ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 15, 2010 - InVEST, the insurance industry’s premier classroom to career education program, has awarded $56,500 in scholarships to 58 college-bound students pursuing insurance-related degrees.
“InVEST congratulates the 58 students representing 19 schools and from six 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 future industry professionals by educating high school and community college students about insurance, risk management and financial services. Graduates from more than 150 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. This year, the Young Agents Committee (YAC), the association’s young professionals organization, sponsored a successful casino night fundraiser titled “YAC Gives Back: A Benefit for InVEST Scholarships” in conjunction with the annual event. Collectively, “YAC Gives Back,” the auction and direct contributions raised more than $50,000. Auction items were donated by insurance carriers, agents and brokers, the Big “I” and its state affiliates and other industry organizations.
“Continuing growth and success of the InVEST program is critical 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. “With the average age of an insurance professional around 54, the InVEST program has the potential to replenish our workforce before it’s too late and may be the program that saves our industry.”
This year’s scholarship winners represent 19 schools and hail from California, Connecticut, Florida, New Hampshire, New York and Virginia.
$2,500 Scholarship Award Winners:
• Olivia DeSalvo, James River High School, Midlothian, Va.
• Helen Riddle , St. Petersburg Catholic High School, St. Petersburg, Fla.
$2,000 Scholarship Award Winners:
• Julia Bland, Grossmont College, El Cajon, Calif.
• Haley Dextraze, Manatee High School, Bradenton, Fla.
• Vanessa Hernandez , St. Petersburg Catholic High School, St. Petersburg, Fla.
• Haele McCann, St. Petersburg Catholic High School, St. Petersburg, Fla.
• Karina Mudafort, Manatee High School, Bradenton, Fla.
• John Putrino, St. Petersburg Catholic High School, St. Petersburg, Fla.
$1,500 Scholarship Award Winners:
• Erin Baum, Dryden High School, Dryden, N.Y.
• Justine Bogott, St. Petersburg Catholic High School, St. Petersburg, Fla.
• Alexandra Darrow, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Fla.
• Ryan Kobert, Boone High School, Orlando, Fla.
• Michael Koretsky, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Fla.
• Zachary LeViere, Dryden High School, Dryden, N.Y.
• Ursula Painter, Grossmont College, El Cajon, Calif.
• Stefanie Porter, Charles O. Dickerson High School, Trumansburg, N.Y.
• Audrey Ross, Dryden High School, Dryden, N.Y.
• Colin Spangler, Sherando High School, Stevens City, Va.
• AmyTwerwilliger, Dryden High School, Dryden, N.Y.
$1,000 Scholarship Award Winners:
• Kelbe Andrade, St. Petersburg Catholic High School, St. Petersburg, Fla.
• Brandon Dombroski, East Hartford High School, East Hartford, Conn.
• Stephanie Goldman, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Fla.
• Kristy Lee, St. Petersburg Catholic High School, St. Petersburg, Fla.
• Chelcie Lee, St. Petersburg Catholic High School, St. Petersburg, Fla.
• Mitchell Slater, St. Petersburg Catholic High School, St. Petersburg, Fla.
• Tyler Weaver, Dr. Phillips High School, Orlando, Fla.
$500 Scholarship Award Winners:
• Thomas Allen, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Coral Springs, Fla.
• Craig Baleer, West Seneca West Senior High School, West Seneca, N.Y.
• Mary Blenke, St. Petersburg Catholic High School, St. Petersburg, Fla.
• Rachelle Carnegie, Samuel W. Wolfson High School, Jacksonville, Fla.
• Taylor Chaney, Bloomfield High School, Bloomfield, Conn.
• Jhonnathan Chang Wu, Murry Bergtraum High School, New York, N.Y.
• Christopher Coiteux, East Hartford High School, East Hartford, Conn.
• Daniel Cyrwus, St. Petersburg Catholic High School, St. Petersburg, Fla.
• Alexa Delcorso, St. Petersburg Catholic High School, St. Petersburg, Fla.
• Cassy Desio, St. Petersburg Catholic High School, St. Petersburg, Fla.
• Jeffrey Fleming, Boone High School, Orlando, Fla.
• Taylor Gregory, Boone High School, Orlando, Fla.
• Davis Harper, Boone High School, Orlando, Fla.
• Rachel Jenkins, Spaulding High School, Rochester, N.H.
• Christian Jenne, Dryden High School, Dryden, N.Y.
• Chloe Kirkland, Manatee High School, Bradenton, Fla.
• Gabriella Knipe, Boone High School, Orlando, Fla.
• Samuel Lee, Boone High School, Orlando, Fla.
• Daniel Martinez, Barbara Goleman Senior High School, Miami Lakes, Fla.
• Kalpesh Mehta, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Fla.
• Elle Mixa, St. Petersburg Catholic High School, St. Petersburg, Fla.
• Diana Nay, Dr. Phillips High School, Orlando, Fla.
• Danielle Nickerson, St. Petersburg Catholic High School, St. Petersburg, Fla.
• Juan Quiles, Boone High School, Orlando, Fla.
• Nylien Quintana, Coral Gables Senior High, Coral Gables, Fla.
• Dillon Ramski, Boone High School, Orlando, Fla.
• Chloe Saganowich, St. Petersburg Catholic High School, St. Petersburg, Fla.
• Cassandra Sherwood, Charles O. Dickerson High School, Trumansburg, N.Y.
• Suzie Tawney, St. Petersburg Catholic High School, St. Petersburg, Fla.
• Patrick Waechter, St. Petersburg Catholic High School, St. Petersburg, Fla.
• Christian Yaeger, Dryden High School, Dryden, N.Y.
• Jean Yee, John A. Ferguson Senior High School, Miami, Fla.
This year, 146 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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