UC intern program gives students hands-on career experience

By Benjamin Harrison

The University of Cincinnati has a national reputation for giving its students an opportunity to gain real-world experience. U.S. News & World Report ranks UC first in the nation among public universities for co-op and internships. 

For students in UC's McMicken College of Arts & Sciences, real-world learning experiences are particularly valuable in helping students develop the skills employers want so they can cross the bridge to full-time employment. These opportunities support the Bearcat Promise that each UC student will graduate with both a degree and a career plan, part of UC's strategic direction called Next Lives Here.

Over the summer, several A&S students were able to take what they learned in the classroom and apply it in the real world, and here they share their stories. 

Pick a beloved movie from your childhood, and chances are that it was a Walt Disney film.

Among the millions of children who have loved classics such as "Mary Poppins" or "Mulan," UC student Henry Whitaker was one of the lucky few to land an internship with the Los Angeles-based Walt Disney Pictures, getting at professional taste of interning with a prestigious international company.

Whitaker believes that anyone in digital media collaborative should consider an internship at Walt Disney.

“I would highly recommend this type of internship,” Whitaker said. “Even if it is not at Walt Disney, I would recommend everyone in digital media collaborative to get some type of internship out in the Los Angeles area in the heart of the production world just to get a taste of what the business and production side of the industry is like.”

Upon graduation, Whitaker plans to make the trip back and follow his dreams of working in the film industry.

“I have love for every aspect of the film industry,” Whitaker said. “I’d love to work in any part of the production process from screenwriting all the way to film marketing.

“I hope to get a chance to work in every aspect of the production process and be able to someday, make films and entertainment that bring people together out of love for the story."

Whether it’s performing cardio-pulmonary resuscitation on a patient or assisting nurses on an array of different tasks, Sydney Bahr’s day was never a dull one. With her sights set on becoming a trauma surgeon, the liberal arts major took a step in the right direction by interning as a patient care assistant in the Medical Intensive Care Unit at UC Medical Center over the summer.

Liberal arts majors are not commonly associated with medical internships, but Bahr crafted a creative combination within her major by getting a minor in psychology and certificates in minority health, global health studies, pre-medicine and deaf studies to help her reach her dream career.

Even though she was only an intern, Bahr says she was a valued member of the team. This came with important tasks that had to be completed on a regular basis.

“I completed baths with antibacterial wipes on all my patients,” Bahr said. “The majority of my job was the baths and assisting the nurses with anything and almost everything. The patients I worked with were the sickest of the sick, which always kept me on my toes.”

UC Medical Center ranks 38^th nationally and currently has more than 700 students enrolled. 

From its beginnings back in 1924 and now employing more than 550 people at more than 20 sites, Middletown, Ohio, company Cohen is one of the largest ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metal recyclers in the nation.  Communication major Cameron Keefe recently joined their ranks over the summer to learn the ins and outs of the scrap metal industry.

Keefe plans to minor in professional selling. And with his mind set on making a career in the scrap metal industry, Keefe was fortunate enough to spend his summer learning from those with the same passion as his.

Featured image at top: UC College of Arts and Sciences student Henry Whitaker outside Walt Disney Studios in Los Angeles, the location of his internship.