Sophomore Mass Communications major Kenaysia Stanton and Junior Mass Communications major Layken Meaders got to experience a trip of a lifetime to Washington, D.C.
Both students were accepted into the CIT (Certified Insurance Technician) Program in 2024. The program was created by University of Mississippi Professor Dr. Andre Lienberg as well as the top insurance brokerages in the United States specifically for Mississippi Historically Black College and University (HBCU) students. Stanton and Meaders were the only two recipients out of 22 to be selected from Alcorn State University (ASU).
In the Fall of 2024, the two traveled to Jackson, Mississippi to participate in the new student orientation process. While there, the group learned that they would have the pleasure of being able to travel to Washington, D.C. in January of 2025 where they would interview with different insurance companies to determine who they would be working for in the Summer.
On January 11 all of the students who were selected from Jackson State University, Mississippi Valley State University, and Alcorn convened at a hotel in Jackson where they spent the night so that they could all travel to the airport together the next morning to catch their flight to D.C.
While in Washington, the group visited the Washington Monument, toured the African American History Museum, toured the Capitol, and the Lincoln Memorial. After the sightseeing tour, the group had two intense days of training where they interned with 5 different companies and had to prepare and present a case study to their audience.
At the end of the internship Stanton was selected by the company Brown and Riding for her internship this Summer while Meaders was selected to intern with the company Gallagher. Before the two embark on their internship this Summer they will continue weekly Zoom meetings and quizzes to prepare them for the work that they will be doing as interns. The students will also attend a graduation session in March at the University of Mississippi for successfully completing the program.
