WATCH: Student Body President Previews Fall Semester at UC

University of Cincinnati Student Body President Christina Beer says she chose UC and chose to be Cincinnati Smart because she wanted hands-on experience through UC’s cooperative education program (founded at UC), and she wanted to see the world through UC’s international opportunities.

The 21-year-old Beer is a senior information systems and finance major, and is a scholarship recipient in the

Lindner Honors-PLUS program.

The program is an educational experience in the Carl H. Lindner College of Business (LCB) that recognizes students who have demonstrated excellence in academics and leadership. She is also a student in the

University Honors Program

for academically talented students.  Her service and study abroad experiences have taken her to seven different countries since she began her first year at the university.

In choosing a large university with a small-town feel, Beer is minutes away from cooperative education opportunities with Cincinnati’s big businesses. Her co-op experience has involved working with GE Aviation.

Beer says that although she’s the first in her family to enter UC, she says, “I have a whole line of Bearcats coming up behind me – a cousin who is entering her third year at UC, and my younger sister, Morgan, who’s a sophomore.”

A graduate of Ursuline Academy, Beer says that as a UC freshman, there was some adjustment in transitioning from a private, all-girls’ school to a large, public, urban university. “I think the reason why it wasn’t overwhelming is because the university really tries to create a smaller feel through its first-year learning communities and through student organizations. I’ve been a part of Greek life since I was a freshman.” Beer is a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. The UC chapter celebrated a century on campus last fall.

Beer’s campus involvement from her very first year at UC supports national research that finds student connections to campus – both in and out of the classroom – can improve student retention and improve on the student’s success at achieving a degree in a timely manner. “Some of the best advice I ever received at UC came from Marianne Lewis (LCB professor and associate dean of undergraduate programs), who said, ‘If you graduate from the university with a 4.0 and no extracurricular activities that have really shown the application of what you’ve learned, it will be extremely difficult to find a job.’ I think that’s especially true nowadays.”

As a member of the student service organization,

Serve Beyond Cincinnati

, Beer has represented UC in student service in three different countries:  El Salvador, Guatemala and Peru.

She’s been a member of Student Government since her freshman year and started out in the Student Leadership Program. “Over my years in Student Government, I’ve seen it as an organization that can make a difference, so in my new role as student body president, I’m looking forward to taking the projects that I’ve wanted to achieve to the next level.”

As a longtime volunteer ROAR campus tour guide for UC Admissions, Beer says she is always sharing her Bearcat pride with prospective students. Her favorite stops include the

Richard E. Lindner Center

, which holds a five-story trophy case honoring the history of the Bearcats.

She adds that when she was a freshman, she was surprised at the school spirit on campus. “I never really understood it until I stood in the student section of a football game, started screaming with my fellow students and doing the ‘Down the Drive’ cheer. I’ve never experienced that school pride in athletics before.”

Beer says Student Government is teaming up with the UC RallyCats spirit organization to keep that school spirit alive during football season, as the home games move to Paul Brown Stadium this fall while UC’s Nippert Stadium undergoes its transformation.

After purchasing a season ticket, students can purchase a ride to Paul Brown Stadium for the entire football season via the Athletics Shuttle Service for $10 per person. Students can call 1-877-CATS-TIX for more information, or log onto

www.GoBearcats.com/tickets

to buy tickets. For details on student ticket information for the 2014 football season at Paul Brown Stadium, check www.bearcatsfootball.com.

Beer adds that Student Government is also working with RallyCats on organizing a trip to the Oct. 11 UC/Miami Hurricanes game in Miami, Florida. Tickets will cost $155 and go on sale on Aug. 25.

Student Government Website

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UC Student Activities and Leadership Development

Student ticket portal

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