Local architect funds first co-op program for college
A new internship program at the University of Cincinnati Clermont College offers students paid hands-on experience while meeting the needs of local businesses — thanks to a generous donor.
The Cronin Career Scholars program collaborates with on-campus and community organizations to create local internships. Students work part time, learn professional skills and apply what they learn in the classroom to the workplace — in real time. It is the first paid internship program of its kind available to UC Clermont students.
Since January, the college has gained 18 new partners, ranging from local non-profits to the Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center, where students are participating in the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship. Among these organizations, six UC Clermont students were placed in internships this spring, and nine are working as co-ops this summer.
“Internships help place our students graduating with associate degrees on level footing with those earning bachelor’s degrees right now,” said Dana Parker, assistant dean of student and graduate pathways. “The vital hands-on experience gives them a competitive edge.”
One of the first Cronin Career Scholars is Luke Ustick, who graduated from UC Clermont in April and will begin classes as a medical science student in UC’s College of Medicine this fall. He is one of two students co-oping in a research lab at Cincinnati Children’s this summer, thanks to the Cronin program.
“I enjoy physiology and science and want to use this knowledge to diagnose and help people — to change lives — in meaningful ways. Getting hands-on experience now makes it all more real,” said Ustick. “I’m looking for a career that has an impact.”
UC invented cooperative education in 1906 and is ranked the #1 public university for co-ops and internships by U.S. News and World Report. Co-op experience was traditionally limited to students in engineering, architecture, information technology and business; but in the last decade, the university has expanded the program to include all UC students, an endeavor dubbed “co-op 2.0.”
Even so, taking advantage of expanded co-op 2.0 remained daunting for many UC Clermont students, sometimes requiring them to quit existing jobs or take unpaid part-time positions to gain professional experience. Parker said a student survey conducted by Career Services found that the number one obstacle to UC Clermont students taking internships was the pay rate — many rely on income from their part-time jobs.
Enter the Cronin Career Scholars program, which seeks to fill that gap by paying students a competitive wage and matching interns with companies or non-profits that offer flexible schedules. The organizations also benefit from student help with important but expensive elements such as social media, website development and video production, among others.
“This program gives our students the chance to gain valuable experience that fits into their own schedules,” Parker said. “We have students doing internships on weekends, some working completely remotely and even online students who live outside of the Tri-State, getting involved to help local non-profits. Plus, with a competitive wage, they don’t have to juggle a part-time job that doesn’t help them achieve their future goals.”
This customized approach marries UC’s rich co-op tradition with UC Clermont’s personalized approach and larger mission, which has always sought to meet students where they’re at, said Krista Clark, associate dean of academic affairs.
“Here at UC Clermont, real-world experience used to be optional,” said Clark. “It’s no longer optional for our students if they want to compete for careers and reach their future goals. Our students need that experience on their resumes to land jobs.”
The financial foundation for the program comes from donor Dennis Cronin, a local architect and 1970 graduate of UC’s College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning. Cronin’s ties to the college run deep — his firm, ATA Architects, designed the Student Services Building on the Batavia campus in 2000; his late wife, Barbara, attended literature and philosophy classes at the college, while Dennis enrolled in evening history courses.
After her death in 2015, Cronin worked with Parker, then development director, to create and eventually endow the Barbara R. Cronin Memorial Scholarship. He also spent free time mentoring manufacturing engineering students at the college who were interested in architecture.
When Cronin reached out to Parker again to see how he could best help students, she seized the opportunity. Cronin is a strong advocate for the cooperative education model at UC, having personally benefitted from the program as an intern himself and through hosting UC co-ops at his architecture firm.
“You can only learn so much from books. You get on a job and learn there what you can’t learn in the classroom,” Cronin said. “Co-ops became an important part of our company. When Dana told me about this idea — I thought it was a win-win solution for students and local organizations that need interns but can’t afford to pay them.”
Just two semesters since the Cronin Career Scholars program launched, UC Clermont students are reaping real benefits. Nathan Gorman earned his associate degree in digital media from the college in fall 2022, followed by a seamless transition to a bachelor’s degree in communication from UC’s College of Arts and Sciences in December 2023.
After earning his bachelor’s degree, Gorman reached out to UC Clermont Career Services for help with finding a job. Through the Cronin Career Scholars program, Parker connected Gorman with Gramazin Inc., a Christian mission organization. During the internship, Gorman produced and edited videos and worked on social media and brand recognition. With the rest of his time, he worked in digital content creation for Career Services.
“I like the process of creating,” said Gorman. “It’s anxiety inducing but exciting to try to meet deadlines and find the thing that’s perfect. I enjoy the process of creating something new and engaging.”
In May, Gorman accepted a full-time job as a content marketing specialist with Milford-based 1-Tom-Plumber — an outcome made possible in part by his co-op experience.
“The real world is so different than what you imagine it to be while you’re in school,” said Cronin. “If you hire a student who has co-oped, they hit the ground running. They know the language of their industry. They’re ready to go.”
To learn more about the Cronin Career Scholars program, visit ucclermont.edu/internships or contact dana.parker@uc.edu.