Financial and insurance literacy program is key to attracting young talent to insurance industry.
Alexandria, VA — June, 2021 — Invest, the insurance industry's premier classroom-to-career education program, today announced it has awarded $25,000 in scholarships to five students pursuing insurance-related degrees. Several of this year's awardees have already gained insurance and risk management experience as high-school students.
A non-profit organization, Invest works in high school and community college classrooms across the U.S. to educate, train and attract the next generation of insurance professionals for an industry that will need 400,000 workers in the next five years.
Invest develops future insurance professionals through academic programs, online education, mentoring and scholarships. In high schools, the program offers students a business curriculum focusing on insurance and teaches how insurance agencies and carriers operate.
At the community college level, the program develops students' risk management and financial analysis skills. Throughout their Invest education, students learn about exciting and well-paying career opportunities in an industry that is rapidly evolving through technology. Local insurance professionals volunteer in both high-school and community college classrooms to teach insurance courses and offer perspective on their own successful careers.
Scholarship hopefuls from across the country submitted essays describing the influence of Invest on their educational plans and reflecting on their opportunity to interview insurance agents about their work. Invest board members evaluated and selected recipients based on the quality of their essays, letters of recommendation, grade-point averages, extracurricular activities, and most importantly – their determination to work in the insurance industry.
Here are some highlights from the essays of our five 2021 Invest scholarship recipients:
Danner Leyonmark
Hamburg HS (New York)
“The Invest class taught me a lot about insurance. In the summer of my junior year, I shadowed four different insurance professionals – including a salesman, a surety salesperson, and a quality assurance manager. After graduation, I plan to join my father's insurance agency and pursue a business degree in college."
Maddie Mays
Capital Area Career Center (Michigan)
“The Invest program served as the foundation of my insurance journey. I was able to learn all the basics and I am now pursuing a CISR designation and my P/C licensing exam. I already passed my personal auto and residential exams with high scores and started interning at an insurance agency.
Douglas Jueckstock
Wilson Talent Center (Michigan)
“Invest was a great learning experience. I already passed the state P&C licensing exam and received a Certified Authority of Workers Compensation (CAWC) certification while working at Farmers as an insurance agent. I am now pursuing a bachelor's degree in Business Administration while I continue working in this terrific business."
Bailey Daniel
Boone HS (Florida)
“Besides taking Invest, I completed three different internships as a teller at a financial services company, and an accounting clerk and special assistant to a risk management executive at a federal credit union. These experiences inspired me to explore insurance careers. I plan to pursue a finance degree in college to strengthen my skills."
Nevada Pohlman
Hamburg HS (New York)
“Before my Invest class, I didn't know much about insurance or careers in this industry. career path. I plan to study marketing and business, and I'd like to utilize my creative skills as a marketing specialist at an insurance company. I see myself developing business plans and promoting all types of products and services at attract clients."
Founded in 1970, Invest promotes insurance education in order to attract individuals to pursue a career in the insurance industry. Each year, the program prepares thousands of students for insurance-related careers with a hands-on curriculum taught in high schools, adult education centers and colleges. As a 501(c)(3) educational trust, Invest benefits from the support of numerous insurance organizations, hundreds of agencies, brokers and volunteers. Invest is affiliated with IIABA.