Co-op/Internship Success Stories

Miami University Middletown students have been filling internship and co-op positions with a number of local companies, helping them make the transition from school to career.

Shanae Bond

A co-op position at a local chemical company helped give Shanae Bond the experience that she needed to find a job when she graduated from Miami Middletown last year with an Associate Degree in Accounting Technology.

"Someone at the company went on maternity leave, so I jumped at the chance take a co-op position," she said. "My classes had prepared me very well. I came to work on time, did my best and asked questions. My co-workers there were very professional. It really taught me about the reality of accounting and helped me get my current job."

Bond now works as an accounting specialist for the Unity Life Insurance Company in Cincinnati. Bond is currently pursuing a Bachelor"s Degree in forensic accounting from Franklin University.

" I would definitely advise all students to do a co-op or internship if they can,It gives you experience and insight and helps you find out if you are suited for that kind of job. " -Shanae Bond

Doug Cheek

Doug Cheek, a senior majoring in Mechanical Engineering Technology, has had an engineering research co-op position at a local manufacturing company since February 2006. Working part-time during the school year and full-time in the summer, he has been working on a materials property database that covers several manufacturing plants.

"When I was 36 I had one of those light bulb moments, where you know where you are working and what you are doing with your work life just isn't right. First I went to Sinclair, then I transferred to Miami Middletown and I haven't looked back."

"I'm very excited about the future. I want to eventually work for a research department, preferably in the steel industry. Ultimately, I would like to complete a master's degree so that I can teach at some point in the future."

Cheek is involved in the Middletown Chapter of Epsilon Pi Tau, the fraternity of engineering students.

"This co-op position has done so much to help me see what I want to do and how to get there." -Doug Cheek

Laura Ritchie

Laura Richey, a senior majoring in journalism, was a production assistant at the Middletown Journal during fall semester 2006. John Lowery of Oxford was instrumental in helping her find the internship.

"I learned a lot about being unbiased, which is hard sometimes. Working with the other reporters in the newsroom was fun. They were all very supportive."

Working ten hours per week at the paper made her even surer of her decision to go into journalism. Richey got her name on many stories, including the front page. Her personal favorite was a full-page story on cyclo-cross racing. She is now writing stories for The Miami Student and KAOS, Miami Middletown's student newspaper.

"The real world experience that you get on an internship is invaluable,I learned to be more inquisitive. If you want to know something you've just got to ask and keep asking." -Laura Ritchie