Co-ops allow UC undergrad to explore passions, career path

According to national studies, up to 85 percent of undergraduate students will change their major at least once before earning their degree. One in ten undergraduate students will change their major more than once throughout their college career.

With over 40 majors to choose from in the University of Cincinnati’s College of Arts and Sciences, declaring a major can be a complicated process. Fourth year undergraduate student Maggie Sweeney found her perfect fit in the International Affairs program.

“I used my resources at UC and looked into a couple different majors,” said Sweeney. “International affairs stuck out to me because it is an interdisciplinary major and all my interests in history, language, and social justice were encompassed into one major as a whole.” 

In the summer of her sophomore year, Sweeney landed her first co-op with Catholic Charities Migration and Refugees Services (MRS) in Cleveland, Ohio. As an intern in placement services and immigration law services, Sweeney worked with MRS’s immigration attorneys on the U.S. Naturalization process, assisting future U.S citizens.  

Just two semesters later, Sweeney landed her second co-op and first entry into the world of campaigning thanks to an email she received regarding an internship opportunity with the National Democratic Training Committee (NDTC). 

When you come to UC, grasp onto every opportunity that is put on your plate.

Maggie Sweeney A&S International Affairs major

“I went into my first co-op thinking I want to do immigration refugee work, but I also had an interest in campaign work,” said Sweeney. “The internship would have never been on my radar without help from my advisor.” 

As an intern with the NDTC, Sweeney collaborated with political campaign professionals who have worked on the presidential campaigns of Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and Bernie Sanders. Sweeney credits this co-op with allowing her to explore an area she is passionate about but is more grateful that the opportunity made her career path a bit less foggy. 

“For me, deciding what course I want to go on after graduation really relied on my experiences and co-ops,” said Sweeney. “With NDTC I realized campaigning is something I am passionate about, but maybe I don’t want to have a career in it. I don’t think I would have realized that if I would not have had my co-op experience.” 

By emphasizing experiential learning, UC’s College of Arts and Sciences has equipped Sweeney and many other students with the skills needed for career-related success. 

“Arts and sciences has given me the opportunity to have co-ops and because of these opportunities it has made me more aware in my classes,” said Sweeney. “They have highlighted the fact that what I am learning at school and in my courses is super important.” 

Sweeney believes that having flexibility and an open mind are the keys to success for an early undergraduate. 

“What you are imagining the next four years to look like, it will probably look completely different. I would never have guessed that I would have found a major like international affairs that completed exactly what I was looking for,” she says. “When you come to UC grasp on to every opportunity that is put on your plate.”   

Find out more about the study of International Affairs at UC here.

Featured image at top: International flags outside United Nations Building. Credit/Mathias Reding for Unsplash.