who were discouraged by the daunting task. Taydra inspired all of us to take time out of our busy internships and personal lives to help incoming students and thanks to her efforts, six of them received consulting offers before fall semester even began. Taydra exemplifies leadership in the way she operates everyday and I couldn't think of a more deserving person for a Kelley coin.

Leadership

Recipient: Paulos Tewolde
Submitted by Anonymous Coin Giver on 11/10/2022

If I had to explain what a leader exemplifies in our class, there is no better person than Paulos. It has amazed me the level of initiative he takes as MBAA Class President. On top of this, he is also a TA for Consulting Academy and offers mock casing session. My first case with him, i received so much constructive feedback that i saw myself improve on the next one. During the Slate meetings, I have never seem him NOT bring a 100% to the table as a leader. He has offered to help coordinate food for tailgates, offered to check-in at our events and help with budget decision making. Even though he is busy and has plenty on his plate, I'm amazed at how nothing gets past him. Above all, his ability to be empathetic towards others I think is what sets him apart as a leader. Lastly, he is a great communicator - for instance, when asked about MBAA budget questions from our class, he handles them with grace and answers them in a way that doesn't antagonize people and is poised in his response.

Going Above and Beyond

Recipient: Drake Drieberg
Submitted by Janice Brown on 08/18/2022

This student was nominated by the MBA Admissions team for going above and beyond in representing Kelley to prospective and admitted students throughout his two years at Kelley. He was always the first to sign up for Hoosier Host events and didn’t waiver from his commitment to attract top candidates to the program. He has also worked very hard to expand our Canadian student pipeline as an admission counselor. Drake embodies our Kelley Values and we are delighted to recognize him with a Kelley Coin.

Personal initiative and individual responsibility

Recipient: Theodore Sands
Submitted by Vivian Huang on 04/18/2022

During the interval, I had an interview with Mckinsey and the interviews are mostly about casing, which is something I've never done before. I approached Alex, and despite his plans to travel, he agreed to assist. Every week, Alex put in a lot of time. He assessed and advised me on how to develop my casing skills. Alex has assisted me in practicing different McKinsey cases and has even volunteered to participate in mock behavioral interviews. It wasn't only for me; according to my friends, he spent his vacation assisting first-year students in the casing.

Leadership and professionalism : over and beyond

Recipient: Theodore Sands
Submitted by Anonymous Coin Giver on 04/17/2022

During the break, when Alex decided to travel to Japan to meet his family. It is the same time I realized I am not good at the casing and I asked for help with Farrah. Farrah went over and beyond in helping me in every way. Farrah went a step above and asked Alex to help. Alex, even though he has plans to travel agreed to help and he contacted me to help. Alex spent hours every week. he evaluated and guided me to improve my casing and because of Farrah and Alex, I was able to improve my casing through their constructive feedback. At first, I was doubtful if I will be able to clear my interview. I ended up going to the second round and executing the cases very well in all interviews. Isn't this over and Beyond? there is more, Alex has helped me practice company-specific cases and even volunteered to do mock behavioral. it was not just for me, I heard from my friends that he spent his break helping the first years in the casing and preparing them for interviews.

Collaboration

Recipient: Garima Juneja
Submitted by Anonymous Coin Giver on 04/15/2022

Garima offered to spend a significant amount of time making sure that we felt comfortable with the materials we are learning in a particularly difficult class. She could easily just have leveraged her expertise in the subject to speed through the material and spend her time and energy on something else, but she instead went out of her way to work with a group of first-years to answer any and every question that came up-- however long that process took. Her eagerness to go out of her way to get into the weeds of tricky material with struggling classmates is what makes her a wonderful candidate for a Kelley coin.

Personal initiative and individual responsibility through tailgating

Recipient: Stephen Wood
Submitted by Phillip Richardson on 11/30/2021

One of the things we've all been looking forward to getting back to this fall is hosting our MBAA tailgates before every home game. When I began organizing the events at the beginning of the fall, I knew it would be a lot of work, but I also knew that we'd have plenty of help from fellow Kelleys in helping to load, transport, set up, and tear down for each game. When I sent out a request at the beginning of the semester for help in putting these events on, one of the first respondents was Stephen, and he soon went on to offer to use his giant pickup truck to help transport the kegs of beer we'd bought for our first tailgate. After I got to know him, however, I realized that his help was way more than one guy schlepping some kegs for one game. He immediately asked about plans for future tailgates and let me know that he was there to help with every game if needed. I was hesitant to ask him to help with every game as I knew he'd be under a considerable workload in his first year core, but he continued to offer to help and even volunteered to use his truck to haul the gear to the tailgate site for every game. Well, from that point forward, he was there every week--meeting me at Godfrey on Saturdays before the games to load coolers, tents, cornhole boards, tables, food, sound systems, generators, and whatever else we needed to bring. Not only did he help transport the equipment to the site, he also stayed for the entire tailgate and was there at the end to pack everything up and take it back to Godfrey. He was without a doubt THE star of tailgating this fall, and we wouldn't have been successful without him. He is one of the most deserving recipients of a Kelley Coin that I can think of, and having spoken with many other Kelleys about Stephen, I have gotten the sense that he garners the respect and admiration of his classmates and would have consensus support for a nomination.

Professionalism

Recipient: Akash Dua
Submitted by Anonymous Coin Giver on 11/29/2021

Akash has background in finance, and he has been helping his peers who struggled with finance class to really understand better. The review session he hosted over zoom are the most useful sessions I have ever attended. I think Akash demonstrated professionalism.

Collaboration and Leadership

Recipient: Amisha Mittal
Submitted by Anonymous Coin Giver on 11/15/2021

Amisha has been an amazing resource and supporter of the first year MBA candidates pursuing investment banking. She actively sought us out when we first started at Kelley, demonstrating leadership. She did this by creating a Group Me feed for all of us, introducing herself, and opening herself up for mentoring, mock interviews, and networking resources. Through this effort, she has drastically helped me improve in my pursuit for an investment banking internship and I have three interview lined up after working with her. Through her collaborative nature and leadership, she has had a monumental impact on the Kelley MBA program and is driving a culture and support base for those that come through after us who are pursuing investment banking. I recently met with Amisha to go through mock interviews in preparation for an office visit. She took a full hour out of her day to go through questions she received and took the time to coach me through questions I didn't know how to answer. Knowing she was truly invested in me gave me a comfort while going through the mocks with her, which allowed me to confidently answer the questions and better prepare for the real deal - having the confidence to know I CAN answer these questions. I know I am not alone in feeling this way as the almost 15 1st years pursing investment banking feel the same way. Amisha will be responsible for placing numerous Kelleys in investment banking this summer and I can't wait to see how things progress!

Collaboration and Leadership were strongly seen on him

Recipient: Cesar Maçol
Submitted by Anonymous Coin Giver on 11/10/2021

Cesar has demonstrated strong values aligned with the Kelley culture that I expected to see when I applied. He has shown integrity, Excellence, Professionalism, but mostly Collaboration and Leadership. He has collaborated with the 1st year students since the beginning, supporting them in several academic issues and even personal issues. He has also shown strong leadership values since he donates his time and effort to build tools and help students in general. He has built a solid and complete .pdf document to help international students with their adaptation in Bloomington and USA. Additionally, he has proactively gathered Latin American students to help them with classes schedule and give hints on it for the spring semester. I can't forget to mention his effort in uniting these students in order to create a friendly environment among them.

Caring Crisis Management (Leadership, Collaboration)

Recipient: Tatiana Kolovou
Submitted by Anonymous Coin Giver on 04/29/2021

Professor Tatiana Kolovou's communications class was unfolding as usual, when one of her students had a serious and frightening medical emergency in the classroom. Tatiana handled the situation with calm, making sure 911 was called and doing what she could to assist the student in distress. Then she jumped in her car and headed to the hospital right behind them. Over the next few days, she checked in frequently on this student repeatedly, helping the MBA program office coordinate communication with the student and their parents. For her steady presence during the crisis as well as her caring and consistent follow-up - demonstrating the very best of the Kelley family, Tatiana deserves a Kelley Coin.

A Friend in Need (Collaboration)

Recipient: Chris Graham
Submitted by Emily Stern on 04/23/2021

Rajiv Venkatadri and Chris Graham were in class when one of their friends and classmates suffered a frightening medical emergency and was taken by ambulance to Bloomington Hospital. Without missing a beat, Rajiv and Chris gathered books, backpack and laptop and headed out the door just a few minutes behind. Over the rest of that day, they coordinated communication between the MBA Office, their classmate’s family and the medical team at the hospital. They stayed with their friend for hours, acting as their Kelley family until the actual family members arrived late that same evening. This instinctive collaborative spirit is what makes our community special and Rajiv and Chris should receive a Kelley Coin for exemplifying it this semester.

An Ally for All (Collaboration, Leadership)

Recipient: Kyle Bender
Submitted by Emily Stern on 04/23/2021

The MBA Student Services team nominates Kyle Bender because he embodies collaboration and the notion of leadership from behind. As a Hoosier Host, he never failed to volunteer for whatever was needed. As a peer coach, he took on one of the more challenging Core teams with patience, dedication and appreciation for the opportunity to help his classmates. Kyle has a great sense of empathy and seeks out people who are different than he is in order to enhance his own life. He has been an ally and advocate for any number of people, both formally as an inaugural Diversity Champion and through his informal interactions, and always does so with the utmost respect and integrity. We would like to recognize all that Kyle has done with a Kelley Coin.

Collaboaration

Recipient: Manish Jha
Submitted by Anonymous Coin Giver on 04/20/2021

Manish has been truly inspiring in his efforts to help the international student community at Kelley. His efforts outreach beyond the traditional norms and he has been perseverant in his efforts. He is never one to shy away from helping others. His collaborative nature is evident from the number of students from the incoming class whom he has provided guidance in their appliction process and post offer of admission, for their journey ahead. I am recommending Manish for displaying excellent collaboration and contribtuting to develop a strong and fair community at Kelley.

Over and Beyond

Recipient: Rachel Fleishman
Submitted by Keith Dayton on 04/13/2021

From the 1Kelley syllabus: 1Kelley Consulting aims to develop business leaders who influence a diverse set of clients in Bloomington and the surrounding area, with a special focus on businesses owned by women and under-represented minorities, or organizations that empower these populations… I include this specific introduction because Rachel wrote this as the course was developed – and we kept this language to highlight the essence of 1Kelley, So, this part is easy to understand, that a staff member is instrumental in developing and maintaining a course such as 1Kelley (or with Rachel, GlOBASE as well). However, with Rachel this has been a project where she has poured out her heart. When we started 1Kelley we understood the need to build leaderships opportunities for the MBA students and provide the undergraduates with consulting skills, what we did not completely understand was the difficulty in getting clients. In addition, it was not that that the client base was not there, it was that this particular type of consulting (within these populations) is based on relationships. From the start Rachel would climb in an old pick truck with me (that in itself deserves an award) to drive around the community to meet clients face to face – where they work and sometimes live. Rachel has developed relationships, and keeps nurturing those relationships, in community, with the clients we work with. She has advocated with me to assist the community in better understanding the need for the work 1Kelley does. Rachel provides the connection between us by making sure all of are on track and organizes events (including at her home). The list of what Rachel does “over and beyond” is long – the items on that list is what we all hope Kelley is about, being a family of individuals who support each other and the community.

Tech Trek/Westcoast leadership & supporting diversity

Recipient: Dominick Ferro
Submitted by Anonymous Coin Giver on 04/12/2021

During our first year at Kelley, a group of tech enthusiasts from Kelley and I attended a west coast trek. Thanks to the event, I built strong connections with Kelley alumni in tech and passed that torch to first-year students during the pandemic by holding virtual events last semester. For the great success of building strong connections, I deeply appreciate Dominick’s efforts and engagement. How come? First, the west coast trek was not easy. Less than a week before we were to fly out, several companies revoked their offer to see, leaving our students with significant gaps in the trip. When two companies pulled out, Dominick immediately started going through his network to see if we could meet and network with other tech companies. He ended up securing two companies for us to visit in Seattle. These companies included Tableau, which Salesforce just purchased and Highspot, a now over 500 person start-up. His efforts totally turned around the situation, making the almost-messed-up trek into a great experience beyond plan. Also, due to the learning, he stayed engaged with other alumni of other companies in the Bay Area, securing the 2nd part of the trip and streamlining visiting processes After a year, in this unprecedented year of pandemic, Dominick still shows his commitment to enhancing connections with technology companies for the Kelley community. He unselfishly shares his tips to stay engaged with alumni in the virtual world and refers me to a lot of alumni working on the west coast, inspiring me to hold virtual events with west coast companies, including Tableau!, and making it happen during the pandemic. Not only were his efforts to help Kelley to build strong connections with the est coast but also his inclusiveness to support diversity. I felt comfortable working with him to make things happen, from formal events to logistics. Therefore, I’d like to nominate him as Tech Trek/West coast leadership & supporting diversity.

Collaborating to Stop Asian Hate

Recipient: Jonathan Yuan
Submitted by Oluwatobi Ojo on 04/12/2021

Jon Yuan is deserving of a Kelley Coin for all of the work that he has done to spread awareness of the atrocities committed against Asians and Asian Americans in the United States. Jon has provided a voice to members of our Kelley community that previously felt unheard and has championed this important cause amongst the Kelley MBA community and with the MBA program office. Jon and several others scheduled meetings with the Asian community at Kelley to make sure that they were representing their voices to best of their ability. He and his partner also started selling Stop Asian Hate masks to raise money for organizations that are actively combatting Asian racism. They have raised over $1,300 so far! Jon exemplifies all of the qualities necessary to make him deserving of the Kelley coin.

Supporting fellow students and a champion for diversity and inclusion

Recipient: Pariece Wilder
Submitted by Siafa Hage on 04/10/2021

Without fanfare or a desire for recognition, Riece Wilder has tirelessly supported others with casing and preparing for interviews. She has shown leadership by working with the MBA Office and GCS to improve the casing curriculum with the goal of making future Kelleys better prepared for the job market. Never shy about standing up for what is right, she has displayed integrity by speaking out whenever she has seen subtle forms of injustice that usually go unnoticed. She has also been a vocal champion of Diversity and Inclusion and a driving force behind Kelley Diversity Month. Laboring for more than 10 months, she raised funding, negotiated contracts, and organized panel discussions that have added value to the Kelley community. She also displayed collaboration by ensuring an array of Kelleys were involved as moderators of the various events. Routinely and selflessly, Riece donates her time and talents to support fellow Kelleys on the individual and community levels. In so doing, he displays the values of leadership, integrity and collaboration.

Above Above Above and Way Beyond (Excellence and Leadership)

Recipient: Caitlin Jones
Submitted by Justin Speller on 01/25/2021

If you were to ask me who would I go to before any student government decision I make I would immediately say "CJ". CJ stands for Caitlin Jones. Caitlin Jones is the most hidden gem in our MBA program. Not only is she a joy to all she is around and a model Kelley she also is one of the most thoughtful and excellent people I have encountered in this program. When COVID hit last fall and student activities shifted 100% online she went out of her way to do legal research and help draft a COVID waiver form with the assistance of a law student in Maurer so that the student body could hold safe events. She never accepts defeat and she never takes time to think about herself. She constantly thinks about the greater good of Kelley. No matter when asked to do something outside of her purview she takes it on. Without her the student body would not have had any safe socially distanced in person events this year period. Our student body is much better with her in it. She exudes excellence, leadership and one of the hardest workers this program has seen. She is the most deserving of a Kelley Coin

Selfless (Excellence, Collaboration, Leadership)

Recipient: Ashley Johnson
Submitted by Justin Speller on 12/08/2020

Ashley Johnson is the epitome of what Kelley embodies: Collaboration, Leadership, and Excellence. On paper she is the president of the just the Beer Club however she’s so much more than that. She is on the leadership board of several other clubs and helps every president with their events even when not asked to. Most recently, an example of this was her involvement in the Kelley Faculty auction. Ashley was pivotal to planning, packing 150 goody bags and selecting the venue to make sure everyone had a safe and great time. Finally, she always shows up for everyone. When many international students were worried with trying to get to the airport and make their early flights, Ashley sprang into action making 3 before dawn Indianapolis trips without missing a beat. She drove over 200 miles total in 3 days so that they could return home to their love ones. Ashley’s extremely positive attitude and smile will turn any sourpuss into a bundle of positive energy. She exemplifies Leadership, Excellence and Collaboration every minute of every day

Good things come in threes: Excellence, Collaboration, and Leadership

Recipient: Matthew Williams
Submitted by Anonymous Coin Giver on 12/03/2020

As a man for others, Matthew Williams seldom asks for help, but is quick to give it. He is one of the humblest people and so most are not aware of all the effort he pours into Kelley. He has truly gone above and beyond in not only paving the path of Excellence, Collaboration and Leadership, but building a better road for those who come after him. In his strong passion to give back to our Kelley community, almost all of us have been touched by Matthew’s efforts in some way. Whether it through his work as a Diversity Champion, Hoosier Host, Black Graduate Student Association Treasurer, Black MBA VP of Mentorship and Career Development, Consortium Liaison, Kelley Leadership Academy Mentor, or his work on the Inclusion Committee, Kelley Undergrad Mentoring Program, or the Me Inc Diversity Case; Matthew is continuously finding ways to show up and better our Kelley community. This summer he even created an Internship Think Tank Group for our class knowing that virtual internships would be even more challenging than normal. The group met weekly and allowed students a safe space to ask questions, generate ideas, or receive support from across a multitude of companies. For never failing to show up, for taking on more than most can handle, and for his ongoing commitment to making Kelley a better place than he found it, Matthew Williams deserves a Kelley Coin.

Collaboration and Leadership - A True Kelley Ambassador!

Recipient: Bonnie Wang
Submitted by Sherel Crasta on 11/19/2020

Bonnie is a true embodiment of all the Kelley values. Despite the challenges presented by COVID, she went out of her way on multiple occasions to help me and many other international students integrate, deal with moving to a new country and feel welcome. She demonstrated her excellent leadership skills by providing academic guidance anytime someone reached out to her! She actually held office hours to help a whole group of people perform better academically. She has signed up for every initiative that aims to give back to the community - Net Impact, Hoosier Hosts and Kelley women's liaison, to name a few. She has a unique ability to bring people together for every worthy cause. Her collaborative spirit has helped a lot of us lead the Kelley life of going from moment to momentum!

Casey Bufford: A Profile in Excellence, Integrity, Collaboration, Professionalism, and Leadership

Recipient: Casey Bufford
Submitted by Siafa Hage on 11/18/2020

Seeing a need for the Kelley community to make a greater commitment to Diversity & Inclusion, Casey Bufford, class of 2020 alum, initiated a change.org online petition asking for the inclusion of a diversity case in the Core curriculum. The petition garnered thousands of responses from students, alumni and other interested parties. The overwhelming response to her efforts led to a formal response from the MBA Office that endorsed the petition and led to the inclusion of a diversity case in the Core curriculum for the first time ever. She displayed excellence and integrity in bringing to the fore an important issue that needed to be addressed. Via a petition, she made the processed collaborative, allowing current students and alumni to weigh in and support the effort. She displayed leadership by singlehandedly spearheading a campaign that brought tangible change to the Kelley curriculum. Finally, she displayed professionalism by creating a plan, communicating the plan, and executing the plan with optimal effect. Casey represents the best of Kelley and models the Kelley principles in her everyday life. The D&I petition is just one of her many contributions to our community. Specifically in this instance, her leadership led to immediate and meaningful change in the Core curriculum that has the potential to impact future generations of Kelley FT MBA.

Enthusiastic Leadership!

Recipient: Rita Chou
Submitted by Oluwatobi Ojo on 11/16/2020

I am honored to nominate Rita for a Kelley Coin. She is one of the strongest leaders that I have had the pleasure of working with and is always looking for ways to better the Kelley community. She was one of the inaugural Diversity Champions and she has performed admirably in this capacity. Rita brings a natural curiosity and humility to everything that she does. She has been instrumental in advancing the cause of DE&I at Kelley. She also serves as the chair of the MBAA SLATE Globalization committee and has been active in bringing events to the Kelley community that allow people to share their backgrounds and be their best selves. Rita is also the president of Asian MBAA and is always looking to for ways to bring attention to all of the countries represented in this group. I honestly do not know how Rita finds time to sleep, but I am so glad that the Kelley community is the recipient of her attention and energy. We are definitely better for it.

Collaboration

Recipient: Rob Balikov
Submitted by Anonymous Coin Giver on 11/16/2020

Rob held multiple study sessions for our Quant class throughout the semester going over the different modules. He did this on his own and early on before most people got to know each other. He went over the material in great detail on how to attack each type of problem and really clarified anyone's questions. If he did not know the answer, he would work with everyone in the group to figure it out. He would never say an answer that was a guess if he did not know it. He did not want people to go away from the sessions with a false sense of security. I do not believe people would have done nearly as well as they did without Rob being who he is. He exemplifies what it means to be a Kelley and is truly a kind, thoughtful, and intelligent person. It has been a pleasure to learn and work with him over the course of the semester.

Bring Us Together in Times of Distance

Recipient: Laura Nieto
Submitted by Anonymous Coin Giver on 11/16/2020

Since the global pandemic has hit the US, we have been forced to be distant from one another and to forego one of the core elements that drove many of us to come to business school, which was to build a strong network. For some, this distance has been harder than for others. Through a deep consideration of what is best for the community also individuals of the program, Laura Nieto has spent countless hours trying to come up with programming that allows students to have some semblance of connection. Whether it was calling and visiting many of the businesses in Bloomington or getting a pulse for the comfort level of each student, Laura has done everything in her power to help us still feel like Kelley is a place where we could be a family and support each other by dealing with this pandemic together. For that, and the million other reasons why we need to connect as a class, I believe that Laura Nieto deserves a Kelley coin for caring about all of us and our Kelley experience.

A valuable resource for Kelley and beyond

Recipient: Raghu Ram Sreepada Srinivas
Submitted by Prachee Kaushal on 04/27/2020

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/raghuramss_career-discussion-raghu-ram-activity-6659163546288558080-6cU0 Raghu has been instrumental in coaching and guiding PM aspirants in Kelley (right from batch of 2019 to 2021) and across other business schools. He has helped students with resume reviews, mock interviews and even conducted PM workshops at Kelley. His passion for PM and his willingness to help people is commendable. I have seen Raghu dedicate his time even through Covid-19 period on multiple platforms including LinkedIn (I have attached a link for reference). I have seen MSIS, MBA and MS students reach out to him for his expertise in networking and Product Management. He truly stands by the Kelley values of collaboration and excellence.

Morning Motivation with Hal

Recipient: Hal Beresford
Submitted by Anonymous Coin Giver on 04/20/2020

Hal has organized a recurring daily morning motivation Zoom call for the Kelley community, I for one find it to be one of the best parts of the day. Thank you so much for coming up with the idea, and hosting everyday.

Collaboration: When I Shine, You Shine

Recipient: Justin Speller
Submitted by John Bickel on 12/14/2019

The National Black MBA Conference took place seemingly just as our semester began. A surplus of students scrambled to get their resumes and trip arrangements in order, while many opted out of the opportunity altogether due to lack of time and/or lack of money. Justin, upon his own initiative, organized a conference follow-up session that welcomed every individual in our class to benefit from the experiences, lessons, and takeaways of our classmates. I personally did not have the money to attend the conference, but I felt included in the experience and felt that I benefited from my classmates having participated. Instead of being selfish with new connections and networks, Justin encouraged peer collaboration and sharing of these newfound assets. He went out of his way to ensure that every one of his peers, whether they were able to attend the conference or not, was able to maximize the benefits of the National Black MBA Conference in pursuit of a summer internship. Justin exemplified what makes Kelley such a great program: replacing competitiveness with collaboration so that when one Kelley shines, we all do.

Leadership in the Field of Diversity and Inclusion

Recipient: Oluwatobi Ojo
Submitted by Siafa Hage on 12/11/2019

Tobi Ojo has proven to be a leader and champion of diversity and inclusion. In collaboration with Tiesha Douglas, he created the Diversity Champion program geared toward creating a more thoughtful and inclusive Kelley Community. He has a reservoir of ideas for how students, faculty and staff can enhance D&I within Kelley. I nominate Tobi not only for the contributions he has already made to the community, but for the many more that are surely to come from him.

Five for Five: A true exhibition of Integrity, Excellence, Professionalism, Collaboration, and Leadership

Recipient: Rachel Jones
Submitted by Ashley Emerole on 12/09/2019

Rachel is truly a one of a kind, stand up Kelley. Her ongoing and sincere commitment to the Kelley community has led to incredible social events, fundraising and a genuine sense of solidarity amongst the student body. What is most impressive about Rachel is her willingness to ensure that everyone has a good time whether that's through the tailgates or cohort wars and her excellent ideas or spearheading calendar sales for the faculty auction. She has more energy than most and is always ready to prove her logistical knowhow when setting up an event. For her ongoing dedication to the Kelley community and true demonstration of all 5 Kelley values, Rachel Jones deserves a Kelley coin.

Excellence, Honesty

Recipient: Allison Lawler
Submitted by Nicholas Spanburg on 12/08/2019

Allison has been organizing meetings for Kelleys Helping Kelleys for the past year. The group was formed after multiple students experienced personal and confidential problems. The group is confidential, so I can't share specifics of other students. I can say that the group has helped multiple students work through very delicate and difficult problems. I experienced the loss of a friend and an aunt during the core and recruiting season last year. The combination of burnout and personal struggle was extremely difficult to push through. Luckily, the group was formed and I was able to talk through my feelings with a group of extremely honest and supportive people. Allison is not only a member of the group, but has pushed through her personal pain and struggle to organize all of our meetings during the past year. The group has helped seven different students talk about their problems. Her ability to lead and support others in such a personal way is a great example of excellence and her ability to open up to the group is a great example of honesty. If you do consider selecting her to receive the Kelley coin, I would kindly suggest being sensitive in how you discuss the Kelleys Helping Kelleys group details as they are extremely confidential. Good luck with making your decisions.