With Virtual Career Connections 2025 now wrapped, I’m excited to share a few reflections from the final week. If you haven’t yet, I encourage you to watch the session recordings for even more insight—and for a deeper look at a student’s perspective, be sure to check out my last two blogs.
The final two days focused heavily on incorporating young people into the insurance and risk management industry. Mallika Bender gave an excellent overview of the path to becoming an actuary and described the qualities that make someone successful in the field.
Gregory Stone and Anna Breigenzer added powerful insights about the consistently low unemployment rate among actuaries and offered study tips that apply well beyond exam prep. As someone who’s always been strong in math, I found myself genuinely intrigued by the actuarial career path.
That said, my passion lies in working directly with people. One thing that stood out this week—something everyone in the insurance field seems to share—is a desire to help others. Insurance is built to give people a helping hand. Sharla Floyd and Eric Dawdy explained this beautifully in their session on workers’ compensation. They emphasized the critical role it plays and encouraged high schoolers to consider the field. The truth is, every industry needs insurance—whether it’s an office, a restaurant, a baseball stadium, or a theater. This field is full of possibility, and that idea motivates me every day as I think about my future.
Jeanette Ward brought that idea home in her discussion about her work with Texas Mutual. She shared how rewarding it is to protect both employees and employers and to promote safer workplaces. At its core, insurance is about protecting people—and that’s incredibly fulfilling.
Eric Dawdy also addressed a common misconception: that insurance companies don’t want to help. That couldn’t be further from the truth. In my experience, protecting people and families is a top priority for everyone in this industry.
But a new challenge is emerging: how do we continue to help people when so many experienced professionals are retiring? That’s why it’s critical to introduce more young people to these careers now. Whitnee Dillard, Noelle Codispoti, and Marguerite Tortorello shared some amazing ideas and recognized companies already leading the way. I can personally relate to this part of the conversation.
This internship has opened up an entirely new world of possibilities for me. The impact my mentors at the Academy have had on me is beyond words. I wouldn’t have made this much progress without their encouragement and support. They helped me see that I can turn my ideas into reality—and the Alliance gave me the opportunity to do just that.
I hope this blog encourages someone else to take the same leap I did. Honestly, I didn’t think I had a shot when I submitted my application. I only sent that email because my teacher, Derek Clynes, encouraged me to go for it. And I’m so grateful I did. I’m here because of my hard work, my perspective—and because someone believed in me.
Thank you for joining us for these past three weeks of Virtual Career Connections!
If you missed any sessions, you can still watch them on YouTube or LinkedIn. A big thank you to all of our speakers and sponsors.
Next week will be my final blog post as this amazing internship comes to a close. I can’t wait to share one last reflection with you.
