Lindner Honor Program

In 2007, faculty in the Lindner College of Business began to notice a need for a second honors program within the college that stressed freedom and flexibility as alternative to the current Lindner Honors Plus program. Because of this need, Marvin P. Kolodzik, a former graduate from the University of Cincinnati with 34 years of experience in Accounting, Finance, and Management, began to work with Marianne Lewis to create the Kolodzik Business Scholars program. He decided that he wanted to give back to his city and college by helping the top business students pay for college. By supporting the Kolodzik Business Scholars program, he has made an investment in the young people that will become the next successful business leaders. Today, he plays

Empowerment within KBS is defined as having the freedom and flexibility to make our own futures. A third year in the program, Jacob Behringer, says that empowerment is one of KBS’s strong-points and he exemplifies this characteristic in everything that he does. Jacob says that, “rather than guiding us through our career and encouraging us to take the beaten path, we are encouraged to find our passion and pursue it. KBS empowers us with connections and the encouragement to do so, because sometimes it’s difficult to leave the path you know will take you down the right road.” The KBS website says that, “[The Kolodzik Business Scholars] value choice, creativity and individuality, seeking continuous personal improvement and lifelong learning. By leveraging our resources, we constantly expand our capabilities and our possibilities.” KBS’s flexibility gives us the key to unlock our true potential at UC. We have the ability to double major in something that is unexpected (Operations Management and the French Horn) or to be involved with any type of club that is of interest to us, whether it be business, volunteering, or even a fitness group. In KBS, empowerment is about having the ability to shape your college career into what you want it to be and doing that allows us to make the most out of our time spent here at

KBS encourages students to have passion not only for business, but also for sports, debate club, music or almost any other pursuit. College is meant to be a discovery process that lets students try new things and find what they do and do not like, he says. The flexibility of the program allows students to take classes outside of their major and explore many areas of study as well as participate in extracurricular activities. According to Ric, “KBS allows for you to take what you are interested in and develop your body of coursework around that.” An education in the Kolodzik Business Scholars program is designed to be exactly what the students make of it. Ric informed us that, “ultimately, what college is for is to take what you are interested in and help you develop it. In KBS, we want you to chart your own path.” As KBS students pursue what they are passionate about, they are able to achieve their personal goals while at the Carl H. Lindner College of Business in order to obtain the most out of their education. Passion is one of the major forces that drives everything KBS stands