Perrine selected as first Orr Fellow at Franklin College

A Franklin College senior has received an Orr Fellowship, making him the first fellow from Franklin College in the 15-year history of the program.

Brody Perrine, son of Patrick Perrine of Roachdale and Charleen Zimmerman of Lebanon, will begin his fellowship in June 2017 and complete it in June 2019 as part of the program’s two-year commitment.

The Orr Fellowship is a highly competitive program with the goal of helping develop future business leaders and entrepreneurs.

With an average acceptance rate of six percent, fellows are recruited from the top seniors at Indiana and Ohio universities. The program includes a full-time, salaried position with a host company, professional development, executive mentorship and civic engagement opportunities.

As part of the program, Perrine was placed with PAN (Performance Assessment Network) as his host company. PAN specializes in talent measurement solutions that help clients hire, develop and retain successful employees.

Perrine’s initial responsibilities will include working with the client services team in building, developing and implementing a Q&A platform for the assessment the company uses.

“I have realized that the adversity that I have faced throughout my four years at Franklin College has been worth it,” Perrine said. “I believe that all of my experiences at Franklin have helped me secure my spot as an Orr Fellow and that the liberal arts will help me succeed in my various roles.”

With a bachelor’s degree in psychology anticipated in May 2017, Perrine was encouraged by his professors in the psychology department to apply for the fellowship.

Amy Bracken, assistant professor of psychology, is very proud of the results and hopes Perrine’s accomplishment will foster excitement about the program among current underclassmen.

“Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes and Brody’s accomplishment demonstrates just how versatile and applicable our major is,” Bracken said. “The skills he has honed in psychology coursework have allowed him to rise to the top of a talented field of future business leaders, and we couldn’t be prouder.”

Perrine was also recently inducted into the Franklin College chapter of Alpha Society. Established in 1922, the Alpha Society is an academic honorary society. Its purpose is to promote and recognize scholarship at the undergraduate level.

To be eligible for membership students must have a GPA of no less than 3.50.