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CO-OP Comments
Student/Employer Evaluations
“My Walt Disney World Internship was a blast! I was a Disney Princess for the company, and it was so much fun. I had wonderful managers and co-workers and a very comfortable and family-like work environment. It was a very rewarding experience being able to work with the Give Kids the World Program and the Make a Wish Foundation. I enjoyed my time with Disney so much that I am now a seasonal employee for the company. In the summertime I will be returning to work as a Princess again.”
– Allison Hickman“I returned to C.O.D. to pursue a career change into a field where I’ve had no prior education or experience. Horticulture is a very diverse field with many career paths. The Illinois Nurserymen’s Association – H.O.P.E. Internship allows me to experience the work environment in many of these paths and will provide me with an informed choice of which field to gain employment in when it becomes time to do so.”
– Pamela Crawford“I would advise any student who partakes in a co-op/internship to take notes, ask as many questions as needed, and really ‘soak it in!’ It’s a wonderful learning opportunity and a chance to make potential networking contacts.”
– Tim Jenkins“I really enjoyed my internship at the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office. The College of DuPage gave me the opportunity to get my foot in the door working in a law environment. Before my internship, I could not get a part-time job even as a receptionist. Now that I have some experience working in a government agency, many personnel agencies are impressed and are willing to talk to me. Many of the lawyers, paralegals and legal secretaries were very helpful and more than willing to help me understand the legal and justice system. The bonus is that I earned college credit and real life experience. Nothing ventured, nothing gained! I gained a lot – friends, experience, and connections. Thank you so much, College of DuPage, for the opportunity of a lifetime.”
– Michelle Peterson
“I would recommend both co-ops and internships to management majors to expose themselves to a diversified spectrum of operations management.”
– Eric Kroehnert“We have had the pleasure of having one of your Co-op Education students, James Cha, volunteering at our museum. James has been an outstanding volunteer. We’ve given him a variety of educational experiences related to school programs, art and creativity programs, and interaction with children, parents, and staff. We were so impressed with his skills that we hired him part-time as a Play Facilitator.”
– Diane Ernst, Volunteer Coordinator, DuPage Children’s Museum
“Cooperative Education and Internship experiences are great ways to blend academic and career knowledge, providing the best preparation for the world of work. Co-op projects allow for experiential learning while benefiting the employer, too. As a result, we're better able to meet requests for service!”
– Rae Maslana, Coordinator of Tutoring, COD
“Interning on Lisa Madigan’s campaign for Attorney General was a wonderful learning experience during which I was given the opportunity to meet others with similar interests. My responsibilities included everything from general office work to recruiting and coordinating volunteers. I learned the complexities of campaign management and was able to transfer classroom learning into practical application. The internship program is a fun way for students to learn more about their field of study.”
— Virginia Bateman, Co-op internship student
“My experiences with the Career Services Department at College of DuPage have provided me with numerous opportunities to receive hands on training and development in my chosen field. The closely-knit staff provides students with an open door and friendly ear. I have felt the comfort, knowledge, and the encouragement of all of the Career Services staff members. And it is that comfort, knowledge, and encouragement that enables me to continue on with my quest for success.”
— Afua Owusu, Co-op internship student
“Cooperative education gives our employee students the unique opportunity to get a feel for the additional responsibility and experiential learning that only a program of this nature offers. The partnership between UPS and College of DuPage has been instrumental in increasing our employee retention while furthering the development of our future leaders.”
— Scott Sinon, UPS
“There is no better way to experience working in the field first-hand and to gain an understanding of what it takes to add value in the workplace.”
— Mary Westbrook, Argonne National Laboratory
“We have found the internship co-op with COD to be a great way for us to learn about the student as a potential employee, and for the student to gain hands-on experience working in a travel industry environment.
This program enables us to determine what skills the student has gathered in their classes at COD. We take what they have learned in the classroom and further define it in the real work experience. We believe it is a win-win situation, as we are able to utilize the skills and talents of the student for the initial stages of planning our meetings, events and incentive programs, as well as various other duties. This gives the student a taste of the many facets of life at a corporate travel agency, while getting credit for the experience. At the end of the internship, both the student as well as TTM can decide if there is a good fit for the future employment. We both get to “try before we buy”. It also gives the successful student an opportunity to get their foot in the door that might not be available to them.
The experiences we have had have been beneficial and we would encourage any student to seek out an internship to further their learning and growth within the industry.”
— Karen Emanuelson, Tower Travel Management