Student Perspectives
A sampling of some of our top students reveals how the Lindner College of Business has impacted them, both personally and professionally.
Kendall Cappel, BBA '19
2019 Presidential Leadership Medal of Excellence Recipient
Growing up, my family had two rules: do your best, and have fun. I applied these rules to my five years at Lindner. As a Marvin P. Kolodzik Business Scholar, I developed a true sense of community within my cohort, nurturing friendships that I know will last a lifetime. I met some of the best professors who offered me guidance and advice both in and out of the classroom. I learned about the power of relationship-building through the many opportunities that were presented throughout my experience. Finally, I had the flexibility to explore my professional passions and indulge in a new one: international travel. I was able to study in Montreal, Sydney, Melbourne, London and Paris. The Lindner College of Business showed me the world!
It was an honor to receive the Lindner Outstanding Undergraduate Student award and Lindner Outstanding Accounting Student award prior to my graduation in May. These awards marked the culmination of my efforts, dedication, and overall hard work and passion for my studies. For those five years, it really took a village. I would not have reached my greatest potential without the support, mentorship, and friendship from my family and friends, professors, mentors, coworkers and senior leadership at the University of Cincinnati.
Jasmine Dreher, BBA ’19
Business Fellows, Jasmine Dreher and Charles Williams pictured at the 2019 Toast celebration
I think that everyone should always have a goal. I will graduate in December 2019 with my bachelor’s degree in marketing, and my goal is to make the most of my final semester. I will be in classes that feed my passion for marketing and advertising, I’ll start a part-time co-op with a Cincinnati non-profit, the Center for Closing the Health Gap, and I’ll serve on an executive board for the first time as programming and community service co-chair for Business Fellows. I’m excited to combine my passion for nonprofits with my business education. The operations management, accounting and finance classes I’ve taken will help me in my marketing role as I determine how to best make an impact on a budget.
Mollie Gladden, BBA ’22
Taking business courses in my first year helped me immensely in my co-op the following summer. I was able to get into the content of my major right away and benefited a lot from business communications courses. I found that they will be helpful no matter where I go in life. Next, I’m looking forward to growing my involvement in the Lindner Student Association and Leaders for Environmental Awareness and Protection. I plan to continue being involved on campus and helping as many people as I can, especially first-year students who are finding their way.
Patrick Maney, MS-Finance '19
By nature, real estate finance tends to be abstract, but the case competitions, site tours and industry events organized by the UC Real Estate Center help bridge the gap between theory and practice. I’m passionate about urban development and real estate. Working with fellow graduate students in other disciplines for the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Hines Competition in spring 2019 compelled us to consider our case from a variety of perspectives. Our success was heavily dependent upon finding areas where we could compromise across finance, urban planning and design. This adaptive and creative problem-solving was most rewarding for me. Plus, building a proforma is more fun when you can look at renderings and site plans that are designed by your teammates.
Taylor Paschal, BBA ‘19
Taking classes in my major — information systems — in my first year allowed me to connect with my passions right away. I found an interesting connection in Women in Technology (WIT) and, as I made friendships within WIT, my focus shifted to supporting women in my field as I grew my knowledge in technology. We raised funds to travel to Harvard University's women in technology conference, WECode, in February 2019. A defining moment in my experience was receiving the Lindner Professional Experience Award for information systems in April 2019. I was excited that my school acknowledged my efforts in the classroom as well as in supporting my fellow students.
Aditya Roy-Chaudhury, BBA ’19
Aditya Roy-Chaudhury pictured in his graduation cap and cords after completing Cincinnati's annual Flying Pig Marathon
The best part about college is meeting new people, and I did that through the many organizations I was involved with — from about eight student organizations and being president of Calhoun Hall my first year to being involved in ROAR, Dean of Students Advisory Council and serving as treasurer for College Democrats of Ohio my final year. Through ROAR, I met new prospective students and their parents, people who came from completely different backgrounds, cities and countries, all considering UC. Now, I also enjoyed it because I could tell the same jokes, over and over again, for five years. My final semester taught me how to prioritize, between full-time classes, a part-time co-op, a part-time job at Apple and training for the Flying Pig Marathon. I tested some things out and figured out what worked for me. Even though it was quite tiring, there was no better way to cap off my career as a UC student than crossing the finish line with my cap and cords!
Jessica Sloniker, BBA ’16, MBA ’21
Working full-time in healthcare operations, being married with three children and pursuing my MBA is something that takes effort and sacrifice. Distance learning (taking online classes) presents its own challenges. You must have good time management skills and know when to prioritize school. There’s not always a set time to show up to class, so you have to tap into that discipline a different way. On the other hand, being in an online program is incredibly liberating. You make your own schedule and the technology is always available and easy to use. My professors give adequate time and methods for virtual check-ins, such as WebEx, and regularly make themselves available to meet in person. They genuinely want their students to succeed.
John Thomas, BBA '21
John Thomas at EA's headquarters in San Francisco
Business Fellows is my family within the Lindner College of Business. Through Business Fellows, I met Richard E. Thornburgh ’74, the UC Alumni Association’s 2016 honoree for the William Howard Taft Medal for Notable Achievement. He asked me about my interests, and I shared my passion for gaming and my goal to work for a gaming company someday. He connected me with his nephew, who connected me with his former colleagues from Electronic Arts (EA) in San Francisco. From there, I applied for a summer co-op position and, before I knew it, was on a flight out to the Bay Area. I've been able to explore and talk to my managers about other areas of the company I might be interested in learning more about. None of this would have happened without Business Fellows.
John Trygier, BBA ’21
Don't be afraid to cast a wide net. I have a lot of interests in addition to my studies within OBAIS, such as language, music and giving back to the community. I am working toward a certificate in Italian. I play drums in a rock band and teach drumline at my high school alma mater. I’ve been a member of the UC Boxing Club and even tried my hand at creative writing. Another thing I’m involved in that I’ve become very passionate about is Bearcat Academy, in which UC students are connected to high school students within the Cincinnati Public School system for four years. I mentor two eleventh grade students from Aiken High School, Keyshawn and Patricia. I meet with them frequently during their lunch period to work through writing exercises and study strategies, or just talk about the future as they consider college. They are incredibly smart and could really go anywhere. It’s really cool to see how they are growing and changing. Even though I am mentoring these students, in the end, I am truly learning from them and it’s been a wonderful experience I have grown from.
Serin Waddell, BBA '20
Serin Waddell at Eli Lilly and Company's Indianapolis headquarters.
Whether it’s navigating your major or program to figure out what classes you need to take, seeking out the study abroad opportunities that best pique your interests or learning to work with a virtual team for a summer co-op, you have to take initiative. The Lindner College of Business is very good at cultivating that habit among students. I was an international marketing intern at Eli Lilly and Company during summer 2019. With my supervisor traveling for business most of the time, it was on me to make the connections in a large company that would help me accomplish my work. I also had to be agile and accommodate the realities of an international team. For example, my final presentation was moved up several days to accommodate a key leader attending virtually from Japan. Being flexible mattered, and I grew from it.