Co-op & Clinical “student of the year” scholarships presented & CS student receives national co-op award

Three Cincinnati State students were recognized recently as the 2023 recipients of “students of the year” scholarships for their achievements in experiential learning activities. The awards were presented during the Appreciation Event for Cincinnati State’s Experiential Learning Partners and Advisory Board Members, held April 19, 2023. About 80 co-op employers, advisory board members, and Cincinnati State employees attended the event.

To be considered for the scholarships, nominated students must have a GPA of 2.5 or higher and must write an essay that describes the benefits and challenges of their experiential learning activities. A recommendation from their experiential learning employer also is required.

Two students received Co-op Student of the Year Scholarships: Jeanne Huynh and Alex “AJ” Hunter.

Jeanne Huynh (photo above, with President Monica Posey and Co-op Coordinator Brian Hooten) is majoring in Sustainable Horticulture and also is earning the Sustainable Agriculture Management Certificate. She completed co-op activities at Our Harvest Cooperative, a worker-owned cooperative farm that gives people access to healthy, locally-grown food.

Jeanne’s supervisor, Stephanie Dienger, said, “Sales of some of our less popular items at the farm stand went up as a direct result of Jeanne’s salesmanship, and her detailed entry of the harvest numbers saved us countless hours this winter, helping to make us successful in 2022 and helping with our strategic planning for 2023.”

Jeanne said, “My co-op opportunities have re-enforced my satisfaction with my career choice, and the support system at Cincinnati State continues to encourage me.”

Alex “AJ” Hunter is majoring in Administrative Assistant Technology. His co-op experience was completed at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, supporting the Pediatric Rheumatology Fellowship Program.

His supervisor, Dr. Jennifer Huggins, said, “AJ quickly became the go-to person for all things technical in the division. AJ will help anyone in need, regardless of whether it is his responsibility or not.”

AJ said, “My co-op experience has been life-changing, both personally and professionally. The opportunity to work at Cincinnati Children’s allowed me to integrate my education into a practical context, and expanded my comprehension of the theoretical concepts I learned in the classroom.”

Sarah Fangman received the Clinical/Practicum Student of the Year Scholarship.

Sarah is earning the Practical Nursing Certificate. Clinical Coordinator Barbara Ratliff said, “During her clinical experiences, Sarah demonstrated the lab skills she has learned and then put the touch of her heart of caring in applying these skills to her patients.”

Sarah commented, “This experience fulfilled so many dreams and set me up for a future where I can support my children, enjoy my job, have job security, and further my education.”

The Appreciation Event also extended congratulations to Olivia Allen, a December 2022 Associate of Arts graduate (summa cum laude) who was selected for the Two-Year College Student Achievement Award presented by the national Cooperative Education and Internship Association (CEIA).

Olivia was the first Cincinnati State student to receive this prestigious national award, which was presented during the CEIA annual conference in April 2023. She is now a student at the University of Cincinnati majoring in Sociology.

Olivia completed a five-month internship experience at the Cincinnati Museum Center, where she worked in the Human Resources department. During her internship, Olivia took on increased responsibilities and learned new skills.

Olivia said the experience helped her gain confidence in her own abilities while learning about the importance of contributing to a team that is working toward the same goal.

Co-op Coordinator Jayne Dressing expressed thanks to the Museum Center for “their support of student growth and leadership development.”