Lindner Co-op Scholarship Fund makes students’ co-op dreams come true

Students are eligible to receive up to $2,000 through the Lindner Co-op Scholarship Fund to help offset relocation and living expenses, supply remote work technology and pay for professional development opportunities.

“Through the generosity of supporters of the Lindner College of Business, this scholarship goes a long way toward enabling Lindner students to pursue co-op experiences that both match their career goals and apply their business problem-solving skills to industry environments,” said Keith Sun, Karen Bennett Hoeb Director of Cooperative Education for Lindner Career Services. “This scholarship also aligns with the Lindner College of Business’ mission to make cooperative education available and feasible to every student in our undergraduate programs.”

Lindner alumnus Jerry Fritz, Bus ’73, was driven to start the fund due to his passion for co-op. Many others have followed suit with their own generosity in support of the fund to make these scholarships possible.

Marketing and information systems major Matthew Boutros, BBA ’25, identified his professional ambitions at a very early age.

“Ever since I was a kid, I always saw myself in the tech field. But I never wanted to just be behind a computer coding all day. I was also a big fan of branding, marketing strategy and advertising. And I really wanted to combine those,” recalled Boutros, who was a marketing specialist intern with Cisco, a digital communications technology solutions company. 

With the support of his career coach Kate Heustis, assistant director to Career Services, Boutros gained the experience needed to stand out in a crowd of applicants and pursue a co-op at one of his dream companies.

“I set my focus on a co-op freshman year in the tech industry, so I could have a leg up by the time I was a sophomore. That set me up for applying to Cisco as a sophomore and several big tech firms. I was lucky enough to hear back after applying on their website and entered the interview process,” said Boutros. 

For marketing major Kaylen Rolsen, BBA ’24, the funds she received helped her pursue her passion for fashion marketing in New York City.

“It reassured me that fashion is the area that I want to go into. I felt energized by the environment, so it put me in the right direction as far as finding a full-time job now. That was a huge takeaway,” reflected Rolsen on her experience as a merchandise buyer intern at Macy’s.

With help from Career Services and her scholarship, Fatema Alyahya, BBA ’23, MS ’24, gained experience in the mergers and acquisitions sector of the finance industry, a niche segment she otherwise may not have been able to break into.

“Being in mergers and acquisitions is awesome and at the top of the finance field. So, experiencing that and having that little bit of experience and knowledge in it is going to help me in the future with job offers and just understanding the industry as a whole,” Alyahya explained.

Both Alyahya and Rolsen made the connections they needed to obtain their co-ops through opportunities made possible by Career Services. Rolson networked with Macy’s representatives at the National Retail Federation conference in New York City before applying for her co-op. And Career Services sponsored Alyahya’s attendance at an industry conference hosted by Gamma Iota Sigma, a business fraternity for risk management, insurance and actuarial science students, allowing her to participate in a networking opportunity that would later help her to secure her co-op as a financial analyst intern for mergers and acquisitions and data with Amwins, a specialty insurance distributor.

Applications for students to receive a Lindner Co-op Scholarship are now open. The funds can be applied to co-ops completed during the 2024 summer semester. Students should ensure their co-op experience is reported in Handshake before applying for the scholarship. Funds are limited and cannot be guaranteed.

Featured image at top: Bella Gullia (left), assistant director of Lindner Career Services, and Michael Nuttle (right), assistant director of Lindner Career Services, assist students like Fatema Alyahya (center), BBA ’23, MS ’24, who received scholarship support for her summer co-op experience with Amwins. Photos courtesy of Bella Gullia.