Throughout the summer and 2025-26 school year, students in UD’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics are comprising the initial class of the Lerner Co-op Program, a new year-long work-based learning initiative launched with a grant from the Delaware Workforce Development Board.
The program is an exclusive one-year, paid internship/co-op opportunity designed for rising juniors and seniors enrolled in Lerner College to gain meaningful work experience, develop their professional network, and apply classroom knowledge to real-world challenges. All while earning credits toward their degree and receiving monetary compensation from their employers.
Nazifa Khondaker, a senior management information systems major, is serving as a reference data products solutions intern with JPMorgan Chase. In this Q&A, she details what she has learned and challenges she has faced in his role.
What made you want to apply for the Lerner Co-op Program?
Khondaker: During my junior year, I noticed the growing pressure among my peers and myself to secure meaningful internship experience. I saw the Lerner Co-op Program as an excellent opportunity to gain real world exposure and build on my professional skill set. By participating in a structured program that connects students with employers, I knew I’d be better positioned to secure a strong internship to follow into my future career path.
How did you learn about the opportunity, and what was the application process like from a student’s perspective?
Khondaker: I first learned about the Lerner Co-op Program through an email announcement. I appreciated how straightforward the application process was, and I especially liked that attending an information session was a required first step. It ensured that students fully understood the program before accessing the internship listings. The session also gave the organizers an opportunity to learn more about me and what I was looking for in an internship, which ultimately helped connect me with more tailored opportunities.
What drew you to your specific co-op placement? Was it aligned with your major or career interests?
Khondaker: Yes, my co-op placement aligned closely with my career goals and academic background. I interned at JPMorgan Chase as a reference data products solutions intern, a role that operates within an agile development environment. This was a perfect fit for me, as I aspire to become a product manager, someone who oversees projects from inception to completion. The nature of the work allowed me to be part of a team that follows projects through every phase, giving me hands-on experience in exactly the kind of role I hope to pursue in the future.
Can you describe your co-op experience so far? What kind of projects or responsibilities have you taken on?
Khondaker: My co-op experience has been incredibly rewarding so far. With the growing influence of AI in the corporate space, my main project has focused on exploring and implementing innovative ways to leverage large language models (LLMs) to enhance team productivity and efficiency. At JPMorgan Chase, we use proprietary LLM tools instead of platforms like ChatGPT, and since the technology is still evolving, there are constantly new features and updates. This has given me the opportunity to stay on the cutting edge of AI integration and help identify practical use cases that can benefit the team. As part of this initiative, I conduct interviews with my teammates to understand their daily workflows, specifically identifying repetitive tasks, how frequently they use AI, and what their ideal AI assistant would look like. Based on their responses, I research and develop optimized prompts that can be input into our LLM tools to reduce time spent on various projects and improve overall efficiency.
What have you learned on the job that you don’t think you could have picked up in a classroom?
Khondaker: One of the biggest takeaways from my co-op has been the value of real-world experience. In the classroom, job roles are often explained in broad or theoretical terms, which can give you a general understanding, but not the full picture. It’s not until you’re actually in a professional setting that you see how those concepts apply in practice, how teams collaborate, and how dynamic and fast-paced the work environment can be.
What are you most looking forward to in your position?
Khondaker: I’m most excited about the opportunity to network and build meaningful connections within the industry. This internship not only gives me valuable hands-on experience but also opens doors to meet professionals in the field I envision myself working in. Establishing those relationships and getting my name out there is something I truly look forward to, as it can lead to future opportunities and long-term career growth.
What kind of support or mentorship have you received from your employer and from Lerner so far?
Khondaker: I’ve received a great deal of support from both my employer and the Lerner Co-op Program. At JPMorgan Chase, my manager holds one-on-one meetings with me twice a week, which provides a consistent space for guidance, feedback, and any questions I may have about my projects. Additionally, the program I’m part of within JPMC hosts weekly office hours to share updates, address common questions, and offer general support. We also have the flexibility to message team members directly throughout the week for quick, personalized assistance. This structure has made me feel supported and empowered in my role.
What do you hope to gain from this experience?
Khondaker: I hope to gain meaningful, hands-on experience that will prepare me for a full-time role in the corporate world. Jumping straight into a full-time position without prior exposure can be overwhelming, so this internship serves as a valuable bridge, helping me ease into the professional environment. It’s also given me the opportunity to explore personal goals, ask thoughtful questions about the firm, and gain a broader understanding of workplace dynamics, things that may be harder to focus on once I’m fully immersed in a permanent role. This experience has given me a clearer sense of how the corporate world operates and what to expect moving forward.
How do you think this experience will inform your future career goals/aspirations?
Khondaker: This experience has helped me realize how much I enjoy working in a collaborative, fast-paced environment where I can see a project through from start to finish. It confirmed my interest in product management and gave me a better understanding of what that role looks like in a real world setting. As a result, I now feel more confident in pursuing a career in this field and have a clearer sense of the steps I need to take to get there.
What would you tell other students who are considering applying for the co-op program?
Khondaker: I would absolutely encourage other students to apply. Co-op programs have become increasingly common at other universities because they offer such a strong foundation for launching your career. The Lerner Co-op Program, in particular, provides excellent support like interview preparation, resume guidance, and clear communication between students and employers. One aspect I really appreciated was the transparency in the process, I always knew where I stood with potential employers, which made the application experience feel much more secure and less stressful. It’s a great opportunity to gain experience and build confidence before entering the job market full-time.
How do you think this program reflects on Lerner’s commitment to career readiness and experiential learning?
Khondaker: This program truly demonstrates Lerner’s strong commitment to preparing students for their careers through hands-on learning and professional development. From the start, there’s structured support like resume reviews that help you effectively highlight your skills and experiences, and interview preparation that equips you to confidently respond to common behavioral questions, such as working in a team or overcoming a challenge. Every step of the program is designed to build your confidence and readiness for the real-world job market.
What has been the biggest surprise, challenge, and/or unexpected aspect of the co-op experience so far?
Khondaker: One of the biggest surprises was realizing how much independence I would have in my role. I initially expected my manager to guide me closely and assign tasks consistently, but I quickly learned that I would often need to take initiative and work independently. This pushed me to become more proactive in my approach, when given a project that seemed straightforward, I made the effort to dive deeper, conduct additional research, and go above and beyond expectations. My manager later acknowledged this as a valuable trait, which reinforced the importance of taking ownership of my work and continuously seeking ways to add value.