“I’ve built relationships with a lot of different people at Ivy Tech, which will help me going forward in my business career. I’m going to miss it here.”
An associate degree in Business Administration. The Outstanding Student Award for the School of Business, Logistics, and Supply Chain. A lot of valuable connections. Caleb Dunlap is leaving Ivy Tech Community College Fort Wayne on a high note.
“I’m looking forward to sharing all the things I’ve learned here, and hopefully steering a few people here who aren’t totally sure what they’re wanting to do in life to come here.”
Before Caleb even started at college, he thought he’d go into a trade. When things didn’t go as planned, he started at Ivy Tech and wanted to use his business degree to fly drones and take real estate photos. But then he had a change of heart, becoming more interested in the world of digital and social media marketing.
He credits instructors like Patrick McCormick, Department Chair of Business and Hospitality Administration, and Bart Putnam, Assistant Professor of Business Administration, with strengthening his passion for marketing and leaving him with the tools he needs to be successful.
“Social media marketing is cool because it opens the world up. You can get performance metrics and break down data.”
It wasn’t just Ivy Tech that fueled that spark. Caleb became passionate about social media marketing after starting an Instagram account for his car—sally_the_saturn_sl2. He bought Sally the Saturn off Facebook Marketplace when he first started college and says he made the account as a joke. Little did he know that joke would spark a passion for social media marketing and a following of nearly 2,000 people. Now, he has connections across the country, as well as locally.
Aside from his Instagram, he’s heavily involved with his community serving as an Assistant Scout Master for a local boy scout troop. He’s been a part of the organization for years, earning the title of Eagle Scout at 12 years old. Caleb says it taught him character and skill development while also allowing him to complete rewarding community projects, like building a fence around Chief Little Turtle’s grave site in his hometown. He plans to stay involved as he goes to continue his education.
“I feel like it’s not only an honor but also an obligation to help out with the next generation because I had so many people help me; I want that opportunity to give back.”
In the fall, Caleb will be continuing his business education across the street at Purdue University Fort Wayne, where he already works part-time as a civil lab technician. He’s excited for what lays ahead but says he’ll also miss Ivy Tech.
Now that he’s graduating, Caleb offers this advice to current and future students:
“Make sure you’re scheduling time to study and to mentally prepare for the week ahead. It’s tedious, but it is a very important lesson.”
Inside Ivy Tech 