Students Gain Real-World Experience in IBM Co-Op Program

More Sacred Heart students selected for IBM co-op program than any other school

The third cohort of Sacred Heart University students to participate in the IBM cooperative education (co-op) program has been selected and will begin work this June. The SHU-IBM program recruits graduate and undergraduate students from the Welch College of Business & Technology (WCBT) to work full-time for six months in IBM’s accounting and finance department.

With the addition of these students, Sacred Heart will be among the most strongly represented schools in IBM’s co-op program. 

While internships often entail limited hours and few real-world responsibilities, co-ops are full-time, paid placements. For years, IBM has had a robust finance co-op program in place, offering students valuable work experience that helps them stand out in a sea of recent-graduate job applications. In fact, the majority of IBM’s full time hires in finance and accounting were co-op participants.  

“The Jack Welch College of Business & Technology is committed to providing students with work experience before they graduate,” said Khawaja Mamun, associate professor and associate dean of the School of Computer Science & Engineering. “The college has an internship requirement for every graduating student. The co-op program at IBM serves as an extended paid opportunity with a full-time workload.”

John Preli, director, corporate business controls at IBM and assistant professor in the WCBT, spearheaded the pilot co-op program. “Because we’re hiring every six months, IBM is able to have a flexible workforce,” said Preli. “And it gives IBM the opportunity to evaluate talent deeply. The experience is mutually beneficial. Because co-op students are here for six months, they work in real, entry-level jobs. They aren’t fetching coffee and making photocopies.”

Christopher Ruspini ’20 was in Sacred Heart’s first cohort at IBM. He worked in the systems division with IBM’s business partners, analyzing product and revenue flow. After Ruspini completed his co-op, IBM hired him full time. “The corporate finance curriculum at SHU helped prepare me for IBM. Plus, most of our professors were either executives or entrepreneurs, so they taught from the perspective of real-world situations,” said Ruspini.

Jack Boese ’21, a double major in finance and accounting, was also in the first cohort. “It was an awesome learning experience and an even better professional experience,” Boese said. He worked on IBM’s global business services team. Both Ruspini and Boese credit the WCTB’s “Excel for Business” class with helping them succeed at IBM.

Samina Munawwar ’21 and Babatunde Olaniba ’20 and ’21, who are graduate students in the WCBT, currently work in IBM co-op positions. Their tenure started in January and will continue through June.

Munawwar, who is studying for a master’s degree in business analytics, clocks in at 7 a.m. on Wednesdays because her team works with international partners. She meets virtually with colleagues in Japan and Singapore each week and is responsible for maintaining the balance sheet for her worldwide department. “I encouraged them to use my business analytics skills, which I’ve learned at SHU,” she said.

Olaniba, who is working towards his master’s degree in accounting analytics, spends his days in the accounting division, learning different accounting analytic tools. “But at IBM, they have a cross culture where you learn about other department roles and functions, and they encourage you to explore your interests,” he said. Olaniba plans to take advantage of this opportunity to get more real-life experiences within IBM internal audit. “The field of accounting is complex, so it’s continuous learning,” he said. “The company appreciates intellectual curiosity and people who are willing to learn. All of this new knowledge and skills will help me figure out, going forward, what I want to do.”

Olaniba credits his current success to Sacred Heart. “This is a great community,” he said. “I had the opportunity to intern at Stamford Federal Credit Union and Deloitte. When I went in for the interview and he saw Sacred Heart on my résumé, he said, ‘That’s a great school!’ Since coming to SHU, so many great things have been happening for me; doors have been opening.”

The third cohort from SHU—graduate student Michael Covino ’21 and undergraduates Cory Hutchison ’22 and Larissa Scandura ’22—begin their IBM co-op experience in June. “I have high expectations,” said Covino. “I look forward to connecting with professionals and learning as much as I can.”

Scandura is excited to use what she’s learned in the classroom in real-life applications. “I’m also excited to work with a real team and gain hands-on experience. Sacred Heart gives you so many opportunities, but what you put in is what you’ll take out,” she said. Scandura has taken advantage of every opportunity to get involved, such as becoming a Welch mentor, and was particularly interested in the IBM co-op.

Hutchison said he was looking for a good business school when his cousin suggested Sacred Heart. “I’m not sure what’s in store at IBM,” he said. “I think there are a lot of surprises coming up that Sacred Heart has done a great job preparing us for.”

Pictured, from left, are students Jack Boese, Babatunde Olanibe and Christopher Ruspini.