As an electrical engineering major at OU, Aadeesh Dhiman, SECS ’24, primed his career possibilities through student leadership, career fairs and catering communication skills to employers. Fueled by industry connections and ignited confidence, Aadeesh landed three internships in the automotive industry and expanded his network, blazing the way for his next chapter as a test script engineer at General Motors.
The OU Pledge
The OU Pledge: Go Beyond the Books
Discover your internship or other experience-based learning opportunity and invest in your future!
At Oakland University, “career readiness” isn’t a catchphrase; it’s a concept that’s woven into your OU student experience via the Strategic Vision 2030’s Student Success pathway. One year ago, Oakland University launched The OU Pledge — our commitment to provide undergraduate students with opportunities for meaningful, hands-on learning. You’ll augment your academic knowledge with experience-based learning that fuels your ability to make substantive professional contributions. From day one at OU, you’ll be empowered to take risks, believe in yourself and contribute to the community as an innovator, creative or caregiver.
Experience-based learning includes internships, cooperative education programs (co-ops), service learning, field experiences, clinical preceptorship rotations, research, study abroad and more.
Through easy-to-access resources, customized support and mentorship from your advisers, faculty and the Career and Life Design Center, you’ll shine as you shape your future success. Take advantage of OU's extensive community connections and local partnerships — including businesses, schools and hospitals — that are eager to work with OU students. For example, Michael Dotson-Branch, below, discovered his calling — and the power of The OU Pledge — through his Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (BIS) service-learning course and working with the Detroit-based nonprofit Make Food Not Waste. Start your search today for an experience-based learning opportunity!
Transcript
The women in my life have always shown me what strength looks like. They taught me not to quit, even when things don't go as planned. I left Oakland University in 2018 without finishing my degree. So when I came back, I came back ready to make the most out of every opportunity OU had to offer. I'm Michael Dotson-Branch, and I'm designing my future. When I joined the BIS program, something clicked for me. The flexibility of the program, and the support I got from the people in it, helped me connect the dots between who I was and where I wanted to go. Through one of my classes and The OU Pledge, which gives students the chance to learn through hands-on experience, I volunteered with Make Food Not Waste. I wasn't just sitting in a classroom learning theory. I was in a kitchen chopping vegetables, talking with chefs and helping prepare meals for families in our community. That experience changed me. I saw how education, service and real life all come together. I saw the impact of showing up for people, and I realized that helping others is something that I'm called to do. My advice to students is: Don't give up on yourself. Your path might not look perfect, but if you keep moving forward, your passion will find you when you least expect it.
Internships
Co-ops
Aliyah Vue stokes her love for technology and affinity for business as a management information systems major at OU. At DTE-OU Day, she landed a job as a data analyst co-op after coaches from the Career and Life Design Center’s School of Business Administration team helped calm her pre-interview nerves. Now, she’s refining her technical skill set at DTE while contributing meaningfully to real-life projects and confidently voicing her own ideas.
Service Learning
Motivated by the OU Comebacker Grant to return to college post-Covid, Michael Dotson-Branch found tailored support and focused career planning as a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (BIS) major. Through The OU Pledge and the BIS 3000 service-learning course, Michael volunteered with Make Food Not Waste to combine his curriculum and hands-on community work to solve problems and spark his passion to give back.
