Making her mark at Franklin College
There are lots of things that can often be found in the possession of incoming college freshmen: sheets, pillowcases, LED lights, a bathroom caddy, shower shoes, etc. Not often found, however, is a student with a self-owned pool business. This is just one difference that sets Maecee Terhune ‘24 apart from the average college student.
When one comes into college already having helped start their own business, it would make sense to assume that they were predestined for a business major track. This is not the path that Terhune originally planned on, though. When she originally arrived at Franklin, she was thinking about pursuing a major in elementary education, though she’ll be the first to admit that she “didn’t really know [she] wanted to do.”
What quickly became clear, however, was the fact that elementary education was not going to be for her. On a whim, she decided to take a business course. This class was the genesis of Terhune deciding to pursue a business major.
Terhune said that she “really enjoyed the atmosphere” and felt like there was a lot of overlap between what she was learning and what she could apply to her pool business. Her business helps local entities contract lifeguards for events and connects pool owners with the necessary chemicals to help keep their pools functional, among other things.
Business is not the only thing that Terhune believes overlaps with her current business interests: she believes that same connection exists in the field of psychology.
This connection between psychology and the business world may partially explain why Terhune chose to pursue a minor in general psychology; however, she also points out that she just finds it interesting in general. She said that learning about people and “what’s going on in their minds, how they think, how to deal with people” has been both the most interesting thing about studying psychology as well as the most applicable lessons from the field to her pool business. She cites three classes specifically as having a huge overlap between the psychology and business worlds: social psychology, theories of personality, and a leadership class, all classes that she took as part of the “Pick 3” curriculum, a list of classes from which a student must pick three as part of the Franklin College psychology minor.
Franklin College has done more for Terhune’s professional growth than just offering these classes. When choosing colleges, she had the choice between Franklin and the University of Southern Indiana. When asked why she ultimately went with Franklin, she said that there were two determining factors: one was the fact that Franklin offered her the chance to continue playing tennis; the other was a conversation she had had with some other girls who had gone here.
“Hearing those girls’ experiences at the college was really eye-opening,” Terhune said. “I heard about how willing professors were to meet, how open conversations with them were, how easy it was to get interest-focused internships, and it just felt like that was where I was supposed to be.”
These relationships with professors have been especially beneficial for Terhune.
“Being able to take ideas to professors about papers or assignments or whatever and actually being able to talk with them about it,” Terhune said. “Even with our [pool] business, being able to take ideas to professors has been really helpful to hear some professional opinions and feedback.”
The business curriculum at Franklin stresses the importance of having a diverse background, requiring business majors to also take classes in accounting and economics, among other fields. Having experience in a variety of fields will eventually help Terhune be a more well-rounded candidate for whatever job she eventually pursues.
The classroom is not the only place where Terhune is well-rounded. She is also involved in a variety of experiences on campus. In addition to being on the tennis team, she also plays intramural basketball, serves as a resident assistant for Residence Life, is in Pi Phi and serves as vice president of recruitment for the College’s Panhellenic Committee. She is attempting to help revitalize the EBA Club on campus. Terhune’s favorite things, though, are the “late nights with friends, just hanging out and getting food, then coming back to the room and playing Wii or Just Dance. Just the fun of living with your friends and those connections I’ve made through living on campus.
This emphasis on seeking fun opportunities has sparked an interest in Terhune in pursuing an internship with two well-known Indy attractions — the Colts and Pacers organizations. Terhune said she thinks that working for these groups’ staffs for marketing things would be both a cool experience and a way to branch out and make herself even more versatile in the business world.