Stories ByTrinidy Charles ’23

Butler University gave Katie Freeman ’22 a newfound confidence, encouraging her to carve her own path. Becoming a business owner had never crossed her mind, but upon graduation, she co-founded Indigo Jacks, a marketing and communications company.

Turning his passion for videography into a career, Thulani Smith ’20 now works as the Lead Video Editor at Borschoff. He thanks Butler for encouraging his curiosity and allowing him to create freely.

At Butler, mentorship extends beyond the classroom to the many student services and centers across campus. Read how Randall Ojeda, Efroymson Diversity Center Director, and student Victory Sampson connected on campus. 

Tim Howard was a part of the Army Reserve Officer Training Corp (ROTC) program at Butler University. As part of the ROTC program, Tim took elective coursework in leadership fundamentals, military skills and tactics, and completed summer training programs, preparing him for a career in the U.S. Army, the Army Reserves, or the Army National Guard.

Anne Wilson, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, has worked at Butler for 27 years. She is most proud of her work helping students find pathways to success in the classroom, in laboratories, during research projects, and presentations.

Working as WFYI’s news team’s Digital Content Intern, Leah Ollie ’25, says she is thankful for the opportunity to immerse herself in a public media newsroom. Working alongside other journalists, she is inspired to be an effective communicator, sharing her own stories in The Butler Collegian and upon graduation.

The Faculty-in-Residence program bridges the connection between students’ residential and academic life. Professor Hilary Madinger wanted the opportunity to connect with students in a new, meaningful way, whether participating in extracurricular activities or sharing a meal.

Courtney Raab ’18 attributes her career in the medical field to Butler’s hands-on learning approach. Now working as a Neurology Resident Physician, she’s thankful for the early healthcare experience she gained through shadowing and internships.

Spencer Jaenichen ’19 says Butler’s collaborative classroom environment prepared him to continue his education at the University of Illinois College of Law. Now working as a Litigation Associate at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, he knows how to efficiently work on a team, welcoming others’ thoughts and advice.

After graduating from Butler, Linda Calvin ’01 was promoted into digital leadership positions at former employer Dow Chemical. Now, as the Chief Impact Officer at Reboot Representation, Linda works to double the number of Black, Latina, and Native American women graduating with computing degrees by 2025.

Bobbie Gibson, Associate Director of International Student Services and Incoming Exchange, has worked at Butler for 25 years. Meeting students from across the world, she helps ease their transition to life in the United States and on campus.

Michelle Gruber says the best part of her job is working with her colleagues in the Office of Registration and Records. As an Associate Registrar, she enjoys working with database systems and doing reports for other various departments.