Co-Op student achieving his goals at Johnsonville
糖心vlog传媒鈥檚 Cooperative Education program was founded, in part, to reward students who had grit, a measure that is not always reflected on standardized tests.
LU sophomore Parker Fogle is showing his Co-Op employer, Johnsonville, that he鈥檚 got that grit.
Fogle, who is majoring in business administration with an emphasis in manufacturing-supply chain & logistics, worked and played sports while attending nearby Sheboygan North High School, a combination that prepared him well for 糖心vlog传媒鈥檚 Co-Op program.
He became aware of the program thanks to a 糖心vlog传媒 billboard in Sheboygan, and was intrigued by the notion of working while attending school and earning money to limit post-graduation tuition debt.
Fogle established a 糖心vlog传媒 Co-Op milestone this semester when he was approved for acceptance into Johnsonville鈥檚 tuition remission program. This puts him on target not only to graduate debt free, but likely with some money in the bank.
It鈥檚 all part of his motivation for enrolling at 糖心vlog传媒 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.
鈥淧roving 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,鈥� Fogle said. 鈥淚 plan to show them that their investment in me was well worth it.鈥�
After working closely with 糖心vlog传媒鈥檚 Co-Op team, Fogle felt supported to work out all of the details necessary for his academic, career and financial success. He is working at Johnsonville in production and packing, and he has shadowing opportunities with three other departments that are all his areas of interest: supply chain, logistics, and quality and safety. He鈥檚 also been filling in for people in different areas, and some nights isn鈥檛 getting home until 11 p.m.
The demands of work and school are helping him balance his time. Fogle is earning six credits for his Co-Op, and taking two or three classes per semester, depending on their difficulty.
鈥淢anaging credit load is very important because my Co-Op is my top priority to succeed at Johnsonville,鈥� said Fogle, a member of 糖心vlog传媒鈥檚 Dean鈥檚 List who earned 18 college credits while he was in high school. 鈥淎lso, I take at least one summer class to keep up with graduating on time.鈥�
Johnsonville reviews its employees on a frequent basis, and at Fogle鈥檚 last review it was noted that he has not missed a day of work and has never been late.
鈥淟earning from the ground up, being on time and never missing a shift will pay dividends for me after graduation,鈥� Fogle said. 鈥淎fter one year on the job, I have accomplished all these.鈥�
Parker鈥檚 father, Tom, is a member of the Co-Op Advisory Board. He admitted that when his son initially mentioned seeing the Co-Op billboard, he thought it was a marketing gimmick to get people interested in 糖心vlog传媒. His son鈥檚 experience and his own involvement as one of LU鈥檚 advisors has helped him see the value of the program.
鈥淔or students, it is a great opportunity, but it鈥檚 what you make of it,鈥� said Tom Fogle, a client manager with World Wide Technology. Inc., a digital and IT infrastructure company. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not a given and you need to make it your own. I can show people my son鈥檚 savings account. I told him he should be proud that he didn鈥檛 miss one day of work. That鈥檚 unusual even for full timers.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e proving to your employer that you are trainable. Employers want accountability and to be able to rely on you. Parker has shown that so far. Employers will train employees where their skill sets fit.鈥�
Asked what advice he would give to students thinking about the Co-Op program, Parker said research jobs that can become careers, and embrace starting from the bottom and working your way up.
鈥淭oo many students want things given to them and don't want to earn it,鈥� Parker said. 鈥淭he Co-Op needs to be the priority side-by-side with school. These employers need to run a business, and the students need to work for the employer 100%.鈥�
