A pair of undergraduates in Purdue’s Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business are finding career support and network opportunities through their participation in conferences offered by the Forté Foundation. The nonprofit’s mission is to launch women into fulfilling, significant careers through access to business education, professional development, and a community of successful women.
Delaney Dentler, a junior marketing major from Kendallville, Indiana, took part in the Forté Undergraduate Campus Leadership Summit in 2023. The event provided opportunities for students to participate in interactive workshops and skill-building breakout sessions, as well as to connect with other student leaders from Forté undergraduate partner schools.
“The Leadership Summit marked a significant turning point in my professional trajectory,” she says. “At the event, I had the invaluable opportunity to connect with a wide array of influential and empowering women. Listening to their compelling journeys not only inspired me, but also imparted essential knowledge on fostering a secure and inclusive environment for women in the business world.”
After the leadership summit, Capital Group, a financial management company, found Dentler’s resume in Forté’s database and reached out to her for a summer sales internship in San Antonio, Texas.
“My role was to learn about the financial and wealth management industries while creating a roadmap of resources and marketing pieces for incoming wholesalers to meet their annual goals,” she says. “By the end of my experience at Capital, I didn’t recognize myself. I was incredibly proud of how I personally branded myself and how much I had grown, both personally and professionally. Although this was my first internship, I continued day-by-day to be a better version of myself.”
Dentler is now a Forté Campus Ambassador, a role that lets her share her success with other undergraduate women and help provide them with the tools they need to prepare for fulfilling careers. “I never imagined how much Forte would impact my college and career journey, but I am so thankful I was able to gain the experience I did,” she says.
Laina Robison, a junior from Granger, Indiana, majoring in finance and general management, attended Forté’s 2022 Fast Track to Business Conference. “Attending the conference was a big step for me in my college career,” she says. “I was able to hear from different women across different industries such as banking, consulting, finance, and more. I learned the importance of being intentional about your career and finding something that keeps you consistently happy. I also had the opportunity to talk with multiple recruiters from amazing companies.”
Robison’s participation also helped her learn about the importance of mentorship and doing what’s best for yourself both personally and professionally. “Because of the conference, I now have a different perspective on what I want out of my future career,” she says. “It helped give me a toolkit to use on my professional development journey once I graduate.”
