In the Fall of 2023 Ole Miss launched a program partnering with different Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the state of Mississippi.
The program was called the Insurance Certificate Program (ICP). This year’s class will be the 2nd class to go through the program. The main purpose of the program was to introduce the world of Insurance to more students of a diverse background. In order to do this, Dr. Andre Liebenberg and a group of partners sent out an invitation to students attending Mississippi Valley, Jackson State, Tougaloo, and Alcorn State University encouraging them to apply for the program.
After the students applied to the program they would then be sent a scheduled zoom interview. Over 200 students interviewed to be a part of the program but only the top 20 were selected. Among those who were selected were Alcorn’s very own Kenaysia Stanton and Layken Meaders.
Stanton and Meaders are both Sophomore Mass Communications majors at the University who were looking to explore their career options. The ICP will allow them to go through a 3-month crash course to learn as much as they possibly can about the world of Insurance before they start their garnered internship in the Summer of 2025.
The two will start attending weekly scheduled seminars in December that will prepare them for their trip to Washington, D.C. in January 2025. During their Washington trip they will have the opportunity to meet with and impress different partners of the Insurance Certificate Program in hopes that they match with the company of their choice for their upcoming internship.
The program offers internship opportunities in various states including Georgia, Texas, California, and Illinois. It is a great time for the students to venture off and explore what life and the workforce is like outside of Mississippi. If the students succeed during their internship, it is likely that they will either be brought back next year for a follow up internship or be offered a job upon graduation.
The program is a great opportunity for HBCU students who are not quite sure about what they want to do moving forward in life. Another bonus of the internship is the fact that it is an all-expense paid internship that allows the students to earn their own revenue. Also, although a student may not be interested in Insurance there are several components that go into the field including Marketing, Human Resources, Accounting, and Sales. The field has something that can be suitable for any individual’s interest. Stanton stated, “I’m looking forward to the opportunities that the program has to offer.”