NEWSLETTER FALL 2016
IN THIS ISSUE: • Student Spotlight: Ty Walhbrink • International Trip: South America • Items of Interest • Alumni News • Dates to remember
TY WAHLBRINK Class of 2017
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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT In IS 2080, we learn that most people in developing countries have cell phones instead of landline phone or Internet connections. At a company visit to P&G, we learn that customers outside of North America and Europe tend to buy their shampoo in a small packet each day because their bathrooms are too small for a large bottle. Frequently, we are reminded that only a few percentage points of the world has a college degree. These are all facts, small tidbits of information we routinely hear; they may simply go in one ear and out the other. However, when I traveled with Meghan Pope (’17) and Lauren Mayernik (’17) and a group of other Bearcats to Nicaragua this last winter break, I realized just how superficially the lives of those in Nicaragua differ from my own due to some of those seemingly insignificant “facts.” During our twelve days in Nicaragua, we spent six days doing service with Amigos for Christ in Chinandega with the remainder spent exploring the culture, cities, and countryside of the beautiful country. The week with Amigos for Christ started with a challenge to ourselves – bear crawl 2,400 vertical feet to the top of Cerro Negro, an active volcano. The following days, we traveled to the rural community of La Coyatera (translation – land
of coyotes – yikes!) digging a trench to bring running water and modern plumbing to this community that current lacks both water and electricity. I do not believe in my whole life I have seen a real pick axe, much less swung one repeatedly in 100⁰ F heat. Indeed, the work was physically tolling, but rewarding. While the entire 4 kilometers of trench is expected to be completed in ten months, we left the country knowing we made a small difference. However, I think it was the people we met,
the stories we heard, and the connections that were forged that made the biggest difference. For instance, Eddie is a respected member of this small, bucolic community. On the first day, I sat down with Eddie over our lunch break and (through my broken Spanish) learned about his life. Eddie has lived in La Coyatera his whole life, his farm is struggling because his family needs to
support the ditch digging efforts, and that this water system will be the biggest gift from God (besides his family). To my surprise, Eddie next pulled out a cell phone! I was a little puzzled because this community doesn’t have electricity. Eddie told me he has to walk a few miles just to charge his phone. It was the countless interactions like this that made this trip invaluable for me. Overall, I could not imagine being a business professional working in with international markets without visiting a developing country like Nicaragua. All those facts we have learned about growing economies now have context. When their “federal highway” is a road like Jefferson Avenue (with traffic far worse than typical Clifton traffic), I can understand how shipping and logistics is difficult without a highway network which I have always taken for granted. When most rural farmers do not have an education or a driver’s license, I understand why we cannot simply give them heavy construction equipment to speed up the manual ditch digging. While we were in the country for a bit more than a week, we can safely say that visiting Nicaragua gave us a richer understanding of the global business environment.
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INTERNATIONAL TRIP: SOUTH AMERICA Brett Carlin Buenos Aires By the time our two weeks in Chile were up, we were ready for a new experience, and that is exactly what Buenos Aires gave us. We ate mouthwatering food, learned of their horrific recent dictatorships and rocky economy, and explored our way through a diverse and beautiful city. Stepping off the plane we were moving 100 miles per hour the whole week, starting with an all you can eat Argentinian dinner just hours after landing. Early the next morning we were off to meet our partners for the week, CIEE. CIEE works with students and groups traveling abroad to introduce them to Buenos Aires and provide a curriculum for them while they study abroad. They had put together a custom program for us, and it did not disappoint. Our structure in Argentina was more heavily focused on academic lectures with a few supplementary company visits, which was different than Brazil and Chile. Our first lectures revolved around the tumultuous recent history of Argentina, and how that past affects their economy today. We then moved on to learned about market
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research in Argentina and how it differs from America, the economic impacts of defaulting on their national debt, and the Union landscape in the country. In one of our most interesting lecture, we had the honor of speaking with Jorge Taiana, the President of the Paralasur Parliament. By the time the week was done, we had experienced a truly fascinating program that challenged our American way of thinking.
The company visits were fantastic as well. We visited Unilever, Onapsis, and Nidera over the span of the week. Unilever brought us in and we had an enlightening discussion with their Director of Finance of the Southern Cone, Juan Manuel Ballester. He discussed how Unilever deals with crisis management, as Argentina is in a constant state of economic crisis. At Onapsis, we met with their founder, Victor Montero, and the VP of Finance, Pablo Valeriano,
and discussed the founding of the company, and future business plans. For me personally, this visit sparked my entrepreneurial spirit. Lastly, at Nidera, a global commodities trader, we learned about their corporate social responsibility policies. Our time in Buenos Aires came to an end after a Saturday and Sunday of free time which we put to good use. We spent our first free day exploring two of the city’s neighborhoods, Palermo and La Boca. In La Boca we shopped through vendors’ tents on cobblestone streets, had a fantastic steak sandwich for lunch, and ended up playing pickup soccer on a basketball court with local children. On Sunday, we explored a massive market called San Tellmo, which stretched for around 10 blocks and ended on the Plaza de Mayo, which is the city’s main square and political hub. We took a moment inside the city’s cathedral, which was mesmerizing, and strolled through an Italian heritage festival. By the time the week was finished, we had learned about the country’s history, experienced their economy, and seen a massive city. There was no doubt we had maximized our experience in Buenos Aires and were ready to take on Brazil.
Samantha Riser El Castillo, Costa Rica After spending 40 days in large and hectic Latin American cities on our study abroad experience, Libby Nawalaniec, Laura Mersmann, and I decided we would like to spend our final ten days immersed in the nature of Costa Rica. After much research, we discovered Rancho Margot, a 400-acre eco-lodge nestled in the heart of the rainforest near the Arenal Volcano. This ranch is considerably different from typical vacation destinations, as it practices organic and sustainable living and is on its way to operating at 100% self-sufficiency after only 12 years of operation. Rancho Margot is home to a number of animals, from pigs, horses, cows, and chickens to owls, water buffalo, dogs, and natural wildlife. In its infancy, the ranch was nothing more than a barren landscape with no vegetation or biodiversity. Today, the eco-lodge manages its own aqueducts, hydroelectric generators, dairy production, organic farm, artisan shop, and composting and recycling processes to create a closed economic system. They employ 45 full-time staff and welcome volunteers to keep their operations up and running. While there was an option to simply relax on the grounds and do a plethora of activities
such as kayaking, horseback riding, whitewater rafting, and zip lining, we wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to learn more about the ranch’s sustainable practices. Therefore, we registered for Rancho Margot’s Sustainable Living Immersion. This week-long program included both morning and afternoon workshops where we were given handson experience planting and harvesting produce, composting and fermenting waste, caring for animals, and making soap and dairy products. Having no prior experience with gardening or extensive knowledge of organic farming, this week was extremely beneficial and opened my eyes to the plausibility of sustainable living with closed ecosystems. All meals were prepared from farm to table. We were offered buffet-style meals that included dishes sourced straight from the ranch’s garden or a local producer. It was clear that the breakfast eggs were laid and collected that morning, the cheese was freshly made the day before, and the vegetables were recently picked and chopped. In one of the workshops, we actually harvested crops and brought them to the kitchen to help prepare the dinner buffet. I was amazed to see how easy it is to prepare simple yet hearty and high-quality dishes with a few fresh ingredients. Dare I say I’ve been persuaded to live the
organic lifestyle permanently? Outside of the program, there were a mindful meditation and yoga sessions offered twice daily to anyone on the ranch, in the early mornings and late afternoons. The morning sessions warmed up and challenged our minds and bodies while the afternoon sessions relaxed our muscles from the hard work of the day. In addition to the yoga sessions, we also had two natural pools available to us during leisure time. Fortunately, we visited during the rain forest’s dry season, so there was plenty of sun to enjoy! Apart from these two activities, we also hiked in the area’s deep forests and hills on narrow and challenging trails. It was sensational to see and hear the wildlife around me, knowing that few people were within the proximity of my location. Our practice in the yoga studio, time at the pools, solo hikes in the hills and forest, and exploration of the ranch and river fostered a great deal of self-reflection. Combining this with the lessons learned in the program’s workshops, it was eyeopening to see the ease in which we can all contribute to a greener planet. I believe that by the conclusion of this trip, I gained a deeper understanding of myself and my role in creating a sustainable planet. I look forward to preparing my very first garden this summer for next year!
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Lizzy Dinevski South America Trip Review I never would have thought that I would spend six weeks in South America. I do not know Spanish or Portuguese, it felt so distant, and I had no idea what there was to experience in South America. When it was announced that my class would head to South America on our international trip, I was a bit shocked at the change, but excited for the new opportunity. During our pre-trip classes, I began to get excited about the upcoming trip. Learning about the various cultural and political economic aspects of each country made me realize all of the opportunities that South America had. By the end of the half semester, I found myself listening to Brazilian music while practicing my Spanish and looking up the top spots at each destination. Chile Our first stop on the trip was to Santiago, Chile. After a red-eye flight, we had a city tour to explore what Santiago had to offer. We saw a fish market, the government buildings and part of Cerro San Cristobal (a beautiful park area on a mountain). In Chile, there was a good mix of academic programming and company visits. Most of our days started out at Universidad de Desarollo. The Santiago campus was one of the most beautiful 6
campuses I have been in the world! It was in the middle of the Andes Mountains and had a lovely view from all sides which made our lunch breaks very enjoyable. Our lectures at UDD ranged from Chilean culture to recycling to the economic standing of Chile. Our class really enjoyed our lectures with Professor Alfonso Cortes, who taught us so much about Chile and its people. We also had a lot of interesting business visits in Santiago, including LAN Airlines, Concha y Toro (a winery), Carozzi (pasta and dessert manufacturer) and many more. We also had programming with UDD in Concepcion. During this part of our trip, we all stayed with host families. For me, it was one of the best experiences on the trip! It was so great getting to know how a Chilean family functions. My family was truly amazing! They taught me basic Spanish, were open about the current state of Chile and South America, and showed me around the city. This was the time when I most understood Chile, its culture, and its people. I ate true Chilean food and got insight from what life was like outside of the tourist spots. Other exciting things that we experienced were hiking up Cerro San Cristobal, going to Viña del Mar (a coastal city nearby), going to a discothèque and exploring the various neighborhoods in Santiago. Chile was a great place to kick-off the trip.
Argentina Argentina was the largest academic portion of the trip. During this time, we studied at Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (FLACSO), a social science research and education center. Our programming was through CIEE, an international study abroad program. During this part of our trip, we had lectures about Argentine history, unions, sustainability and current political economic standing. One of our favorite lectures was when we did a mini marketing research project. Half of the group went to a local café and the other half went to a Starbucks. We reconvened and discussed the similarities and differences of the two and of coffee shops in Argentina versus those in the US. Even though portion of the trip was lecture heavy, we did have several company visits. The overall favorites were Unilever and Onapsis. At our Unilever visit, we went with the Controller of Unilever Argentina. During this company visit, we learned how Unilever operates in Latin America and how it does business during crisis periods. During our Onapsis visit, we met with one of the founders and several executives at the company. It was fascinating to learn about how this company of now a few hundred employees started out with three men in a small apartment. During our stay in Buenos Aires, we
INTERNATIONAL TRIP: SOUTH AMERICA experienced many cultural activities in addition to our lectures. We had a city tour with the entire group where we saw the various neighborhoods of the city and learned more about the culture and history. On our own time, many people went to La Boca (an Italian immigrant community), Palermo (a yuppie neighborhoods), a tango night, ESMA (a human rights museum in an old concentration camp), and a huge Sunday market. Buenos Aires was definitely an beautiful city filled with amazing history, culture, and people. Brazil We kicked off the Brazil portion of the trip in Rio de Janeiro as our “free time” of the trip. During this portion, Honors-PLUS alumna Kyle Quinn joined us as our guide. As a group, we visited Christ the Redeemer, went to a samba dance club, and visited Agora (an investment brokerage firm). During our free time, many of us spent the day on the beautiful Ipanema Beach, while some people went to the Sugar Loaf Mountain and the Escadaria Selaron (a gorgeous staircase). We all enjoyed the beautiful views in Rio and some much needed free time.
company that specializes in education technology, to Proctor and Gamble to the US Consulate. It was the heaviest business visit portion of the trip and it did not disappoint. We all enjoyed learning about different industries and job position, whether they corresponded with our majors or not. One of the high lights of this portion was meeting with the Brazilian CEO of Google. We had two hours to pick the mind of one of the most world-renowned CEOs. It was also very interesting to learn how institutions like the US government and consulting firms, like EY, operate in the complex economic system that is Brazil. During our evenings, we had a lot of group dinner events. One night, we went to a traditional Brazilian steakhouse and it was such a fun experience! Another evening, we went to a restaurant with one of the most beautiful views of the
city. Having group dinners was a great experience because we could just talk to our peers in a very relaxed atmosphere and it forced us to take a break from our crazy schedule. Other fun cultural activities that we enjoyed included volunteering at a community center for children who live in the second poorest favela, visiting the soccer museum, walking Avenue Paulista (the main street in São Paulo), going to a Brazilian concert, and visiting a sky bar the overlooked the city. Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil For the first stop on my extra 10 days, I went to Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil. It is a small town on the border of Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay that is home to beautiful waterfalls. On the first day, my group and I toured the natural park with all of the water falls. The waterfalls were surreal, we
While Rio was very laid back, we hit the ground running in São Paulo. With the help of Kyle and his wife, Isabel, we visited 10 awesome companies ranging from Geekie, a small start-up
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INTERNATIONAL TRIP: SOUTH AMERICA got our food stolen by some coatis, and took a road ride into a waterfall. It was such an amazing experience that I got to spend with some of my best friends. On the second day, we visits Itpaitu Dam, an international dam between Uruguay and Brazil that is one of the engineering wonders of the world. Peru Our next stop was Lima, Peru. During this time, we took some downtime before heading to Machu Picchu. We toured the beautiful city and had a beach city. We stayed in a beautiful neighborhood called Mira Flores that was only a short walk from the ocean. We spent most of our time in Cusco, Peru on our trek to Machu
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Picchu. Cusco was such an interesting city. It was high up in the Andes Mountains and was full of Incan culture. There were very few roads for cars, and everything was cobblestone. It was one of the first times that I truly understood what it felt like to be in such a high altitude. From Cusco, we took a two day tour to Machu Picchu. On the first day, we visited an ancient garden and salt mine sites. Peru is an agricultural based country that farms everything organically – from quinoa to potatoes to salt. This is a result of the strong Incan influences on the people. Our trip climaxed when we finally made it Machu Picchu to see the sunrise. It was one of the most breathtaking experiences that I have had in my life. We explored the ancient
city and hiked up to the sun gate, which overlooked the entire ancient city from afar. Being at Machu Picchu with my best friends was one of the best experiences that I have ever had and will definitely remember it for the rest of my life. My trip to South America was truly life changing, and I know that I am not the only one who felt that way. I can speak on behalf of my class about how we learned a lot about business, academics, and ourselves. I would like to thank the Lindner Honors-PLUS program and all of its donors for allowing us to have such a life changing experience. I hope that HonorsPLUS will continue to take students on this amazing trip to such an interesting part of the world.
Student Travel Mackenzie Mayernik, Jay Rugg, and Devin Lally travelled with Serve Beyond Cincinnati to Peru. Over winter break, they worked with the Fuller Center in La Florida Peru and helped build the roof and lay down the cement flooring for a house. They also had the opportunity to travel to Cusco and see Machu Picchu before returning to Cincinnati.
Student Leadership This past academic year, three of our seniors served as Senior Class Officers for the University of Cincinnati Class of 2016. Carolyn Johnson was President, Andrew Kendall was Internal Vice President and Alex Glavan was an At-Large Representative.
Freshmen Internship Placements: Anna Armao Laith Barakat Tyler Creel Hannah Duckworth Ben Keating Rachel Kimura Brady Kraemer Leigha Kraemer Devin Lally Matt Lekowski Chandler Meador Cassidy Peebles Alec Petrie Alex Rack Emily Rasmussen Francie Ruppert RJ Senior Claire Suetholz Kevin Thomas Casmir Thornberry Noelle Weber Robert Weidner Veronica Woodson
PwC Fifth Third (OM) Kroger (OM) Von Lehman Barnes Dennig Ohio National (OM) Barnes Dennig EY Great American Paycor Ohio National (Marketing) Medpace Paycor (IB) Ohio National (Marketing) Nielsen (Client Services) General Cable (Marketing) Grant Thornton CincyTech GE (OM) Lindner College of Business IT EY Children’s Hospital CincyTech
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UPCOMING EVENTS SEPTEMBER 2 LHP Leadership Legacy Event SEPTEMBER 28-30 Recruiting Breakfasts at Metropolitan Club OCTOBER 13-14 Fall Reading Days
BEN KEEFE, ‘15
Class of 2006 10 Year Reunion: TBD OCTOBER 22 UC Homecoming Game DECEMBER 1 Deadline for the Common Application for UC to be considered for scholarship opportunities, including Lindner HonorsPLUS.
Ben Keefe (’15) will be spending the next six months in Stamford, Connecticut workin gin GE’s Asset Management business where he will be focusing on the real estate investment portfolio. He is very excited!
DECEMBER 24 THROUGH THE NEW YEAR! UC campus closed JANUARY & FEBRUARY We will be holding interviews for the LHP Class of 2022 BRIEN DULLE, ‘13
Beth Woebkenberg (’05) and her husband, Nick, welcomed their first child, Lucille (Lucy) Ann Woebkenberg, on August 10th.
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Brien Dulle (’13) married Alex Jones on October 24, 2015 at St. Mary’s Church in Hyde Park. They also recently moved into a beautiful new home in Anderson Township. Brien is currently working as a CPA at Cassady Schiller CPAs and Advisors, while Alex is employed at Medpace as an Assistant Medical Writer.
ALUMNI CORNER Jennifer Kidd (’03) was awarded the 2015 Imaginative Luxottica Characteristic award. Jen was challenged to create a seamless customer experience on LensCrafters.com. She led improvements and identified ways to simplify the process. The result - an increase in online exams that delivered an incremental $1.5MM retail sales in the 2nd half of the year and improved the site ranking from low average in 2013 to above average rankings in 2014-2015. Kim Weber (’02) started as Strategy & Insights Manager at Quotient Technology, the parent company of coupons.com. It’s an exciting time to be at the company, and she is thrilled to be on board! Matt Yung (‘07) has become a shareholder of Johnson Investment Counsel. Matt is a Portfolio Manager and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) certification. Johnson Investment Counsel is an employee-owned, independent wealth management firm with over $8 billion in assets under management. Congratulations to Jay Lame (’13) who got engaged to Ali McCarty! Special thanks to Dominic Berardi (’07) who spoke to one of our LHP classes recently while he was in town.
JAY LAME, ‘13
DOMINIC BERARDI, ‘07
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