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For Your Business February 28, 2024

Old National provides an accessible path to success for aspiring professionals with disabilities

How Old National’s Achieve Ability program set Dillon Borowicz on his career journey

 Unlike many, the COVID year 2020 was a positive turning point for Dillon Borowicz – in a powerful way.

During his senior year at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, where he went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Marketing Education, with a minor in Leadership, Dillon was soon set on an unexpected career path. In that final year of school he was approached by Dakota County Vocational Rehabilitation Services, which alerted him to Old National Bank’s Achieve Ability program.

Introduced in 2014, the Achieve Ability program aims to connect aspiring professionals with disabilities with leaders at Old National. Mentors and mentees commit to meet at least once per month throughout the program.

“This has continued to be a successful development program at Old National, with the mentees and mentors both benefiting from the relationship,” said Darin Lander, DEI Program Manager at Old National. “It also aligns with our commitment to promoting inclusion within our workforce and the communities we serve.”

Old National has had more than 40 mentees participate in the program. Many have since found a career thanks to their mentor, and some even went on to find a career with Old National. Such was the case for Dillon, who suffered a spinal cord injury during a diving accident in high school. Throughout the program, Dillon met with numerous top leaders in Old National’s Minnesota Market from a variety of business lines, including corporate banking, treasury management, and private banking.

“As I worked with Dillon through the Achieve Ability program, he consistently displayed positivity, smarts, work ethic and resilience,” said one of Dillon’s former mentors, Arleen Sullivan. “I thought, ‘What a tremendous talent!’”

After the Achieve Ability program ended early that year due to COVID-19, the program director followed-up with Dillon and suggested he enroll in the bank’s internship program.

“My Achieve Ability and internship journeys granted me a detailed look at ONB as a whole, and a clear depiction of local leaders on a granular scope,” Dillon recalled. “I knew this was leadership that I wanted to learn from and grow with. In a few attempts to find a spot where my characteristics could best assist the company and the clients we serve, I found a home in the mortgage division.”

It was in 2022 that Dillon officially started his first full-time position with Old National as a Mortgage Sales Assistant. Once established, he volunteered to serve on Old National’s Associate and Community Engagement (ACE) Committee. He also volunteered to serve the Abilities First Impact Network, an employee resource group that promotes an inclusive work environment by increasing awareness of the needs of those with disabilities and providing an educational forum on all forms of disabilities for all team members, as the Minnesota co-chair.

“Dillon is a wonderful member to have on your team,” said Dillon’s former supervisor, Mortgage Sales Manager Mark Gregg. “He will do whatever he can to help with all tasks. He is positive and engaging, and visible at many company events, supporting all areas of the bank.”

Dillon is now taking on a new challenge at Old National with his recent move into the role of Community Development Loan Officer at Old National’s West St. Paul banking center in Minnesota. In his newest role he helps educate first-time homebuyers and set them on a path to homeownership.

“So far, I’m on the path I sought for myself since starting with Old National,” Dillon said. “I’d like to continue working with Old National, as well as local housing developers and the state to address the physically accessible housing gap. I want to be a local source where clients can confidently ask uncertain questions and gain the knowledge that will help them in the problem-solving process.”

To learn more about Old National’s Achieve Ability program click here.

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