January 23, 2020
These RMI students are a little bit of terrific
It’s not surprising the College of Business has produced another first in Pirate Nation.
Two College of Business Risk Management and Insurance students will intern this summer with Wholesale Specialty Insurance Association (WSIA), a member-services organization representing the entirety of the wholesale, specialty and surplus lines industry.
The “first” refers to it being the first time two COB RMI students have been accepted to WSIA’s Summer Internship Program at the same time. The program awards paid scholarships to college students interested in an insurance career.
Here’s a fun fact. Rising seniors Nina Ferrari of Connecticut and Jeron Foxx of Fuquay, North Carolina, the two internship awardees, initially had no interest in the RMI career field. She was an MIS major and he was in criminal justice. Why did they switch to the RMI major? Both heard from RMI flag wavers. Foxx is friends with Logan Krause, an RMI alumnus AND a former WSIA intern. Krause raved about the program and Foxx saw firsthand Krause’s interaction with the RMI department; saw the success that came to Krause during his collegiate career and after.
The RMI department habitually brings in industry leaders to speak to its insurance classes. Ferrari attended one of those classes. She learned more about surplus lines – risks that traditional insurers cannot or will not insure. Ferrari then applied for the program took her first RMI class.
Getting involved
Dr. Brenda Wells’, director of COB’s RMI program, office is adorned with Pirate memorabilia. She has two purple sofas and it’s common that she, along with Dr. Brad Karl, an RMI associate professor and Kurt Fickling, industry veteran and teaching instructor, meet in her office to discuss the program and its students.
When asked what makes an RMI student successful, they’ll say, “they do what we say to do.”
“Make good grades, apply for internships and take advantage of what the program provides, such as our trips to industry conferences and Lloyd’s of London,” says Wells. “This program will be good to you if you put in the passion and dedication it takes to be successful.”
When asked why they thought they were able to win these internships, both Ferrari and Foxx said, “get involved.” Both joined Gamma Iota Sigma and went to the organization’s annual conference. There, they met Chris Timmerman, WSIA’s career development programs manager and learned more about WSIA’s summer internship program.
To get into the program, Ferrari and Foxx had to have an overall/cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher, or 3.5 in their major. They had to be an RMI major, complete an application and submit a current resume, letter of reference, transcript and a short essay.
“In addition to their outstanding applications, Jeron and Nina displayed great maturity, communication and leadership skills,” said Timmerman.
Both plan to use this internship to figure out what fields they want to pursue in risk management.
What’s Next
Ferrari and Foxx will have internship orientation in Kansas City in May 2020, where they will attend a three-day Intern Orientation in Kansas City and get to meet all their fellow interns. While in Kansas City, they’ll meet the mentors who will be with them for the entire summer.
The students will learn both the underwriting and brokerage side of the excess and surplus lines industry. They will spend five weeks with a carrier and four weeks with a broker in two different cities from L.A. to New York.
And, if Ferrari and Foxx wow WSIA, and we suspect they will, they could be selected to attend the 2020 WSIA Annual Marketplace in San Diego. They also have the opportunity to study the London market in June 2021.
“I would never have imagined (I have this opportunity),” said Ferrari. “I’m excited and grateful.”
“Knowing the faculty in the program put the time in for us (to succeed), they make me want to do the best that I can,” said Foxx.
At the College of Business, we have the future leaders in the RMI field.