For Julia Kelb, her career in communications started at Marian University.Julia Kelb graduated from Marian with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication in 2016.
Marian first popped onto her radar after her mom encouraged her to apply. After submitting her application, Julia called the admissions office and was immediately struck by how kind and welcoming everyone was. “They were so kind and nice. They sold me on it.” That call was the turning point that convinced her Marian was the right place for her.
During her freshman year, Julia joined Marian’s Speech and Debate team, an experience she still carries with her as both impactful and an incredible learning opportunity. Looking back, she can see how the skills she developed through Speech and Debate — thinking quickly, communicating clearly, and understanding how to connect with an audience — have continued to shape the work she does today.
Her Marian experience continued to grow when she interned in the Office of Marketing and Communications during her senior year. Working in the office gave her hands-on experience and allowed her to learn how MarCom operated from the inside. She quickly became familiar with the team, the work, and the day-to-day responsibilities of the office.
After graduation, the opportunity to stay at Marian in a full-time role almost seemed like it “fell into her lap.” Because she already knew the MarCom office and had experience with its work, the transition from intern to full-time employee felt natural. Julia went on to spend seven years at Marian as a full-time supporter of internal and external communications.
Those experiences became an important foundation for the next step in her career: Eli Lilly.
Today, Julia continues to use the communication skills she developed at Marian to help communicate complex ideas to different audiences. Her journey from Marian student to MarCom intern, to full-time writer and editor, and eventually to Eli Lilly shows how college experiences can continue to shape a career long after graduation.
For Julia, Marian was more than the place where she graduated and earned her degree. It was where she began building her career — developing the skills, experience, and confidence that would become the foundation of her career in communications at Eli Lilly.