WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Council Foundation announced today that it is awarding $395,000 in academic scholarships to 81 college students interested in pursuing careers in insurance brokerage. Each intern selected will receive between $2,500 and $5,000 toward their college education. Since 2017, The Council Foundation Scholarship program has successfully awarded over $2 million to 430 interns. Notably, 47 percent of scholarship recipients have transitioned into their first job within the insurance industry.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Council Foundation announced today that it is awarding $395,000 in academic scholarships to 81 college students interested in pursuing careers in insurance brokerage. Each intern selected will receive between $2,500 and $5,000 toward their college education. Since 2017, The Council Foundation Scholarship program has successfully awarded over $2 million to 430 interns. Notably, 47 percent of scholarship recipients have transitioned into their first job within the insurance industry.
The Foundation’s scholarship program partners with leaders of internship programs at Council member firms, with the goal of eventually bringing these students on full time, and/or retaining them in the commercial insurance brokerage sector.
“From a talent standpoint, there’s been some relief from the rapid turnover and retention challenges we saw immediately post-pandemic, but recruitment and succession will remain a priority for our member firms for the foreseeable future,” said Ken A. Crerar, CEO of The Council. “The Council Foundation has provided a consistent pipeline of young talent to our industry for more than a decade, and we continue to evolve our program and as both the talent landscape and the needs of our member firms change over time.”
“The Council Foundation scholarship holds significance for me as it represents not just financial support, but a gateway to realizing my aspirations within the brokerage industry,” said Marcela Mantilla, 2023 scholarship recipient and Property Brokerage intern at Amwins. “The brokerage industry, to me, symbolizes a dynamic realm where expertise meets innovation, and client-centric solutions take center stage. It’s a platform that offers opportunities for continuous learning and growth, and I’m eager to contribute my skills and enthusiasm to this vibrant field in the future.”
The mission of The Council Foundation is to bring fresh, diverse talent into the brokerage sector. This year, important changes have been made to the selection process to further enhance and streamline the program. In the past, interns were nominated by member firms and scholarship recipients were ultimately chosen by The Council Foundation selection committee. We recognize that our member firms possess invaluable expertise in identifying top talent and have firsthand knowledge of their interns’ performance and work ethic. With that understanding, The Council has created a Scholarship Eligibility Toolkit which outlines the process for reviewing applications, empowering our member firms to conduct their own thorough review process and identifying their most exceptional interns to be awarded the scholarship.
“Being recognized by The Council Foundation means so much to me and has validated that I chose the right career path,” said Sarah Darley, 2023 scholarship recipient and Business Insurance/Employee Health & Benefits intern at Marsh McLennan Agency (MMA). “Before this summer, I was unsure about where I fit in the industry. This experience has granted me the insight I needed, and I am very grateful and appreciative.”
Six of this year’s recipients have also been honored by named scholarships (*) administered by The Council Foundation – Ben Bryant, Assurex/Robert P. Ashlock scholar, Ariana Gonzales, Tom Motamed scholar, Kerri Ann Lawson, Assurex/Robert P. Ashlock scholar, Makenzie Waldrop, Franklin Wheeler scholar, Rose Rybak, Dave Oberkircher scholar, and Emily Almazan, IMA Financial Group scholar.
Meet the 2023-2024 Council Foundation scholars:
| Name | Firm |
|---|---|
| Esha Abbasi | Aon |
| Emily Almazan* | IMA Financial Group |
| Jennifer Amarosa | NFP |
| Ariette Aragon | Alliant Insurance Services |
| Saw Tar Thar Chit Ba | Aon |
| Dawson Balzotti | Leavitt Group Enterprises |
| Joseph Basilio | Risk Strategies |
| Carson Beane | Truist |
| Molly Beasley | Truist |
| Parker Bell | Higginbotham |
| Aanshi Bhatty | Amwins |
| Peyton Blanco | Hub International Ltd. |
| Ben Bryant* | Cottingham & Butler |
| Nick Bush | OneDigital |
| Sergio Castillo | Alliant Insurance Services |
| Aidan Chane | Borislow |
| Nicholas Chryst | Hylant |
| Frank Cicala | JGS Insurance |
| Moris Cruz | At-Bay |
| Sarah Darley | MMA |
| Genevieve DeFinis | Highstreet Insurance Partners |
| Destiney Deschaines | Cross Insurance |
| Bennett Dirkx | Holmes Murphy & Associates |
| Tyler Donsky | Lockton |
| Gabriela Dos Santos | Amwins |
| Bryson Echols | USI Holdings Corporation |
| Julia Englert | CBIZ |
| Raina Feanny | Cobbs Allen |
| Celina Feldhake | Cottingham & Butler |
| Josh Frazier | Hub International Ltd. |
| Joseph Galati | Unison Risk Advisors |
| Kimberly Goddard | Cross Insurance |
| Ariana Gonzales* | Heffernan Group |
| JB Green | Cadence |
