Business

Why Insurance Has Been Lia Varga’s Career of Choice Since She Was 10

Lia Varga has known she wanted to work in the insurance world since she was 10.

That’s how old she was when her parents bought their insurance agent’s house. In the move, Lia gained a lifelong mentor and an inside connection into the insurance industry. As she got older, she jumped at every chance to learn more, from job shadowing with her mentor to helping her dad select workers compensation coverage for his business.

Working in the “Hidden Gem” of Business: Why Gabrielle Cappadona Chose Insurance

Gabrielle Cappadona and her twin sister made a pact to go to college together and study business. While her sister decided to major in accounting, Gabrielle had trouble making her mind up.

She knew that she didn’t want to study accounting, and she wasn’t that interested in finance, either. Then a campus tour guide at St. John’s University who first suggested that she check out the school of risk management. The rest, Gabrielle says, is history.

Making Society Resilient While Trying New Things: Why Gilberto Solbes Loves His Insurance Career

Gilberto Solbes swore that he wasn’t going to work in insurance.

“All my life, I’ve been surrounded by the insurance industry because my parents are insurance brokers,” he said.

He still loved math, though, and made plans to pursue a career in finance. But in college, he wound up taking a course on insurance, and to his surprise, he “totally loved it.”

Learn How to Pay In-State Tuition Rates at Out-of-State Colleges

The difference between in-state and out-of-state college tuition rates is often astounding. Depending on the state and the school, students who live out of state could be paying two to three times more in tuition than their peers who attend the same school but live in state.

Specifically, the average in-state tuition at a four-year public college was $9,410 for the 2015–2016 academic year, according to The College Board. For out-of-state students, the average tuition was $23,893.

If you’re keeping score at home, that’s 154 percent more — for the same education.

This Fraternity Really Loves Risk: Gamma Iota Sigma

Sarah Rumon has a lot of reasons she loves being in the Gamma Iota Sigma (GIS) international business fraternity, like connections to fellow students and alumni around the country.

“I can still think back to my first international conference where I met a few people from St. John’s University, and I still talk to them two years later. I never would have met them if it were not for GIS,” says Rumon, a senior at the University of St. Thomas — Minnesota. “So I really enjoy that feeling of community and camaraderie.”

Why “Intro to Risk Management and Insurance” Should Be Your Next Core Elective

What’s the one class every undergraduate should take? Where will you learn the stuff that will help you to not just get a decent job but win at life?

Public speaking seems like a good bet, and maybe a business writing course isn’t a bad idea. Wine tasting or ballroom dance? Definitely fun but not quite as pragmatic.

Here’s one you’ve probably never considered: “Intro to Risk Management and Insurance (RMI).”

September 2016

Is Ben Stiller a Good Risk Manager in "Along Came Polly"?

Bohemian Polly (Jennifer Anniston) loosens suited Reuben's (Ben Stiller) tie as they walk through a park. From Along Came Polly.

If you’ve ever seen the movie “Along Came Polly,” there’s no doubt you remember Ben Stiller’s character Reuben Feffer, the neurotic but successful risk manager at a life insurance company (technically he’s a senior risk assessment analyst), who lives a predictable life and is terrified of taking risks. In real life, would that risk aversion actually make him good at his job?