This story is part of an initiative led by the CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) to highlight entrepreneurship and innovation across Indiana’s universities. Learn more about the initiative here. When Isaac Rogers discusses LaGrange County and Brooke Wagner talks about Wabash County, a common theme emerges from their different experiences: pride, curiosity and a growing sense of possibility. Both represent their home counties as County Ambassadors in Ball State University’s County Ambassador Program. The student-to-student engagement program empowers students to share community pride and to encourage their friends and classmates to consider working or living there in the future. While the program is innovative, its impact is best understood through students like Isaac and Brooke, whose experiences show how a connection to place can shape confidence, career paths and future choices. Isaac joined the County Ambassador Program when [...]

This story is part of an initiative led by the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) to highlight entrepreneurship and innovation across Indiana’s universities. Learn more about the initiative here. When the five Ball brothers moved their glass manufacturing business to Muncie, Ind., in the late 19th century, they weren’t just investing in a place—they were investing in people. In 1917, they purchased and donated the land and facilities of a defunct teacher training school to the state, laying the foundation for what would become Ball State University. But their gift was more than real estate. It was a declaration that education, entrepreneurship, and philanthropy could—and should—work in harmony to strengthen communities. That belief has guided Ball State for more than a century. Today, the University continues to foster a culture of innovation rooted in those values, preparing students to [...]