Students present their work at Klein College's Advertising and Public Relations Senior Showcase.
Klein College of Media and Communication advertising students have a new chance to step out of the classroom and into a fast-paced, data-driven advertising workplace with the new Klein College AdVantage Co-op Program.
Unlike a traditional internship, students in the AdVantage Co-op Program work 30 hours per week with a company, allowing them to integrate seamlessly into agency life while earning 18 credits toward their degree.
Alison Ebbecke, associate professor of instruction, first proposed the concept for a co-op in 2024 as part of her sabbatical application. Over the past year, she met with agencies to better understand their evolving talent needs, collaborating with university leadership to design a program that works in practice, recruiting high-performing students and securing a partner organization willing to participate in the pilot.
Ebbecke’s work has grown from concept to reality. The program’s inaugural participant, Carly Etter, a current junior in the advertising program, will work at LevLane Advertising throughout her senior year. To secure her spot, Etter wrote a personal essay and performed a skills assessment.
“When reviewing all of the applicants, Carly stood out for more than just her technical skills,” Ebbecke said. “She demonstrated a strong sense of self-awareness, resilience and an impressive analytical mindset. Carly represents exactly the kind of adaptable, curious and motivated talent this program was built to support as students step into an industry being transformed by rapidly evolving technology.”
Junior advertising student Carly Etter will be the inaugural participant in the Klein College AdVantage Co-op Program.
Etter, eager to get started with LevLane, took initiative shortly after her interview to meet with the agency’s representatives at the Klein College Spring Internship and Career Fair in March and share more about her advertising experiences.
“I had a great experience making conversation with them at the Career Fair, and it made me feel very at home,” she said.
The program is designed not only to elevate students’ professional experience but also to deliver value to employers.
By partnering with this program, professional organizations work with students who bring fresh perspectives, emerging analytical skills and a deep understanding of data-driven advertising.
“We’re incredibly fortunate to be launching this program with LevLane as our pilot sponsor,” Ebbecke said. “As a full-service, Philadelphia-based agency with nearly 40 years of experience, LevLane has built its reputation on blending creative thinking with data, analytics and emerging digital capabilities. Their team brings deep expertise across media, strategy and analytics, making them an ideal environment for students to gain hands-on field experience in a fast-moving, technology-driven industry.”
The co-op's extended model offers more continuity than a traditional internship. Students are embedded within teams for the academic year, allowing them to move beyond surface-level tasks and make substantive contributions to ongoing client work, campaign strategy and data analysis projects. This longer engagement reduces the time typically needed for short-term interns to acclimate and provides employers with consistent, reliable support.
“I’m so interested in agency life in Philadelphia and just taking that step toward my future,” Etter said. “I’m excited to learn everything about LevLane and digital analytics.”