UC rolls out the welcome mat for the first day of class

The senior mechanical engineering major enjoyed five co-ops at two firms that helped her decide her passion. She tried her hand at both product design and development and manufacturing. When she graduates in the spring she already has a job offer from one of her co-op employers, Kinetic Vision in Cincinnati.

Boeding shared her experience with Local 12 viewers as part of first-day-of-school coverage for UC. The university announced a projected record enrollment that will hit 54,000 students across all three UC campuses. That’s a 1.4% increase over last year. 

“Co-op’s really great. You are graduating with years of experience and it’s unmatched because you are (standing out) from other graduates going into the work force with you as well,” Boeding told Local 12 for morning-live interviews on campus.

About 8,300 students participated in co-op in 2023-24 school year garnering a collective $88.8 million in earnings. UC is consistently ranked by US News among the top schools for cooperative education

“You can switch out and try different industries if you want to do more R&D or more manufacturing, you can figure out what you want to focus on in your studies,” adds Boeding. “The earn while you learn is great because it can help you pay for tuition and put you in a really great place upon graduation.”

Boeding and UC students Joshua Copley, Wilaini Alicea, Kripa Kumaran and Ragan Jackson joined Jack Miner, vice provost of enrollment management, John Cunningham, director of athletics and Michelle Clare, dean of the College of Cooperative Education and Professional Studies to speak with journalists marking the first day of classes.

The new Sheakley Indoor Practice Facility and Athletics Performance Center provided the perfect backdrop. The Bearcat mascot and the UC’s Cheer Team came along to bring school spirit for a viewing audience interested in knowing what’s driving UC’s continued growth.

“It really is about the reputation of the University of Cincinnati,” Miner told Fox 19. “We are one of the top co-op schools in the country, but one of the things we are most proud of is how many students from right here in Cincinnati are making UC their destination.”

Miner pointed out UC’s efforts to upgrade student housing, renovate new academic buildings, and continue to invest in the student experience.  The university has invested millions in new renovations for Siddall and Calhoun residence halls in recent years and re-opened the Old Chem building this fall following a $190 million renovation.

“We have 11,000 first-generation students and 9,000 online learners,” Miner explains. “What I love about our online learners is our average age is about 34 years old and that’s not a 17-year-old choosing to go to college. That’s someone who started to go to college when they were 17 or 18 and realized it wasn’t for them but came back and is going to get a degree now so it’s really phenomenal.”

Check out these first day of class media segments and stories.

Fox 19

More Fox 19

WLWT

More WLWT

Local 12 

Cincinnati Business Courier

Read more about Back to School 2025.

Featured top image of Brooke Boeding, a UC senior, who enjoyed co-op experiences at Kinetic Vision in Cincinnati and Kyocera Senco in Milford, Ohio.  Photo/Andrew Higley/ UC Marketing + Brand.