Co-op success

After reading "No Substitute for Experience," I would like to add a few words about the co-op experience (C&EN, Sept. 4, page 99). I attended Antioch College in the 1960s. Since 1921, Antioch has required a co-op experience for graduation, regardless of major. I was a chemistry major working toward the ACS-approved B.S. degree. It was especially important for students from a small school with limited funds for equipment to be involved in the co-op experience.

I worked at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in many labs doing many different jobs over the course of five years. I was able to use a lot of state-of-the-art equipment that was not available at school. By the time I graduated, I had a decent résumé of relevant experience to offer prospective employers. I had no trouble finding a good position immediately. My first employer remarked that I was hired largely on the strength of my co-op experience and the excellent references I had from my supervisors.

Rosalind Swansiger
Livermore, Calif.