Luke Ramsey still isn’t sure whether his future lies in the insurance industry or finance, but he knows he’ll find success thanks to the foundation he’s building at Tippie.
No bad choices
When he arrived at the University of Iowa, Luke Ramsey knew he wanted to study business, but wasn’t sure where that would lead him.
Now a junior, he has it narrowed down to either insurance or finance. He is in Tippie’s new RMI program as well as being a Finance major.
“I had no intention of doing RMI when I started, but my advisor knew I was looking for opportunities and said insurance companies were really promoting internships,” Ramsey said. “So I said ‘sure, why not?’ and got an internship with the Iowa Insurance Division where I really learned a lot.”
Everyone needs insurance
Not only is Iowa a great state in which to purse an insurance career, it’s also a field where Ramsey feels he can make a difference in people’s lives.
“I want a job where I feel like I’m coming in every day and changing someone’s life or helping people out,” he said. “I don’t want just a nine-to-five job for a paycheck. I feel I can do that on either the insurance side or the financial side; helping people out and helping them prepare for the future.”
The fact the insurance industry isn’t as subject to the ups and downs of the economy is another positive, he added.
“Insurance is recession proof,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if the economy is going amazing or badly, everyone needs insurance. And with the crazy weather we get now, people need insurance more than ever. I like the aspect of helping people when they need it the most. It gives you purpose.”
Leaving the Finance door open
Still, he’s not shutting the door on a possible career in Finance, either. This coming year, Ramsey has lined up an internship with JP Morgan in Dallas. He got help from both Professor John Garfinkel and Cindy Meies, Tippie’s undergraduate career services director.
“The resources here are fantastic. I’d never done a live interview for a major company like JP Morgan before, so I went to Tippie undergrad services and Cindy Meies met with me multiple times and really helped me prepare. She worked for Goldman Sachs so she was able to help me with that type of interview.”
Although the exact track of his new career remains unknown, Ramsey said Tippie has given him the tools and experiences to succeed regardless of the path he ultimately takes. That is one of the reasons he chose Iowa as an undergrad.
“One reason I picked Iowa is its reputation. Looking at bigger schools, its reputation speaks for itself. It’s the top business school in the state and one of the tops in the country.”