CPCU Society Offers Free Membership to College Students and Awards $125,000 in Scholarships

MALVERN, Pa., Dec. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Institutes CPCU^® Society expands support for students by offering complimentary membership to all full-time undergraduates regardless of major or risk management affiliation; in addition to an existing partnership with Gamma Iota Sigma (GIS) offering free membership to GIS students.

"We have an excellent opportunity to introduce a new generation to the risk and insurance industry. We're here to show students that this work is interesting, engaging, and full of opportunity," says Chris Hampshire, CPCU, CIC, ARM, 2022 President and Chair of the CPCU Society Leadership Council.

"Expanding support for college students is another way we are addressing the talent gap facing our industry," says Spenser Villwock, MBA, MNM, IOM, CAE, Executive Director of the CPCU Society. "This is a natural fit for our organization, especially after we expanded our Society membership and cast out our long-term strategic plan to serve the industry needs and our mission in the time ahead."

In 2021, CPCU Society opened membership to all professionals working in the risk and insurance field regardless of CPCU completion. When students complete their collegiate programs, their membership can be maintained for support throughout their careers. Currently, CPCU Society has 2,103 student members.

In addition to free membership for undergraduate students, CPCU Society is pleased to announce the fall 2022 NextGen Scholarship recipients. CPCU Society has awarded a total of $125,000 to 25 undergraduate college students.

The NextGen Scholarship promotes higher education opportunities for students interested in careers within the risk management and insurance industry. Scholarships are awarded twice per year in the amount of $5,000 each. This year's recipients are:

• Jennifer Calandra, University of Houston – Downtown, Risk Management and Insurance and Management Information Systems
• Grace Comas, St. John's University, Risk Management and Insurance
• Francesca Ferneau, Illinois State University, Risk Management and Insurance
• Filmon Futsum, East Carolina University, Risk Management and Insurance and Human Resources
• Omar Gonzalez, Appalachian State University, Actuarial Science
• Nicholas Hively, Ball State University, Actuarial Science
• William Huang, St. John's University, Risk Management and Insurance
• Afrida Islam, The University of Texas at Dallas, Information Technology
• Destney Johnson, Grambling State University, Computer Information Systems
• Jack Larson, Drake University, Actuarial Science and Data Analytics
• Nicholas Lauver, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Actuarial Science and Finance
• Rachael Lukey, University of Cincinnati, Risk Management and Insurance
• Dave Mendez, The University of Texas at Dallas, Finance
• Andrej Najdovski, University of North Texas, Risk Management and Insurance and Financial Services
• Katie Otto, University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh, Economics and Finance
• Olivia Otway, Robert Morris University, Applied Mathematics
• Samiksha Padiyar, Temple University, Actuarial Science
• Heriberto Rodriguez, University of Connecticut, Actuarial Science
• Liliana Rojas, St. Mary's University, Finance and Risk Management
• Braden Sankot, University of Iowa, Business Analytics and Information Systems
• Stuart Seputro, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Actuarial Science and Plant Biotechnology
• Mason Smith, University of Central Arkansas, Finance
• Andrew Sullivan, The University of Alabama, Finance
• Benjamin Ticali, Drake University, Actuarial Science and Data Analytics
• Addy Voytek, University of Georgia, Risk Management and Insurance

To learn more about how CPCU Society supports college students, please visit CPCUSociety.org/Students.

The Institutes CPCU^® Society is a motivated and supportive community of professionals working in the risk and insurance industry committed to lifelong learning and the highest ethical standards. Members learn, grow, and succeed together.

OUR VISION: We will be the premier inclusive community of risk and insurance professionals who shape the future of the industry.

OUR MISSION: To provide knowledge and leadership opportunities for a global community of risk and insurance professionals in order to advance the industry and benefit those they serve while adhering to the highest ethical standards.

The Institutes, the leading provider of risk management and insurance knowledge solutions, offer professional designations, including the CPCU^® program. In addition, The Institutes provide introductory, foundational, and leadership programs; online and continuing education courses; events and conferences; online and print news platforms; assessment tools; and research reports. 

CPCU is a registered trademark of The Institutes. All rights reserved.

SOURCE Insurance Information Institute