UC Alumni Give Thanks: Education Takes Graduate Around the World

Kimmet overlooks Beijing, China

Many UC alumni are thankful for their UC education and experience. Follow along with this series through November (also known as the thankful month) as UC alumni give thanks to UC. If you would like to share your story and show your appreciation for the university, please e-mail proudlycincinnati@uc.edu.

Even though Neil Kimmet, 2011 Carl H. Lindner College of Business graduate, is half way around the world in Shanghai, he still feels the pride of being a Bearcat and the sense of community the Bearcat nation provides. Kimmet is currently pursuing his master of arts in international studies with a focus in international business from Concordia University Irvine in Irvine California. While the pursuit of his master's degree has taken him across the country and around the world, Kimmet stays connected with the UC community online.

"It is truly heartwarming to share my experiences in the Far East on Facebook and receive support from my former classmates, fraternity members, and academic associations like the University Honors Program," said Kimmet.

Even though Kimmet manages a very busy schedule, teaching business courses during the day while studying and writing his thesis in the evenings, he still finds the time to catch the Bearcats football games. Because he doesn't have access to American cable, he watches the games online or catches the updates on ESPN.

During Kimmet's undergraduate career he studied operations management and international business, while pursuing a global studies certificate from the University Honors Scholars Program. His UC education enabled him to participate in numerous study abroad trips including:

• A yearlong student exchange with the Nagoya University of Foreign Studies in Nagoya, Japan (funded by the JASSO scholarship).
• University Honors Association service learning trip to Nicaragua
• Serve Beyond Cincinnati alternative spring break trip to Mexico, Cameroon, El Salvador and Haiti

Serve Beyond Cincinnati group in Cameroon

Kimmet credits UC for giving him a global experience that has shaped his future goals. 

"Thanks to the wonderful education and global studies opportunities that were presented to me at UC, I have decided to devote my life to fostering better relations and stronger ties between the United States and the rest of the world," Kimmet said. "While I am unsure if I would like to enter the private sector as a businessman or the public sector as a foreign officer, I do believe that my experience at Cincinnati has opened up a world of possibilities for me."

Why are you thankful for the Unversity of Cincinnati? Let us know by commenting below!