October 14, 2020
In turn with Jeron Foxx
In turn is a series dedicated to highlighting the interns and internship opportunities that can be found within the College of Business (COB).
Jeron Foxx is a name that should sound familiar to you. Earlier this year, we wrote how he and his fellow classmate, Nina Ferrari, were supposed to intern together with the Wholesale Specialty Insurance Association. Their internship would have been the first time two COB Risk Management and Insurance (RMI) students were accepted to the association’s summer internship program.
Regrettably, the WSIA internship opportunity was canceled, but Foxx landed another opportunity to intern with the North Carolina Association of Insurance Agents.
We recently caught up with Foxx to learn more about his internship and how the COB’s RMI department helped him prepare for the NCAIA opportunity.
But first, some background.
“I am proud to say that I am a senior this year in the College of Business at East Carolina University,” said Foxx. “Home for me is Fuquay- Varina, North Carolina. I will graduate in May 2021 with a degree in risk management and insurance. I also am the president of Gamma Iota Sigma, the COB’s RMI student organization.”
What were your responsibilities while interning with NCAIA? When did you intern?
I interned there in July 2020. I was responsible for transferring and condensing documents from their current filesystem to Veruna, checking up on paid and unpaid invoices, issuing and printing invoices, and other items where the team needed assistance.
How did you learn about this internship opportunity?
Since my WSIA internship was canceled, Dr. Wells sent my resume to her contacts with IIANC.
How did the COB and the RMI department prepare you to be the chosen candidate?
The RMI department did an excellent job in preparing me with mock interviews that they do every year. Those interviews single-handedly were the most important and most helpful event that I ever took part in since I have been in school. First impressions are important, and so are selling yourself to the employer and doing so professionally. It also helps that both Professor Fickling and Dr. Wells created so many opportunities for us (the students) to get in front of employers, and they instilled so much confidence in us.
Why would you recommend a business student take advantage of an internship opportunity?
A business student should take advantage of an internship opportunity as it gets your name in the door. That internship could potentially become a full-time job when you graduate. It also gives you the experience that you can take and use for other internships or jobs in the future.
What was the moment during your internship search process where you knew that your ECU COB/RMI education has paid off?
I knew that it had paid off when I was selected as a recipient of the WSIA internship opportunity and participated in all the trips the program provided.
What’s your favorite memory here at ECU and the RMI department?
My favorite memory with the RMI department isn’t just one. It’s two: the Atlanta trip my sophomore year and the Gamma Iota Sigma National Conference trip to Dallas in my junior year. Both trips were very enjoyable and informative for me. On those trips, I also was able to spend time with and enjoy my RMI classmates.