51����Ƶ

Some of the world’s most influential businesswomen started off as engineers.  

Take Mary Barra, for instance, an electrical engineer who went on to further her education in business. Barra is now the Chairman and CEO of General Motors Company.

Gwynne Shotwell, a mechanical engineer who received her master’s degree in applied mathematics, is now the president and COO of SpaceX.

And here at 51����Ƶ, where October’s School Spotlight is the School of Advanced Manufacturing, Engineering, and Applied Science, 2020 School of Engineering graduate Chloe Bennett is determined to build an empire of her own. 

“Out of high school, I had no idea what I wanted to do, but I knew going to a 4-year institution right away was too expensive,” said Bennett. “I had no intentions of going into engineering, but somehow, I knew it would prepare me for whatever came next.”

Along the way, Bennett connected with Ivy Tech faculty member Patrick Piper, and tutor, Katherine Wayt, who were instrumental to the success in her coursework. During her studies, Chloe realized that she enjoyed design, and was eager to find a way to fuse her knowledge in engineering with her love of creation. 

When Bennett graduated from Ivy Tech Richmond in 2018, she transferred to Purdue University, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in computer graphics technology in 2020. Now, she is an employee at Vandor Corporation in Richmond, Indiana, where she is a member of the marketing, research, and development team. 

And after such a great experience at Ivy Tech the first time, Bennett has returned to the college with plans to study business marketing with the hope of someday starting her own media company. 

“Ivy Tech afforded me the chance to explore my options without the burden of debt,” she revealed. “It gave me time to self-reflect, step out of my comfort zone, and provided me with soft skills – like teamwork and responsibility – to prepare me for life outside after school.” 

In her spare time, Bennett enjoys spending time with friends, her dog, and building architecture-themed Lego sets. 

“My first love was, and still is, architecture,” Bennett told us. “I love building things and bringing them to life, and I hope to go back to that someday.”

While Bennett’s future has only just begun, her life philosophy serves as a reminder to anyone in pursuit of greatness – no matter where they find themselves on their journey.

“Feel the fear and do it anyways,” she states. “Step out of your comfort zone and just do it.”