For many college students, the path from the classroom to a career begins after graduation.
The University of Toledo is now making that transition part of the undergraduate experience itself.
Beginning with the incoming freshman class of the 2026-27 academic year, every student pursuing a bachelor’s degree will be expected to complete an approved experience-based learning opportunity before graduation through a new universitywide initiative called ASCEND.
ASCEND, which stands for Applied Skills for Career Experience, Networking and Development, is designed to give students professional experience alongside their coursework.
This initiative is part of Advantage Toledo, one of three strategic “launchpads” announced by UToledo President James Holloway in 2025. The initiative was presented to the UToledo Board of Trustees in June to align students’ education with employers’ needs.
Holloway described ASCEND as part of the university’s goal to prepare students for careers and help them build their futures at the university.
ASCEND builds on existing university opportunities, including internships, co-ops, undergraduate research, field experiences, clinical experiences, service learning and study abroad. The university says the requirement will apply across all bachelor’s degree programs, regardless of a student’s major.
For students who already participate in internships or other hands-on experiences, ASCEND formalizes an experience they may already see as an important part of their education.
Senior Aliciana Martinez is one of those students.
Martinez, a media communications major with a minor in marketing, has completed hands-on experiences during her time at UToledo prior to ASCEND being in place. Her first internship was at FOX36 in downtown Toledo during the fall 2025 semester, where she helped produce commercials and social media content and contributed to “What The FOX,” a show that reviews businesses and activities around Toledo.
Martinez also works as a broadcast production technician, a position she began through a UToledo class that transitioned into a job. She assists in filming games for ESPN.
Across her experiences, Martinez said she was able to apply what she learned in the classroom in a professional environment.
“I think it’s important before you graduate to apply what you learn in the classroom to real-world experiences,” Martinez said.
Those experiences are why Martinez supports ASCEND. She said that the requirement could give students a better understanding of what they want to pursue after graduation.
“I think that’s an amazing idea because it will give people a perspective on what they want to do after college,” Martinez said.
Even if a student completes an experience and realizes that a particular path was not right for them, she said the experience can still be useful.
“Even if they do something that they don’t like, at least they know when they graduate, ‘Okay, this is not what I want to do,’” Martinez said.
For students entering UToledo under the new requirement, ASCEND may become another consideration as they plan their college experience.
Garrett Schalmo, a freshman engineering student, said ASCEND stood out to him because of its focus on applying classroom learning to professional experiences.
Schalmo said he sees the program as a way for students to demonstrate skills developed in college and build experience they can put on their resume.
“I thought it was really interesting that the school is going beyond just making sure that the students are learning everything they need for their degree, but going a step further and giving them actual experiences that they’ll be able to use when they need to show that they have skills,” Schalmo said.
For Schalmo, that preparation already connects with the engineering program at UToledo, as the program’s long-standing co-op opportunities were what attracted him to the university.
Schalmo is also involved in a student engineering group working on an AI-powered coffee truck, which he said allows him to explore areas outside his current focus in computer science.
“It’s just adding more skills to what I know how to do,” Schalmo said.
Taha Chohan, a freshman mechanical engineering major, also sees ASCEND as an opportunity to prepare for his career while navigating college.
When Chohan first heard about ASCEND, he said he was concerned about how he could balance co-ops and classes during college.
“I would always stress out about how I would plan my co-op,” Chohan said. “After discovering this program, there are people that can help me out.”
Chohan said he hopes ASCEND will help him explore opportunities beyond required co-ops, including undergraduate research.
“I’m just in for anything,” Chohan said. “I try to do hard work. And at the end of the day, I want to sleep knowing that I did something new today.”
Chohan said he sees the requirement as more than just another box to check for students to complete before graduation.
“I don’t see it as a requirement. I see it more as a need,” Chohan said.
ASCEND is built around three principles: developing career confidence, learning beyond the classroom and ensuring that every student in every major has access to professional and hands-on learning opportunities.
The university says experiences can look different depending on a student’s major and their career interests. Students are expected to work with their academic adviser to identify an opportunity that is best aligned with their academic and career goals.
According to UToledo, employers expect candidates for entry-level positions to have experience before entering the workforce. Internships, co-ops and academic projects allow students to gain the expected experience while still in college.
The requirement does not mean every student will need to complete a traditional internship. The university lists various experiences that can satisfy ASCEND, including research-intensive courses, practicums, exhibitions, student teaching, service learning and study abroad.
For students entering UToledo under the new requirement, ASCEND will become part of how they plan their academic and professional futures.
The university’s goal is for every student pursuing a bachelor’s degree to graduate with both a degree and experience that demonstrates what they learned beyond the classroom.
For students, the question is what that experience will look like and what they will take away from their academic career when they graduate from UToledo.
For Martinez, gaining experience means being willing to step outside of their comfort zone and explore opportunities that they may not have originally planned.
“I would say put yourself out there and be yourself,” Martinez said. “And I think that will also stand out when you’re trying to apply for internships and jobs.”
Martinez said her own experiences helped her apply what she learned in the classroom beyond the university.
She recalled advice from one of her professors, Steven Jackson, that stuck with her:
“You can get an A on assignments, but can you get a job?” Jackson told her.
