Emma Manwell stands with a mixture of graduate students and full-time employees at Rolls-Royce in Indianapolis. She is fourth from the right.
December 2024 University of Indianapolis graduate Emma Manwell, formerly known as Emma Neargardner, was accepted into Rolls-Royce’s two-year graduate program, designed to help young professionals discover their place within the industry.
Manwell began her latest adventure in July 2025, joining the Operations Management Graduate Development Program, where she currently serves as the Planning and Delivery Leader. Manwell said every day is different, whether it be shadowing industry professionals, doing employee training, getting familiar with computer software, or attending lunch and learns, meetings or networking events.
During Manwell’s years as a student at UIndy, she served as VP of Business Development for the Student Business Leadership Academy, on the SBLA Board of Directors, and as a Student Recruitment Manager for the UIndy School of Business. From her time as a student, Manwell said she learned how to manage many things going on at once.
“There are so many different aspects of the job [at Rolls-Royce], and especially since I’ll rotate every six months, I’ll be learning new jobs,” Manwell said. “I felt like at UIndy, it was always something new, and that’s kind of what’s going to be happening here. So I’ve been able to get used to that process a little bit.”
Manwell said through the Rolls-Royce graduate program, she hopes to discover what she wants to do for the rest of her life. She also aspires to get more comfortable outside of her shell within the realm of networking.
“I want to go into a quality role on the plant,” Manwell said. “I want to figure out what I am made to do and what my calling and purpose are within life and this organization.”
UIndy students should not wait until the last minute to start applying for jobs or tell themselves they can only find the first available one after college, according to Manwell. She added that students should utilize their professors because they each have a professional network and are more than willing to help.
“This is kind of my dream first job, and I’m really happy with it,” Manwell said. “And because I was looking early and asked my professors, ‘Hey, who do you know here?’, I was able to connect with them, which was huge.”
Former UIndy professor, current Chair of Management and Operations and Supply Chain Programs, and Assistant Professor of Management at Marian University, Jim Russell, connected Manwell with two people at Rolls-Royce who were able to help her with the application process. Manwell praised Russell for his teaching methods, which prepared her for her current everyday job.
“I loved the case studies we would do in class, and I appreciated how he brought in his own personal, real-world experience,” Manwell said. “It wasn’t just a textbook, which helped me apply it to real-world situations. I’m sitting at work now, and it’s like, okay, Jim talked about this.”
Russell said he is no different in teaching this way. He complimented the UIndy School of Business faculty, who also implement real-world examples outside of the textbook and advocate for job opportunities for their students after college.
Manwell started from a very high level of performance, and she honed her skill sets in public speaking, writing and problem-solving, according to Russell. He added that from the moment he saw Manwell speak in public at an SBLA event, he knew she was going to be a superstar.
“Through the case studies, the applications in class and the discussions we had, I think it prepared her to be able to answer questions…,” Russell said. “Her natural presentation skills, her natural demeanor and her personality are what ultimately got her the position [at Rolls-Royce].”
