Success Stories
Discover the Power of The OU Pledge
OU students are quickly discovering the power of The OU Pledge — from internships, cooperative education programs (co-ops) and service-learning courses, to fieldwork and clinical preceptorship rotations, to research, study abroad, community engagement work and more. Launched in February 2025, The OU Pledge, our commitment to provide undergraduate students with opportunities for meaningful, hands-on learning, is woven into the OU student experience via the Strategic Vision 2030’s Student Success pathway.
The easy-to-access resources and customized support of the Career and Life Design Center are at the core of The OU Pledge. As the first and only career center of its kind among Michigan’s public universities, we empower students and alumni to explore their strengths, discover meaningful opportunities and connect with a community that supports their growth. And the results speak for themselves: Our Post-Graduation Outcomes Dashboard highlights how our graduates are building meaningful lives and contributing purposefully to their communities and careers.
In addition to resources and coaching available at the Career and Life Design Center, students can find internships and other hands-on experiences by working with their school, department, faculty and advisers. These resources, coupled with OU’s extensive community partnerships, can lead to myriad opportunities for OU undergraduates to gain meaningful, hands-on experiences with local schools, corporations and hospitals that are eager to work with OU students.
Watch the videos below to follow the success stories of OU undergraduates who navigated their futures with conviction and confidence, empowered by The OU Pledge. For more information on how you can find an experience-based learning opportunity to complement your academic experience at OU, students - start your search.
Management information systems major Aliyah Vue worked with the OU School of Business Administration’s Career and Life Design team to calm her pre-interview jitters and land a co-op position with DTE during her senior year.
Transcript
My grandpa always encouraged my family to pursue education and taught us that learning was a key to building a better life. My parents carry that forward, and I'm taking the foundation they built and turning it into something bigger. My name is Aliyah Vue, and I'm designing my future. When I arrived at OU, I was serious about my career. I knew it wasn't enough to just attend class. So I used the resources around me to prepare myself for what's next. This drive led me to the Career and Life Design team in the business school, where I discovered The OU Pledge. The OU Pledge gives undergrad students the chance to learn through hands on experiences. I discovered an entire world at OU that I might never have found on my own. I made friends and connections to mentors in my field and learned about job opportunities outside of OU. Those experiences not only pushed me to my fullest potential, but also helped me figure out my career path. When I was nervous for my job interview with DTE, the Career and Life Design Team had my back and offered interview and resume prep, which helped me to call my nerves and gave me the confidence I needed, and I got it. Now I'm getting real world experience while going to school. My advice to students is to take advantage of the Career and Life Design Center and its opportunities. Back when I first arrived at OU, I never would have imagined it would lead to a job at DTE, but it did. Never doubt yourself. You can do anything you set your mind to.
International student and graphic design major Josue Garcia, CAS ‘24, augmented his academics with real-world graphic design projects during his two internships and on-campus involvement with Graphix OU.
Transcript
My name is Josue Garcia. I am an international student from Mexico, and I recently graduated from the graphic design program. Being here at Oakland gives you a lot of opportunities to get involved both on campus, and within the industry. They give you chances to do internships, there's a lot of roles in different student organizations that you can take that let you experience a little bit of what the outside world might have in store for you.
Mentoring Josue was a real pleasure. I got to watch him blossom with technical prowess in graphic design. I challenged him with designing for our exhibition. He got to really develop soft skills that aren't typically offered to students within the context of a classroom.
Thanks to my involvement with Graphix OU, I was able to secure an on campus job as a part of a marketing team, which gave me the opportunity to apply the things that I had learned in the classroom into the real world. How to meet deadlines, receiving and implementing feedback, just overall working towards a bigger goal as a part of the team.
I think that the most important three non-technical skills that you can learn for anyone is time management, organization, and communication. Experiential learning affords students the ability to develop professional skills, and as it relates to graphic design, they're able to develop portfolios, write resumes, and communicate their value to potential employers in the future.
I put myself out there, and I interviewed with Siser North America, and I am the video production intern.
By getting involved in campus activities, joining student organizations, connecting with the Career in Life Design Center, these make you a more well rounded and competitive applicant when the time comes to apply for jobs.
