UC finance major finds his passion through co-op

UC senor Khalid Davis. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand.

A former student body vice president at UC, Davis is active on campus, wants to make a difference and he's carrying those values with him. He served as a mentor in the professional fraternity Delta Sigma Pi; volunteered for Cupcakes for the Cure, a UC organization offering support to those who have battled breast cancer; was a member of Scholars of Finance and participated in the UC Boxing Club.

"Co-op is a great way to figure out what you like, you don't like and maybe what is the best fit for a future career," explains Davis.

Davis is among 837 Carl H. Lindner College of Business students who participated in 1,103 co-op experiences at 550 unique employers during the past three academic semesters - summer and fall 2024 and spring 2025.

"Co-op has always been a part of the fabric of Lindner with many students engaging in multiple experiences before their graduation," explains Michael Nuttle, director of co-op and career development at the Lindner College of Business.

"Co-op also gives Lindner students a competitive edge in the marketplace," says Nuttle. "Being able to boast nearly a year's worth of work experience or more before graduation makes them more attractive to employers looking to fill entry-level roles with college students at a time when the market is more competitive than it has been in some time."

• 8,300 students participated during the 2023-24 academic year
• Collective self-reported earnings of $88.8 million in that same period
• Nearly $10,700 per student per semester on average
• 18% increase in wages from the last reported co-op data
• Students from colleges across UC participate in co-op and internships

Steven Jones, assistant professor, Lindner College of Business. Photo provided.

Professor Jones says he reminds students that every business is a business of people.

"As such, developing meaningful relationships is key to bringing out the best in yourself and others," adds Jones. "Ultimately people do business with people they like and trust.

"Authenticity is a core element in building trust and respect in any relationship. Khalid is a natural in this space."

Continuous improvement is more about the process of perfection than an end goal.

"As great as Michael Jordan was with basketball, he was never flawless, but over time he was less flawed," says Jones. "This is what continuous improvement is all about. Focusing on the long game of success and not short-term gains that rarely last."

Davis says the university's top-ranked co-op program is what convinced him to choose UC over other schools. It's a choice he isn't sorry he made and a recommendation he offers to high school students interested in becoming Bearcats.

"Utilize the resources UC has to offer inside the classroom and out in the real world with co-op," says Davis. "Most of my classmates in Lindner have at least one co-op by their junior year."

Michael Nuttle, director of co-op and career development at the Lindner College of Business. Photo provided.

Lindner College of Business is looking to formalize what's happening for many of its students. The college recently implemented a program that requires each student to complete two full-time equivalent co-op experiences in order to graduate, explains co-op director Nuttle.

He says this is a new requirement that was begun with first-year students this past fall and will continue to expand to incorporate transfer and transition students. By 2028, all Lindner students will be under the universal co-op policy.

"Lindner's universal co-op is built with flexibility in mind," explains Nuttle. "Employers have different business needs at different times of the year that co-op students can help with, so we believe that creating a co-op model to reflect that is important.

"Students are able to co-op when they want, allowing them to fit it into their academic schedule in a way that makes sense for them," says Nuttle. "They are also able to co-op how they want, be that all full-time co-ops, all part-time co-ops or a blend of both."

Nuttle says co-op helps students who aren't sure about their career path narrow their options.

"If you come back from a co-op and the best thing you can say is that you wouldn't want to do that full time, then that was still a good use of your time," says Nuttle. "Co-op is an opportunity to try out career paths before fully committing to starting your career."

Featured top image of UC student Khalid Davis shown in the Lindner College of Business.

UC invented cooperative education more than 100 years ago, and we continue to innovate all aspects of experience-based learning, including internships, service learning, virtual co-ops, community projects and industry partnerships. Learn more.