University of Cincinnati
09/15/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/15/2025 11:10
Lindner Business Immersion Camp offers a sample of college life
Lindner Business Immersion Camp offers a sample of college life
High school students build community, explore future opportunities
By Haley Fite Email HaleyEmail Haley
6 minute read September 15, 2025 Share on facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Share on Reddit Print StoryLike
Over the course of four days, high school students participating in the 2025 Lindner Business Immersion Camp received a crash course on all things UC while getting a taste for what their lives could look like at the Carl H. Lindner College of Business.
Through hands-on activities (like crafting their own elevator speeches) and interactive sessions with Lindner's subject matter experts, the Lindner Business Immersion Camp program introduces students to a variety of business disciplines while engaging with faculty, staff, current students and employer partners.
The 2025 experience allowed students to sample majors to narrow down their options as they headed into their final year of high school and navigate the demands of the college admissions process.
Eva Bailey accepts a certificate of completion for the 2025 Lindner Business Immersion Camp from Ashley McFarland, associate director of undergraduate admissions.
"I know I want to do a career in business, but I wasn't 100% sure which specialty or which exact major," said Elise Lamontagne, a program attendee. "I thought coming here would give me a chance to experience different things and figure out what I liked."
Eva Bailey echoed Lamontagne's sentiment, citing exploration and the ability to sample college life as motivating factors in choosing to participate in the program.
"UC is a top option for me, so it was exciting to see where I could be staying or what I would be doing on a day-to-day basis," Bailey said.
Students formed fast bonds as they connected over shared experiences and excitement for education.
"The fact that we all chose to come here instead of doing something else with our summer, it shows that we want to be here," said Lamontagne of her fellow participants. "We want to be involved. We are all like-minded individuals who are interested in learning about these things and interested in networking and getting to know new people."
Guest speakers enthralled the students with tales of their time in industry before joining academia. Sessions focused on interactivity to allow the students to get a taste of the hands-on learning process Lindner is known for.
"Something I thought was so valuable is that they didn't become professors first," reflected Lucy Beatty. "They actually studied in their field for years, so the passion that came from that, and all the experience that they could talk about is what I connected with the most."
Try to come in here without any expectations except for the expectation that you'll learn something.
Elise Lamontagne
Students received an overview of the various disciplines available for study at Lindner, from accounting and finance to data analytics and marketing. Sessions leveled-up students' knowledge in subjects like AI, sales and entrepreneurship, furnishing them with a taste of college-level learning and challenging them to think in new ways.
"I've taken several business classes at my school, and it was just not the same. It was a different level of education," said James McKeown. "The passion that every guest speaker brought was next level."
Ann Sojka, assistant professor-educator of marketing and academic director for the Grau Center for Professional Selling, provided an introduction to the marketing discipline, taking students through her time as a sales professional and offering them professional development advice.
Chris Sutter, PhD, associate professor and Fealy Family Endowed Chair of Entrepreneurship, dove into his entrepreneurship background to show students how they can combine their passions with business acumen to make a difference. And students particularly enjoyed the session with Kris Jones, assistant professor-educator of operations, business analytics and information systems, who gave students a lesson on AI.
James McKeown poses with Ashley McFarland, associate director of undergraduate admissions, at the end of camp celebration.
"The guest speakers were really impressive, and I thought they brought a lot to the table," said McKeown. "My favorite session was the AI session with Kris Jones. His knowledge was super deep, and his ability to teach that in such a short amount of time and give a wide overview, then narrow in on stuff and get really deep with it pretty quick, was fascinating for me. It made me completely reconsider what I want to major in."
Students walked away with valuable insights into the Lindner experience and what their next steps may look like as they complete their high school tenure.
"Career-wise, I feel like it's helped so much because we were having actual college classes with top college professors at a top business school and that's something valuable," said Beatty of the program's benefits.
For future participants, Lamontagne also offers a few words of wisdom.
"Try to come in here without any expectations except for the expectation that you'll learn something."
The 2026 Lindner Business Immersion Camp will take place June 7-10, 2026, with applications opening March 17, 2026.
Featured image: Lindner Business Immersion Camp class of 2025. Photos by Haley Fite.
Interested in the Lindner Business Immersion Camp?
The Lindner Business Immersion Camp is an overnight program that introduces students to a range of business disciplines through engagements with our faculty, alumni, current students and corporate partners. This four-day, three-night program includes the opportunity to experience UC's residence halls, classrooms and dining halls while adding to students' leadership portfolios.
Tags
- Lindner College of Business
- Undergraduate-Programs
- Student Experience
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Lindner Business Immersion Camp offers a sample of college life
September 15, 2025
Over the course of four days, high school students participating in the 2025 Lindner Business Immersion Camp received a crash course on all things UC while getting a taste for what their lives could look like at the Carl H. Lindner College of Business.
University of Cincinnati published this content on September 15, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 15, 2025 at 17:10 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]