ALEXANDRIA, Va., Aug. 3, 2009 - InVEST, the insurance industry’s premier classroom to career education program, has awarded $43,000 in scholarships to 38 college-bound students pursuing insurance-related degrees.
“InVEST congratulates the 38 students representing 14 schools and from 7 states who earned scholarships this year,” says Patrick Moore, chair of the National InVEST Board of Directors and principal of Antalek & Moore, an independent agency in Beacon, N.Y. “Each year, InVEST develops a diverse pool of industry professionals by educating high school and community college students about insurance, risk management and financial service. Graduates from InVEST programs across the country are armed with knowledge to help them pursue careers in an agency, company or other insurance industry organization.”
Along with 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 (Big “I”) Legislative Conference & Convention. The auctions and direct contributions raised $43,000 this year. Auction items were donated by insurance carriers, agents and brokers, Big “I” and its state affiliates and other industry organizations.
“InVEST is important not only to the future of the independent agency system, but to the insurance industry as a whole,” says Robert Rusbuldt, Big “I” president & CEO. “The average age of an insurance professional is 54. Survey results from the ‘Agency Universe Study’ by Future One (a collaboration of the Big “I” and leading independent agency companies) pointed to InVEST as the future of the industry, with 56% of respondents stating that the insurance industry should encourage high schools and community colleges to help students plan for insurance careers.”
This year’s scholarship winners represent 14 schools and hail from California, Connecticut, Florida, North Carolina, New York and Virginia.
$2,000 Scholarship Award Winners:
• Krystle Abele, Grossmont College, El Cajon, Calif.
• Chris Champion, St. Petersburg Catholic High School, St. Petersburg, Fla.
• Michelle Curran, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Fla.
• Marlene Gearon, Grossmont College, El Cajon, Calif.
• Andrea Hernandez, St. Petersburg Catholic High School, St. Petersburg, Fla.
• Jacqueline Jacobs, West Seneca East Senior High School, West Seneca, N.Y.
• Christine Rugg, Dryden High School, Dryden, N.Y.
• Emily Walsh, St. Petersburg Catholic High School, St. Petersburg, Fla.
$1,500 Scholarship Award Winners:
• Rose Brown, Grossmont College, El Cajon, Calif.
• Stephanie Carrington, St. Petersburg Catholic High School, St. Petersburg, Fla.
• Brad Carver, St. Petersburg Catholic High School, St. Petersburg, Fla.
• Kimberly Hathaway, Dryden High School, Dryden, N.Y.
• Austin Plummer, St. Petersburg Catholic High School, St. Petersburg, Fla.
• Danielle Sailer, East Hartford High School, East Hartford, Conn.
• Marquise Warren, Dr. Phillips High School, Orlando, Fla.
• Jeanette Wilson, William Boone High School, Orlando, Fla.
$1,000 Scholarship Award Winners:
• Trevor Golat, William Boone High School, Orlando, Fla.
• Chelsea Hayes, McGraw High School, McGraw, N.Y.
• Alexandria McFarlane, Murry Bergtraum High School, Manhattan, N.Y.
• Edward Melcer, Dr. Phillips High School, Orlando, Fla.
• Lina Montoya, Dr. Phillips High School, Orlando, Fla.
• Leann Rafferty, Charlotte Catholic High School, Charlotte, N.C.
• Daniel Reeves, William Boone High School, Orlando, Fla.
• Alicia Roskwitalski, West Seneca East Senior High School, West Seneca, N.Y.
• Kathryn Santos, Manatee High School, Bradenton, Fla.
• Dustin Smith, Cloverleaf High School, Lodi, Ohio
• Matthew Zutell, Charlotte Catholic High School, Charlotte, N.C.
$500 Scholarship Award Winners:
• Laura Arevalo, William Boone High School, Orlando, Fla.
• Christopher Ewell, St. Petersburg Catholic High School, St. Petersburg, Fla.
• Erin Ferguson, Dr. Phillips High School, Orlando, Fla.
• Felicia Freitag, William Boone High School, Orlando, Fla.
• Joshua Jenin, McGraw High School, McGraw, N.Y.
• Wing Lau, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Fla.
• Katelynne Pellick, James River High School, Midlothian, Va.
• Ryan Schwartz, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Fla.
• Vicky Truong, St. Petersburg Catholic High School, St. Petersburg, Fla.
• Fabian Van Schepdael, Dr. Phillips High School, Orlando, Fla.
• Megan Weinel, St. Petersburg Catholic High School, St. Petersburg, Fla.
This year, 102 scholarship hopefuls from across the country submitted essays describing the influence and benefits InVEST had 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, Va., 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 community colleges. The high school curriculum is a business-education program that utilizes a hands-on approach which simulates an insurance agency and company operations to prepare students for various business careers and create more knowledgeable insurance consumers. At the college level, InVEST is an information-intensive curriculum of risk management and financial services. 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 more than 300,000 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. Web address: www.independentagent.com.
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