![Matthew Eckberg in the Philippines](https://www.uc.edu/news/articles/legacy/enews/2010/04/e11677/jcr:content/image.img.cq5dam.thumbnail.500.500.jpg/1534517151054.jpg)
VOTE: Cast Your Vote for the Coolest UC Co-op!
In past weeks, nearly 100 University of Cincinnati cooperative education students entered their cool jobs (and pictures from their cool jobs) into UCs
. And now, its time for you to pick the winners!
Through
April 15
, the UC community and the wider community can visit the
to view entries and vote.
Visitors to the site will be able to look over the entries and vote for the job they thought was the coolest whether its because the job had the coolest people, projects, perks or was in a cool place.
The votes will be tallied, and the coolest co-ops will be announced online on the Cool Co-op Web site. Winners will also be recognized with an Olympic co-op medal at end-of-the-year ceremonies for co-op students.
UCs co-op which annually places about 4,000 students in professional, paid jobs around the globe is considered a premier program, ranked in the
Top Ten
of such programs year after year by U.S. News & World Report. Collectively, UC co-op students earn about $37 million each year on their co-op jobs. Currently, a UC co-op student who works six quarters throughout his or her sophomore to senior years will earn an average total of $46,000. In certain majors, students earning co-op salaries are able to more than cover their tuition with earnings.
Among the student co-op experiences highlighted in the 2010 Cool Co-op Contest are
Ryan Prasser in Australia
- Students who co-opped with airlines, working on various business systems, while also traveling the world as a perk to Argentina, Australia, China, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, Spain and more.
- Working on new technology called Smart Grid, that will allow smart home appliances to bid in real time on electricity in order to save on energy costs.
- Co-opping in Japan and Germany, working for firms like BMW, obtaining great experience and travel opportunities, including attending Munichs Oktoberfest.
- Helping to create the gown worn by actress Sarah Jessica Parker at the world premiere of the film, Sex and the City, in London.
- Conducting bridge-safety inspections throughout the nation.
- Developing a new candy to be released by Airheads brand.
- Helping with space shuttle missions at NASA Mission Control.
- Helping to plan an eco-tourism site in the Philippines.
- Creating graphic designs seen by millions during the 2010 Super Bowl.
Richard Wolf at NASA Mission Control.
Such professional experience and the chance to live and work in 35 states and 16 foreign countries are not the only rewards of co-op. Students grades tend to go up once they begin co-opping at the end of their sophomore year, because academic requirements are closely linked to the professional, real-world experience made possible at UC.
And nationally, students with co-op experience tend to have an easier time finding a job upon graduation. According to the National Commission for Cooperative Education, 60 percent of co-op students nationally go to work for their co-op employers upon graduation, and 95 percent of co-op students nationally have a job upon graduation.
Many people dont know it, but UC invented co-op. In 1906, co-op had its global founding at UC. Since then, the practice has spread to 43 countries around the world.
- Find out more about UCs co-op program.
- Get the latest news from UC.
- Visit UCs YouTube channel.
Related Stories
UC’s microchip training includes innovative VR
July 2, 2024
To build a virtual microchip factory, University of Cincinnati doctoral students turned to the real one where they work. UC launched a new training program for microchip manufacturing in advance of the new fabrication plant Intel Corp. is opening in Ohio.
Bridging creativity and commerce
July 1, 2024
At the University of Cincinnati’s Carl H. Lindner College of Business, Victoria Mrofchak stands out not just for her academic excellence but for her remarkable blend of creativity and business acumen. A fourth-year marketing major with a minor in management and fine arts, scholarships help Mrofchak shape her future at the intersection of art and commerce.
UC alum visits campus to teach students about footwear design
![Fox 19 Now logo](/content/dam/refresh/uc-news/news-icons/dark/wxix-dark.png)
June 28, 2024
A 2011 graduate of design, UC alum Charley Hudak has seen his career trajectory go from intern to creative director for Tiger Woods' new athletic footwear brand, Sun Day Red. While he may run with the biggest cat in golf, Hudak doesn't forget his Bearcat roots and comes back each summer to teach youth about footwear design at DAAP Camps.