Alumni and Friends Making an Impact

First-year student Katie Kuttrus understands the importance of a well-told story. And thanks to the generosity of 2023 One Day, One Dayton donors, she’s well on her way to creating a compelling story of her own.

Kuttrus’ UD story began in the spring of 2023 when she toured the campus as part of her college search. It was the stories she heard on that visit that made her choose UD over the other eight schools to which she had applied. “The people I encountered on the tour were so excited and willing to help. They talked about the impact of the business school in a way that set UD apart from the other colleges I visited,” said Kuttrus.

And it was those same powerful storytelling skills that Kuttrus hoped to learn when she accepted the invitation last fall to attend the LORE Storytelling for Business workshop funded by 2023 One Day, One Dayton donations made to the School of Business Administration Dean’s Fund for Excellence.

“I’m grateful donors make workshops like this possible because hands-on learning experiences genuinely help students make the connection between classroom learning and real life,” said Kuttrus.

An entrepreneurship major, Kuttrus was one of 50 business majors to attend the full-day workshop, facilitated by LORE owner Bridget Flaherty. Students learned about story arcs and components, and then looked at the top 20 most commonly asked interview questions to determine which question might best be answered using a personal story. Students drafted and shared those personal stories and received feedback from their peers.

Flaherty was impressed by how willing the students were to actively participate and share their personal stories. “We used interviews as an exercise because they are important, but the truth is these skills are important throughout life — whether it’s asking for a raise, pitching an idea or trying to manage an organizational change,” said Flaherty.

According to Allie Ellison ’08, workshop organizer and associate director of recruiting initiatives and special projects at UD, students also benefited from the opportunity to grow their personal networks within the School of Business Administration. “Students who previously didn’t know each other had the opportunity to collaborate. That’s really beneficial, especially for younger students.”

Kuttrus, who hopes to follow in her mother’s footsteps and own her own business one day, has already put the workshop skills to use. “Shortly after the workshop, I applied to become an intern with Flyer Consulting. I used many of the business interview skills learned at the workshop to help me stand out and land the job,” said Kuttrus.

 “Ultimately, experiences like the LORE workshop help make students more employable and capable once we do enter the workforce. And, for me, that’s the main goal of college,” said Kuttrus.