All in the Family

Jeff and Debbie Adler

Parents of Amanda and Alexa

For the Adler family of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, IU and the Kelley School are a true family affair.

Parents Jeff and Debbie met at IU in the 1970s and graduated in 1976. Exactly 30 years later, their daughter, Amanda—a Kelley Scholar—earned her undergraduate degree from the Kelley School and now works at Bain & Company in Chicago. The IU streak lives on in the couple’s youngest daughter, Alexa, who entered Kelley in fall 2007 as a direct admit student.

The couple couldn’t be happier. “IU is an amazing place to be a student and a great place to come back to as parents and alumni,” says Debbie. “We know our children are proud to be part of the Kelley School and we are delighted they chose Indiana for their education.”

The Adlers are especially impressed with the way Kelley prepared Amanda for her first job after college. “As a Kelley Scholar, Amanda had once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. She studied abroad in Prague; Florence, and China; took leadership roles in various Kelley School programs such as the Student Ambassadors; and volunteered in the Bloomington community,” says Jeff. “Amanda’s education included ‘real world’ experiences like case competitions and group projects that prepared her for her current job. Most importantly, the Kelley School provided excellent opportunities for jobs after graduation.”

What has most impressed the Adlers, however, are the Kelley professors. “They truly care about the students and will help prepare them for job interviews. Amanda always had complete access to her professors and her classes were taught by professors as opposed to teaching assistants,” says Debbie.

Alexa is gearing up to blaze her own trail at Kelley, and her parents say she is well on her way. “The Kelley faculty and staff have already made her feel welcomed and comfortable,” says Debbie. “She feels that being part of the Kelley School makes a very large university feel small.”

In Brief

How did your daughters prepare for Kelley?

“Each of our daughters sought to obtain admission to a top business school. Knowing that Kelley is an elite business school, our daughters took AP and honors courses in high school to help prepare them to gain admission as a direct admit to Kelley.”

Where is your favorite place to eat or stay in Bloomington?

“We have two favorite places to stay in Bloomington—the Indiana Memorial Union and the Grant Street Inn. Our favorite restaurants are Malibu Grill and Steak n Shake.”

What is the one IU or Bloomington activity every parent should do?

“They should experience an IU basketball game and go to the Little 500 bike race.”