The Carl H. Lindner College of Business recently opened its doors to high school students for its 2025 Lindner Business Immersion Camp, a four-day event designed to give attendees a sneak peek into the world of business education at UC. The college, which boasts expertise across various business disciplines, aimed to acquaint students with its offerings while helping them to start thinking critically about their future in the business world. "I know I want to do a career in business, but I wasn't 100% sure which specialty or which exact major," Elise Lamontagne, a camp attendee, told UC News.
The camp's curriculum was heavy on interactive activities, allowing students to quickly immerse themselves in typical college and business scenarios. They learned by doing, crafting elevator speeches, and engaging in discussions led by subject matter experts from Lindner—each designed to simulate the kind of experience one might expect when pursuing higher education in business. The camp also presented an opportunity for high school juniors to narrow down potential majors ahead of the college admissions rush. "UC is a top option for me, so it was exciting to see where I could be staying or what I would be doing on a day-to-day basis," explained Eva Bailey, echoing the thoughts of her peers, in a statement obtained by UC News.
In addition to the academic and career-focused sessions, the camp fostered a sense of comradery among participants. They formed connections that could potentially last beyond their high school years into their professional lives. "The fact that we all chose to come here instead of doing something else with our summer, it shows that we want to be here," Lamontagne shared with UC News. These relationships, founded on a mutual passion for business and learning, indicate the immersion camp's role not only as an educational experience but also as a social and networking hub.
The presence of guest speakers, all of whom had significant industry experience before transitioning to academia, brought a real-world perspective to the theoretical knowledge imparted during the camp. Lucy Beatty found value in the depth of practical experience the speakers brought to the sessions. "Something I thought was so valuable is that they didn't become professors first," Beatty reflected in an interview with UC News. "They actually studied in their field for years, so the passion that came from that, and all the experience that they could talk about is what I connected with the most."
