The future of insurance

Tuesday, July 11, 2023

By Amanda May

Some of these fresh faces are only 19, unable to officially declare a major yet, but have just spent the summer in an innovative internship program.

Insure Your Future, designed to introduce first- and second-year students to careers in insurance, was developed in partnership with the Iowa Economic Development Authority.

“If we’re honest, kids don’t usually grow up wanting to work in the insurance industry,” Thomas Berry-Stoelzle, Nationwide Faculty Fellow and associate professor of finance, told Marketplace last spring. In part because they don’t know it’s a career path.

With this paid internship program, insurance companies across Iowa gave students an opportunity to learn about all facets of the industry—from marketing and human resources to data analysis and financials. The internship also includes giving a presentation back on campus about their experience, making them de facto insurance ambassadors.

Some of these students are aiming to graduate with Tippie’s newest degree—Risk Management & Insurance, which became an official major this fall. The program builds off the long-offered RMI certificate program and will allow graduates to hit the ground running.

Like Will Corbin, who is the oldest of the group at 22. Corbin finished coursework to complete the RMI major in May and started working full-time at Holmes Murphy & Associates but has elected to wait for his diploma until December 2023 to be one of the college’s first official RMI graduates.

Introducing the future of insurance:

**Sraavika Vaddadi, 19, Hyderabad, India**
2023 Internship: British Petroleum
**What part of the industry do you want to end up in?**
Risk management

**Adam Hasan, 19, Waukee, Iowa**
2023 Internship: Principal Financial
**Best part of being a Tippie student?**
The culture is focused on helping one another grow and reach their potential.

**Mackenna Matson, 20, Cedar Rapids, Iowa**
2023 Internship: TrueNorth Companies
**Favorite class?**
Macroeconomics

Melanie Graedler — **Melanie Gradeler, 19, Roquefort-Les-Pins, France**
2023 Internship: Holmes Murphy & Associates
**Who do you look up to?**
My twin. She is so strong and I’ve learned so many valuable lessons growing up with her by my side.

**Jenna Grant, 20, West Des Moines, Iowa**
2023 Internship: Source Solar
**What part of the industry do you want to end up in?**
I would like to work at a brokerage one day, possibly in an analytics position.

**Kaiden Knockel, 19, Dubuque, Iowa**
2023 Internship: Kunkel & Associates
**What do you like to do to relax on campus?**
Go to the Rec and work out.

Luke Ramsay — **Luke Ramsey, 20, Manning, Iowa**
2023 Internship: Iowa Insurance Division
**Where would you love to be in 10 years?**
I would love to someday operate my own insurance firm.

**Allison Zahn, 19, Johnston, Iowa**
2023 Internship: Berkley Agribusiness
**What interests you about the insurance industry?**
I think the insurance industry is interesting because most people don’t understand the impact it makes—insurance is a growing part of every sector.

**Paige Kunkel, 19, Dubuque, Iowa**
2023 Internship: Kunkel & Associates
**Do your parents work in the insurance industry?**
Yes. I have a lot of family and close friends who really love what they do. Their passion is what pushed me into exploring the insurance industry.

Madeline O'Neill — **Madeline O’Neil, 21, Downers Grove, Ill.**
2023 Internship: Liberty Mutual Insurance
**When did you know you wanted to come to the UI?**
When I first toured campus—it was love at first sight.

**Will Corbin, 22, Johnston, Iowa**
First job: Holmes Murphy & Associates
**Fun fact:**
Corbin will be the first at the college to earn an RMI degree!

This story appeared in the Fall 2023 issue of Tippie Magazine.