Now that you know a bit about our Co-Op program, meet some of the students benefitting from this unique approach. The stories below are about students just like you. In fact, you might end up being our next Co-Op profile!
Most students come to Lakeland with a strong work ethic they have developed at home and through work in high school. Lakeland’s Cooperative Education program will build upon that base as we make an investment in each student and help them prepare for life after graduation.
Our innovative cooperative education model allows Lakeland students to gain 12-18 months of professional work experience with renowned companies, along with the ability to minimize post-graduate student debt.
I would advise future Lakeland students to start with the Co-Op program as early as possible. There are so many great opportunities to make Lakeland more affordable and earn professional experience.
I chose Lakeland because of the opportunities the Co-Op program granted me, and the many great businesses that surround Lakeland.
Each student comes to college with a different set of financial circumstances. We will do what we can to help make your education as affordable as possible. By combining scholarships and the wages you earn working, Lakeland puts you in position to graduate with little or no tuition debt.
Lakeland also offers college financial planning – where we offer students one-on-one support, so they can learn how to manage their Cooperative Education and employment earnings and better plan for their financial future.
Amanda B.
Hometown: Kiel, Wis.
Major: Business Administration & Marketing
Thanks to the financial benefits of Co-Op, Amanda said she will only have a small loan to pay off after graduation. She has learned how to manage her tuition payments thanks to support from LU's Office of Financial Aid & Educational Funding, a resource she encouraged her peers to seek out.
Amanda said getting a job through Co-Op and becoming an RA were both instrumental in helping her pay for her education.
“There are always opportunities to make money either on- or off-campus while going to school,” she said. “I would advise students to work every semester to save enough money to pay off the monthly tuition payments. As for money management tips, try to save as much money as you can without overworking yourself too much. I regularly check my bank account balance and make sure that I would have enough for my tuition payments before I would spend a lot of money.”
Parker F.
Hometown: Sheboygan, Wis.
Major: Business Administration
Parker established a Lakeland Co-Op milestone when he was approved for acceptance into Johnsonville’s tuition remission program. This puts him on target not only to graduate debt free, but likely with some money in the bank.
It’s all part of his motivation for enrolling at Lakeland and taking advantage of Co-Op, a list that included graduating with no debt, gaining valuable experience with a great company and being able to include on his resume that he financed 100% of his college education.
“Proving to Johnsonville that I am a hard-working student and that I will do what it takes to gain their respect while getting my degree can only help with getting a full-time job at Johnsonville after graduation,” Fogle said. “I plan to show them that their investment in me was well worth it.”
Katelynn G.
Hometown: McFarland, Wis.
Major: Business Administration
Her senior year at McFarland (Wis.) High School, Katelynn planned to attend a local public college on the assumption that any other option would be too expensive. Lakeland hit her radar when the university created the state’s first collegiate women’s wrestling program. Gunderson had to wrestle in high school on the boy’s team and developed a love for the sport. Lakeland became an affordable option when she learned about the Co-Op program during the recruitment process.
“I was amazed at how they made a college education affordable by letting student work off the debt each year,” Gunderson said. “I am incredibly grateful for the program, as it gave me relief from a financial burden.”
The positive impact of Co-Op took on a new meaning in her third year at LU when her mother was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. “The program has allowed me to be less worried about financial responsibilities and spend more time with my mom,” Gunderson said.
She can earn up to $2,000 in tuition reimbursement from St. Nicholas through her job, and she is the recipient of a $1,000 scholarship from the hospital, along with several other scholarships. She took a personal finance class in high school and managerial accounting at Lakeland, experiences which showed her the benefit of using her wages to help pay for school. She is on track to graduate with little debt.
Worried you'll miss out on "college life"? No worries! Cooperative Education works around your schedule, so you are free to join a sport, the band, the choir, student organizations, get a role in the play or participate in one of our many program-specific organizations. By earning academic credit for you work, we keep you on track to graduate in four years!
Hometown: Anaheim, Calif.
Major: Sport Management & Leadership
Jessica L.
Women's Tennis
Hometown: Sheboygan Falls, Wis.
Major: Graphic Design
Mason K.
Men's Wrestling
Hometown: Campbellsport, Wis.
Major: Accounting
Megan G.
Women's Volleyball
Hometown: Plymouth, Wis.
Major: History & Spanish
Tracey S.
Women's Soccer
Hometown: Big Bend, Wis.
Major: Psychology
Tracey’s career goal is serving as a child and family social worker in urban areas, and her Cooperative Education experience at Lakeland is helping her develop the skills she will need to achieve her goal.
“After visiting and seeing how the campus made me feel instantly at home and everyone was so very welcoming, I knew it was for me,” said Tracey, who is also a member of the Pi Kappa Gamma sorority in addition to the women’s soccer team. “I didn’t realize I wanted a smaller college community until visiting Lakeland. Being able to recognize and say hi to everyone passing by throughout the day made me so happy.”
She credits Lakeland’s Cooperative Education and Career Readiness team as being a valuable resource in guiding her through the Co-Op process. The wages she earns working are key in making Lakeland affordable.
“By working with Lakeland’s Co-Op program, I have found it easier to pay my tuition as well as increasingly easier to maintain a job as a college student,” Tracey said. “Employers working with Lakeland and their program are sympathetic towards our academics and other schedules.”
Cailyn B.
Cross Country
Hometown: Niagara, Wis.
Major: Business Administration & Marketing
Cailyn worked numerous jobs through Lakeland’s Cooperative Education program played a huge role in her development, and positioned her for her current role as a purchasing clerk with Systems Control in Iron Mountain, Mich.
While at Lakeland, she worked for Bemis Manufacturing and Great Lakes Cheese as a human resources assistant, and for Aurora Health Care as a patient services representative. She also had jobs at the Osthoff Resort as a spa concierge in the Aspira Spa, and as a cashier for Piggly Wiggly grocery store.
To go with her numerous jobs, Branback was incredibly active on campus. She was a member and officer for the Pi Kappa Gamma sorority, a member and captain of the cross country team, president of the Spanish Club, vice president of Student Government Association and a member of LU-One, LU Pen-Pals, Enactus, IGC, Adventure Club and Conversation Partners.
Karley C.
Extra-Curricular's
Hometown: Sheboygan, Wis.
Major: Business Administration & Spanish
Campbell maximized her Lakeland experience by involving herself in several organizations and gaining employment experiences.
While a student at Lakeland, her work experiences included positions that were located on campus and in the local area. Campbell served two internships, first as an organizational intern at Above & Beyond Children’s Museum in Sheboygan, than as an organizational leadership & development intern at Johnsonville Sausage. As for her on-campus employment, she was an international office clerical assistant, Student Ambassador, Spanish tutor and Resident Assistant.
As someone who took advantage of many different employment experiences, Campbell was determined to involve herself in the Lakeland community as well.
Her involvement included the Phi Delta Omega Sorority, Spanish National Honor Society, Global Student Association, Lakeland’s recreational bowling league, Conversation Partner Program, Student Government Association and Lakeland’s Drumline. She was also a Movers & Shakers Gala scholarship recipient.
Amanda B.
Extra-Curricular's
Hometown: Kiel, Wis.
Major: Business Administration & Marketing
Amanda is making the most of her Lakeland experience. She is a member of the Pi Kappa Gamma Sorority, serving as Historian and IGC Representative, and she has been involved with Spanish Club, Enactus and ELSA. She also serves as the chief marketing officer of Launch: Lakeland Student-Run Businesses, a role that has her leading marketing efforts for one of LU’s newest ventures.
Thanks to the financial benefits of Co-Op, Amanda said she will only have a small loan to pay off after graduation. She has learned how to manage her tuition payments thanks to support from LU's Office of Financial Aid & Educational Funding, a resource she encouraged her peers to seek out.
Angela C.
Extra-Curricular's
Major: Graphic Design
Hometown: Iron Mountain, Mich.
Angela, a graphic design major with a minor in business from Iron Mountain, Mich., has worked jobs with three of Lakeland’s Co-Op Partners.
In addition to her Co-Op jobs, Carollo is active in Lakeland’s Student Government Association, Global Student Association and The 101 Perspective (design club).
Henry W.
Men's Golf
Henry has his sights set of being a golf caddie and traveling the country when he graduates. The junior is loading his resume with experience at one of the top public golf courses in the country.
He caddied as part of a Cooperative Education job at Whistling Straits, the home of the 2021 Ryder Cup. He worked for Caddie Management Enterprises, which provides caddies for courses all over the country.
Caddies are paid by the bag and also get tips, the latter which Henry said accounted for about 70 percent of his earnings and is helping him pay for school.
In addition to gaining experience through his Co-Op, Henry has been mentored by 2007 Lakeland graduate Ryan Bork, the golf professional at Town and Country Golf Course in Sheboygan, Wis.
He hopes to enroll in the PGA’s Management Program to go with his growing experience so he can make his career dreams a reality.
Brice K.
Football
Major: Sport Management & Leadership
Hometown: New Orleans, La.
Meet Brice Kensey, who is maximizing his Lakeland experience and taking full advantage of the Co-Op program.
Lakeland has a long history of serving first-gen college students. In fact, our president, Beth Borgen, was a first-gen college student.
At Lakeland, nearly half of our students are the first generation in their family to attend college. We take pride in the ability to positively impact the lives of our studetns and those who follow their path. We understand first-generation college students don't have the benefit from the college experiences their parents were able to share with them while growing up. But, that's why we are here. Our faculty, coaches and staff are all here to support you.
First-gen students are full of grit and promise. Check out the stories below about the experiences some of our first-generation students have had!
Karley C.
Sheboygan, Wis. | Business Admin. & Spanish
In reflecting on her time as a Lakeland student, 2019 graduate Karley Campbell, a first-generation college student, pays tribute to the many experiences that have made her the person she is today. Campbell, who grew up in Sheboygan, Wis., graduated in 3.5 years with a double major in business administration and Spanish.
Campbell maximized her Lakeland experience by involving herself in several organizations and gaining employment experiences.These collective work experiences while being a Lakeland student plays a key role in helping her thrive in post-graduation employment.
As someone who took advantage of many different employment experiences, Campbell was determined to involve herself in the Lakeland community as well.
Her involvement included the Phi Delta Omega Sorority, Spanish National Honor Society, Global Student Association, Lakeland’s recreational bowling league, Conversation Partner Program, Student Government Association and Lakeland’s Drumline.
Deyna G.
Sheboygan, Wis. | Business Admin.
Lakeland’s Cooperative Education program puts students in jobs that allow them to gain professional work skills, grow personally and earn wages to that allow students to minimize post-graduation tuition debt. Deyna checked all of those boxes, and is a role model for students considering Lakeland’s Co-Op program.
A 2019 Lakeland graduate with a degree in business administration with an emphasis in human resource management, she had a valuable Co-Op job in business development at Ansay and Associates in Port Washington, Wis. She learned basic skills of working in an office setting, such as how to talk to people on the phone, how to properly schedule appointments, using specific software for data entry and communicating with clients via social media.
As a first generation college student, managing the cost of college was also important, and Gatica learned some smart strategies that allowed her to graduate with minimal student debt. Her current employer has a tuition reimbursement program which helped her pay for school.
“One tip that I would definitely recommend is having a certain amount of money from every paycheck that you receive be directly deposited to a savings account in order to save money,” she said. “Also, if you are paying student loans, make sure to have automatic withdrawals each month and keep track of what day that payment is made. My LU experience was definitely an affordable option.”
Our Co-Op experiences allow students to find their career pathway, improve their professional skills and have invaluable networking opportunities. No matter your major, Cooperative Education can help you find professional work experience and offset the cost of college.
Check out our Cooperative Education & Internship placement page to see a full list of employers who have employed our students to get a sense of where you may be able to work while you’re studying at Lakeland.