InVEST Awards 76 Academic Student Scholarships

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, July 11, 2017– InVEST, the insurance industry’s premier classroom to career education program, has awarded $75,500 in scholarships to 76 students pursuing insurance-related degrees. The program is a key incentive in attracting new talent to the insurance industry.

“InVEST congratulates the 76 students representing 23 high schools, colleges and universities in 8 states, who earned scholarships this year,” says Cindy Hower, InVEST board chair and president of Kellerman Insurance, an independent agency in Holton, Kansas. “InVEST develops future industry professionals by teaching high school and college students about insurance, risk management and financial services. As a result, students from more than 800 InVEST programs across the country are better equipped to pursue careers in an agency, company or other insurance industry organization.”

InVEST contributes to the education and development of future insurance professionals through academic programs and scholarships. In high schools, the program offers students a business curriculum which teaches them about the dynamics of insurance agencies and companies. At the college level, the program develops students’ risk management and financial analysis skills. Along with corporate and direct contributions, scholarships are funded through proceeds generated by the InVEST Silent and Live auctions held in conjunction with the Independent Insurance Agents & Broker’s (IIABA or the Big “I”) Legislative Conference.

“A successful InVEST program is vital to the financial literacy of our young people, to the future of the independent agency system and to the insurance industry as a whole,” says Robert Rusbuldt, Big “I” president & CEO. “We are concerned that the average age of an insurance agent is almost 60 and as baby boomers continue retiring in record numbers, the InVEST program has the potential to replenish our workforce and to produce the next generation of industry professionals and leaders.”

This year’s scholarship winners represent 23 schools and hail from California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, New Hampshire and New York.

$5,000 Randy Roth Applied Memorial Scholarship Winner:

• Robert Tromberg, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Florida

$3,000 Bob Baxter Honorary Scholarship Winner:

• Michelle Dajczak, East Hartford High School, East Hartford, Connecticut

$3,000 Scholarship Winners:

• Sophia Brown, William R. Boone High School, Orlando, Florida
• Samantha Moroney, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Florida

$2,000 Scholarship Winners:

• Hanna Bordwell, McGraw Central High School, McGraw, New York
• Varsha Geer, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Florida
• Chirstopher Janak, II, Hamburg High School, Hamburg, New York
• Christian Valencia, Cypress Bay High School , Weston, Florida
• Emily Weingarten, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Florida
• Michael Weissman, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Florida
• Nathan Wendling, William R. Boone High School, Orlando, Florida

$1,500 Scholarship Winners:

• Traci Bugaj, Hamburg High School, Hamburg, New York
• Emma Calvert, William R. Boone High School, Orlando, Florida
• Celine Choukroun, Dr. Phillips High School, Orlando, Florida
• Valerie Ezcurra, Lake Brantley High School, Altamonte Springs, Florida
• Annika Mursten, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Florida
• Staci Stewart, Manatee High School, Bradenton, Florida

$1,000 Scholarship Award Winners:

• Brenna Batzer, Groton High School, Groton, New York
• Dana Bender, Hamburg High School, Hamburg, New York
• Nicholas Bottomley, Lake Brantley High School, Altamonte Springs, Florida
• Rachel Crump, Manatee High School, Bradenton, Florida
• Marc Cutler, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Florida
• Andrew DeRusha, Dr. Phillips High School, Orlando, Florida
• Austin Gonser, Capital Area Career Center, Mason, Michigan
• Brandon McCoy, William R. Boone High School, Orlando, Florida
• Melanie Keusch, Olivet College, Olivet, Michigan
• Vanessa Marzullo, Hamburg High School, Hamburg, New York
• Brianna Miller, Groton High School, Groton, New York
• Delaney McCabe, William R. Boone High School, Orlando, Florida
• Christopher Ouwerkerk, Pinkerton Academy, Derry, New Hampshire
• Alexa Pace, Hamburg High School, Hamburg, New York
• Rebecca Roy, River Oaks High School, Monroe, Louisiana
• Nicholas Ruszczyk, Hamburg High School, Hamburg, New York
• Marc Wheeler, Lake Brantley High School, Altamonte Springs, Florida
• Collier Witt, Dr. Phillips High School, Orlando, Florida
• Addison Wright, Hamburg High School, Hamburg, New York

$500 Scholarship Award Winners:

• Jakiya Acoff, Northeast H.S. Academy of Finance, St. Petersburg, Florida
• Tyler Ahearn, Hamburg High School, Hamburg, New York
• Andrea Alderman, Lake Brantley High School, Altamonte Springs, Florida
• Janysa Cabrera, William R. Boone High School, Orlando, Florida
• David Caplen, William R. Boone High School, Orlando, Florida
• Krystianna Clouse, Cooper City High School, Cooper City, Florida
• Zach Conner, Dr. Phillips High School, Orlando, Florida
• Reid Davis, Coventry High School, Coventry, Connecticut
• Kelly DeGrood, Hamburg High School, Hamburg, New York
• Gabrielle Dolan, William R. Boone High School, Orlando, Florida
• Salvatore Ferri, Hamburg High School, Hamburg, New York
• Jacqueline Hebert, Northeast H.S. Academy of Finance, St. Petersburg, Florida
• Catherine Lang, Morningstar School, Pinellas Park, Florida
• Madeline Maurer, Hamburg High School, Hamburg, New York
• Jameson McDevitt, Lake Brantley High School, Altamonte Springs, Florida
• Gavin McLay, Northeast H.S. Academy of Finance, St. Petersburg, Florida
• Matthew Merriman, Dr. Phillips High School, Orlando, Florida
• Kelsi Mohn, Hamburg High School, Hamburg, New York
• Cassie Moree, Newington High School, Newington, Connecticut
• Bailey Moroney, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Florida
• Noli Muratovic, William R. Boone High School, Orlando, Florida
• Oliver Neeb, Capital Area Career Center, Mason, Michigan
• Da’jua Quarterman, Northeast H.S. Academy of Finance, St. Petersburg, Florida
• Josh Ramsay, Dryden High School, Dryden, New York
• John Rattan, Grossmont Community College, El Cajon, California
• Lucy Rauker, Hamburg High School, Hamburg, New York
• Hunter Reddick, William R. Boone High School, Orlando, Florida
• Tucker Reynolds, Hamburg High School, Hamburg, New York
• Tania Romero, Palmetto High School, Palmetto, Florida
• Chandler Sexton, Dr. Phillips High School, Orlando, Florida
• Taylor Sheley, Pinkerton Academy, Derry, New Hampshire
• Christopher Smith, Dr. Phillips High School, Orlando, Florida
• Emily Smith, William R. Boone High School, Orlando, Florida
• Braylon Stroud, B.E.S.T. Academy High School, Atlanta, Georgia
• Alex Teblum, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Florida
• Collin Wisner, Capital Area Career Center, Mason, Michigan
• Kiara Zambrana, William R. Boone High School, Orlando, Florida

$500 Second Round Scholarship:

• Jeffrey Steinhoff, State University of New York at Oswego

The Randy Roth Applied Memorial Scholarship was established in 2017. The scholarship awards the highest dollar amount and this year’s award is $5,000. Roth served as Applied Systems director of talent acquisition and passed away this spring. “The Randy Roth Applied Memorial Scholarship is a tribute in memory of Randy and his passion and enthusiasm for bringing talent to the industry,” said Reid French, Applied Systems chief executive officer. “I can think of no finer way to memorialize Randy and his contributions to our company and the industry than by expanding our partnership with InVEST to support this annual scholarship.”

The Bob Baxter Honorary Scholarship was established in 2017 and awards a $3,000 scholarship to a high-performing InVEST student. Baxter is the retiring CEO of Dryden Mutual Insurance Company and was a dedicated member of the InVEST board of directors as well as a tireless volunteer for the InVEST program teaching insurance classes for decades in upstate New York. Today, 25% of the employees at Dryden Mutual are InVEST graduates thanks to Baxter’s pioneering efforts in New York. The InVEST board has agreed to award the top scholarships for three years to honor his commitment to the InVEST program.

The Second Round Scholarship is awarded to previous InVEST scholarship recipients who are currently in college and have completed at least three years of college. Their intended degree must relate to a career path within the insurance industry. These students are eligible for a $500 scholarship. This year’s winner, Jeffrey Steinhoff, studies risk management at the State University of New York at Oswego. In 2015, when he was a student at McGraw Central High School in McGraw, New York, Steinhoff received a $1,000 InVEST scholarship.

Scholarship hopefuls from across the country submitted essays describing the influence and benefits of InVEST on their educational plans. The quality of the essay, combined with the applicant’s grade-point average and extracurricular activities, were factors in selecting the recipients. Scholarship checks are mailed directly to the institute of higher learning that each student is attending and will be used exclusively for educational expenses.

As a 501(c)(3) educational trust, InVEST benefits from the support of numerous insurance organizations, hundreds of agencies, brokers and volunteers. The program provides the insurance industry with motivated, talented and intelligent professionals through a support structure of state associations, board members, national staff, teachers and the many industry professionals who work in the field as classroom liaisons.

Founded in 1970 and based in Alexandria, Virginia, 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. These courses provide students with a working knowledge of the basics needed to pursue careers in the insurance industry. For more information, go to www.investprogram.org.

Founded in 1896, the Big “I” is the nation’s oldest and largest national association of independent insurance agents and brokers, representing a network of approximately a quarter of a million agents, brokers and their employees nationally. Its members are businesses that offer customers a choice of policies from a variety of insurance companies. Independent agents and brokers offer all lines of insurance—property, casualty, life, health, employee benefit plans and retirement products.