The 2025 See Yourself IN High School Summit brought together hundreds of high school students, educators, and industry leaders for a day designed to spark possibility and illuminate real pathways into Indiana’s advanced industries. From the moment students arrived at the AMP at 16 Tech on November 13, the energy was unmistakable: curiosity, excitement, and a genuine eagerness to explore what’s possible for their futures.
Click here to view photos from this year’s event!
Learning from the Leaders Who Shape Indiana’s Economy
We kicked off the 2025 See Yourself IN Summit with an opening from Kristen Lampkin and Latoya Botteron of CICP, who encouraged students to think boldly about their futures and to go into this day with an open mind of what is out there in Indiana.
We then welcomed Olivia West, in-game host for the Indiana Fever and Indiana Pacers, to the stage, where she shared an inspiring keynote about the importance of values – our GPS system – and how those values lead us toward decisions that affect our future. She inspired all of us to think big and to stay curious, both at the summit and in life.
Across the Summit, speakers from CICP’s branded initiatives and partners — TechPoint, AgriNovus, BioCrossroads, Conexus Indiana, and Ascend Indiana — shared insights into the future of work and the incredible opportunities emerging in technology, life sciences, agbiosciences, advanced manufacturing and logistics, and beyond. They were also able to share opportunities for students to get plugged in and get a jumpstart on their careers, whatever that path may be.
The morning session ended with two valuable panel discussions that exposed students to real stories of success and validation that it’s okay to not know your next step. We first welcomed a group of current students who are tied to CICP’s various talent programs, including Field Atlas, Xtern, and the Modern Apprenticeship Program (MAP). These individuals – Mackensi Schneider, Megan Van Dyke, and Rex Cole – were joined by AgriNovus Indiana Career Success Manager Karis Witte to discuss their respective programs as well as their advice for students who may be interested in following in their footsteps.
Related: Watch the Pathways to Jobs and Careers panel on demand here.
We then transitioned to a panel of early-in-career professionals who have been able to make an impact and find success (and their voice) in various advanced industry careers. Susie Cox, an Automation Leader at Corteva Agriscience, Katie Murphy, a Manufacturing Engineer at Arcamed, and Lilia Sanchez, a Postdoctoral Fellow at Indiana Biosciences Research Institute joined moderator Emily Kitterman, Director of Careers in Tech at TechPoint on the stage. These individuals were able to share advice to students about finding their path and ways to find success in the advanced industries, as well as offered some perspective on what the “advanced industries” really mean and why they are so important, not just to our state but to our world.
Watch the Outstanding Opportunities: Jobs in Indiana’s Advanced Industries panel on demand here.
Hands-On Exploration: Where Careers Come to Life
Beyond the stage, the Summit’s industry activations transformed career exploration into something students could touch, test, and experience. From learning about life sciences through VR to extracting strawberry DNA, coding alongside tech mentors to learning about how to use AI, students had a chance to see these advanced industries come to life in very tangible ways. A special thanks to the following groups who volunteered their time and talent to provide these hands-on demos to our students:
- Corteva Agriscience: Strawberry DNA Extraction
- EMC2 – Facility and Lab Tour
- Ivy Tech School of IT and Gaming: Coding Activity
- iXplore: Virtual Reality Experience
- Machyne at 16 Tech – Tour of Machyne Makerspace and Welding Demo
- Telabotics: Robotics Demonstration and Activity
- TechPoint – AI Workshop
Many students were eager to share that this was their favorite part of the day, the moment careers felt tangible, accessible, and exciting.
In addition to these hands-on activities, we had several partners who set up booths at the AMP where students could learn about opportunities to take the next step. Butler University’s Founder’s College, IU Indianapolis, Purdue University, Ivy Tech, and each of our branded initiatives – Ascend Indiana, AgriNovus Indiana, BioCrossroads, Conexus Indiana, and TechPoint were able to share opportunities for our high school students to get plugged in and turn today’s excitement into an actionable step forward.
Student Takeaways and Outcomes
Throughout the day, one message came through clearly: There is a place for every student to see themselves IN Indiana’s innovation economy.
As students got their ice cream and headed home for the day, they left with an idea of their values, a new awareness of growing career paths and opportunities, direct connections to mentors, employers, and continuing education, and insights into the skills needed for today’s (and tomorrow’s) jobs.
Perhaps most importantly, they left with a greater understanding that their strengths, interests, and values can help shape their decision-making and influence their path to a fulfilling career, right here in Indiana.
The learning doesn’t stop when the Summit ends. Students, families, and educators can continue exploring resources, career pathways, and videos throughout the year at SeeYourselfIN.com.
A Community Coming Together for Students
None of this would have been possible without our incredible network of partners:
- Panelists and speakers who generously shared their time and stories
- Exhibitors and activation partners who brought advanced industries to life through hands-on demonstrations
- Educators and school leaders who championed their students and made participation possible
- CICP’s five branded initiatives who collaborated to create a seamless, meaningful experience for students across the state
This collective effort is what makes the See Yourself IN Summit so powerful. It represents the very best of Indiana’s commitment to developing its future talent.
