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InVEST Awards 88 Scholarship to Students Interested in Insurance Careers

Phil Gusman

InVEST, the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America’s classroom-to-career education program, awarded $77,000 in scholarships to 88 students pursuing insurance-related degrees.

“InVEST congratulates the 88 students representing 32 high schools, colleges and universities in 14 states and Washington, D.C., who earned scholarships this year,” says Robert G. Slocum, InVEST board chair, and president of Warwick, R.I.-based The Slocum Agency, Inc.

Two students won the $3,000 Bob Betters Scholarship, established in 2011 and named after Watson Insurance Agency’s Bob Betters, who was appointed to the InVEST board of directors in 2009 and passed away February 2011 after battling brain cancer. The two Bob Betters Scholarship winners were:

  • Brooke Coughlin, St. Petersburg Catholic High School, St. Petersburg, Fla.
  • Jessica England, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Fla.

$2,000 scholarship winners were:

  • Rebecca Cleppe, St. Petersburg Catholic High School, St. Petersburg, Fla.
  • Claire Collins, William R. Boone High School, Orlando, Fla.
  • Quinn Christian Cotilla, St. Petersburg Catholic High School, St. Petersburg, Fla.
  • Catherine De Freitas, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Fla.
  • Ayme Ibarra, Manatee High School, Bradenton, Fla.
  • Kalie Rauch, Dryden High School, Dryden, N.Y.
  • Zachary Shuman, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Fla.
  • Matthew Sullivan, Dr. Phillips High School, Orlando, Fla.
  • Jeremy Tromer, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Fla.
  • Shawn Varughese, Dr. Phillips High School, Orlando, Fla.
  • Emilio Ycaza, St. Petersburg Catholic High School, St. Petersburg, Fla.
  • Nellie Parks, Grossmont Community College, El Cajon, Calif. won the $1,500 scholarship award.

Twenty-one students won $1,000 scholarship awards, and 51 students won $500 scholarship awards.

Monique Lucas, Roosevelt Senior High School, Washington, D.C.; and Stacey Porter, Roosevelt Senior High School, Washington, D.C., were named $500 Classroom to Career Scholars, which was developed for students who would like to enter the insurance industry immediately after graduating from InVEST. These students are eligible for a $500 reimbursement for licensing or designation expenses.

InVEST provides a hands-on insurance-related curriculum taught in high schools, adult education centers and colleges, designed to give students a working knowledge of the basics needed to pursue careers in the insurance industry.