This summer, 61 Oakland University students will benefit from the Summer Student Campus Corps job program. As part of the “You Can Afford This” campaign, the university created the program, which offers paid positions for students during the summer semesters.

“The Summer Student Campus Corps was created as part of OU’s commitment to assist students with the cost of their education during difficult economic times by providing students with an opportunity to work during the summer,” said Cindy Hermsen, director of financial aid.

Hermsen also said she feels the program has been well-received by both students and campus employers.

Mike McLean, a senior from Sterling Heights, was hired through the Campus Corps as the web design/IT intern for OU-Macomb.

“It is an awesome program, and you can see that OU is really trying to help their students prepare for the real world after graduating,” McLean said.

As part of his everyday responsibilities at the position, McLean updates website pages, fixes student databases, tracks new computers and installs new devices in the office.

“The job has been great,” McLean said. “They’ve kept me really busy and have given me a lot of responsibility with my projects so you can’t ask for much more than that in the first month.”    

Another student employed in a Campus Corps position is Natalie Mischley, a senior human resource management major. Mischley is the Center for Integrated Business Research and Education intern for the development office in the School of Business Administration. She also works as a peer adviser for the School of Business Administration in the Center for Student Advising and Development.

Like McLean, Mischley said she has enjoyed the experience so far.

“I have gotten a lot of experience just in the first month of having this position,” Mischley said. “I have done so much networking within the school and the outside professional world. I have also gotten a lot of experience that I can use when I go out to the ‘real’ world. It has been a very rewarding experience.”

Mischley’s supervisor, Robin Michel, the School of Business Administration development officer, expresses her support for the program, specifically within the SBA.

“As it ties to the University’s 2020 vision, the business school wants three things for students: integrative thinking, experiential learning and international exposure,” Michel said. “The internships are no different. It is a comprehensive approach to understanding the impact of one’s work on a greater whole.”

McLean, Mischley and Michel all agree that the Campus Corps program should continue.

With the economy how it is today, I think it is wonderful that the school can give money to employ our students for the summer,” Mischley said. “It is a great experience for any student to work with the university because no matter the position they hold, they will gain valuable skills to help them progress into the world.”