Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of New York InVESTs in Future 
Students from Four High Schools Receive a First-Hand View of the Insurance Industry During a Visit to IIABNY

(DeWitt, New York, Dec. 29, 2008) — Thirty-eight students enrolled in the InVEST program viewed their career potential recently, as they toured the suburban Syracuse offices of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of New York, Inc. InVEST is a national program for students interested in a career in the financial services industry. The juniors and seniors attend the New York State schools of Dryden High School in Dryden, Groton High School, Groton, McGraw High School in McGraw and Charles O. Dickerson High School, Trumansburg.

The young visitors spoke with more than 30 employees of IIABNY, a statewide insurance trade association, and discovered that employment in the insurance industry ranges from Web development to education, as well as sales and customer service. Laid to rest that day were many misconceptions of risk management, while new career opportunities in the insurance industry were born. Chelsea Hayes, a senior from McGraw High School, “never realized there were so many different fields” in the industry, including her goal of becoming an event planner. Groton High School senior Rebecca Barlow discovered that insurance companies hire physical therapists, her chosen profession.

Trumansburg High School student Ryn Meyers learned that his planned journalism and communications major would apply to advertising and media relations in the insurance industry.

Mark Gibbons, a Dryden High School senior is not sure about a career in insurance, although his computer science objective certainly would weigh heavily in any field.

Established by the IIABNY-affiliated Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America, InVEST allows students the opportunity to visit insurance companies and agencies, participate in state-approved, financial services-related business or technical curriculums and attend industry events.

Accompanying the students and teachers was Robert B. Baxter, CEO and General Manager, Dryden Mutual Insurance Company in Dryden.

A 15-year supporter of InVEST, Baxter originally viewed the program as a “community education effort for young consumers.” The InVEST-Dryden Mutual project soon evolved into internships and employment for the region.

“We offered some of them jobs and paid their college tuition,” said Baxter. The commitment to the InVEST program resides in the insurance company, where 25 percent of the staff consists of former InVEST students.

The InVEST program also contributes in making for better consumers. Gibbons realizes that “insurance is very important and you got to know what it’s about.” Meyers believes that possessing this knowledge “may help me in buying insurance in the future.”

The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of New York, Inc. has represented the common business interests of independent insurance professionals since 1882. More than 1,900 agencies and their 18,000 employees currently rely on the DeWitt, New York-based not-for-profit trade association for legislative advocacy, continuing education and other means of industry support. In addition, many IIABNY members represent Trusted Choice®, a national consumer brand uniting more than 7,000 independent agencies across the United States. For more information, go to www.trustedchoice.com or www.iiabny.org.