Katherine Forrest
IU Bloomington with Ba in Individualized major program
iu kelley indianapolis with a bs in computer information systems
currently in peace corps in morocco, helping local artists develop businesses
"I-Core was a fantastic program. Students may grumble about it from time to time, but I found it useful. It’s not easy, but it is beneficial in the long run."
You never know where your degree from the Kelley School of Business Indianapolis may take you. Just ask Katherine Forrest.
Years ago, she saw herself landing a job doing some sort of computer consulting, relying on her BS degree in Computer Information Systems earned at Kelley Indianapolis. Today, she lives in Morocco and works for the Peace Corps. A life in front of computer is exchanged for a life in a remote location with limited Internet access … but no regrets.
“When I approached graduation at Kelley, I searched around for a non-traditional job,” Forrest said. “I really wanted to travel and work overseas. I researched various opportunities, including the Peace Corps. The more I read about what the Peace Corps. does, the more I wanted to be a part.”
Forrest now works in a small town in Morocco, her home since September 2007, helping local artists develop business opportunities and ways to market their products. She is working with skilled carpet weavers from her village, helping them develop smaller and more portable products attractive to tourists. She will complete her Peace Corps. assignment in November.
“I am working with some families to create smaller, less expensive products that would be easier to sell in order to generate a more steady income,” she said. “It is interesting and challenging work that has promoted my understanding of Moroccan culture, and enabled me to study a new language.”
Looking back, Forrest said the business knowledge learned at Kelley Indianapolis has proven valuable during her time overseas. It wasn’t until she took I-Core that her career vision began to come into focus.
“I-Core was a fantastic program. Students may grumble about it from time to time, but I found it useful. It’s not easy, but it is beneficial in the long run,” said Forrest, adding it didn’t take her long to learn her future was in business rather than IT.
Even in Morocco, Forrest says she still uses skills she learned in I-Core, an intense team project required for all future Kelley graduates, who must apply knowledge learned in three courses to help a local company overcome a real business-related problem.
She still hopes to pursue a graduate degree in International Studies and possibly an MBA. For now, though, she’s content with her role in the Peace Corp. and the skills learned while at Kelley Indianapolis.
“There are many skills and experiences that I find important, but I think the most relevant aspect of my education was how it guided my career,” Forrest recalled. “Before Kelley, I was always motivated to succeed, but I was not sure which direction to take. I knew I wanted an international focus, but I did not know exactly where, how or in what way. Now my undergraduate education is diverse and complete, my path is clear and my work is interesting.”
