Ole Miss celebrates certificate program's first graduates

OXFORD, Miss. (WJTV) – The University of Mississippi's (UM) risk management and insurance program recently celebrated graduates in its certificate program from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

The Insurance Certificate and Internship program, which launched in the fall of 2023, graduated 17 students from four Mississippi HBCUs: Alcorn State University (ASU), Jackson State University (JSU), Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU) and Tougaloo College. The graduates, who have completed eight weeks of online coursework and in-person professional development in Oxford and Washington, D.C., will intern with industry employers.

The university's Center for Insurance Transformation partnered with the Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers, known as The Council and five insurance brokers to make the program a reality. Jeff Rodriguez, president and CEO of Brown & Riding Insurance Services Co. of Dallas, is among several industry partners excited to see the certificate program come to fruition.

"My hope is that this is just a foundation to scale the program to a larger level," Rodriguez said.

Other founding partners include Cadence Insurance; Gallagher; McGriff Insurance Services, of Charlotte, North Carolina; and Ross & Yerger Inc., of Jackson.

Finance professor Andre Liebenberg is the Chair of Insurance and director of the Center for Insurance Transformation. He explained that the program sought to ultimately improve the insurance industry by reaching out to future professionals from diverse backgrounds.

"This certificate program has changed how I do my job at Ole Miss; working with students at different institutions and visiting those institutions has reignited my passion for teaching," Liebenberg said.

Artraevian Epps, a junior accounting major from Memphis who attends MVSU, will intern at Gallagher, of Rolling Meadows, Illinois. He was grateful for being in the program.

"This program has been a great success and has been a great experience all around for me," Epps said. "I have met and worked with wonderful people for the past few months.

Aimee Kilpatrick, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Cadence, a Gallagher company, said she is excited about the program's success.

"When you embark on something like this, you have a vision, and the vision for this program was very strong," Kilpatrick said. "Then it's brand new, and you hope that it is executed like we all envisioned. I think in this case, it was."

* Ivonne Liebenberg (left), University of Mississippi instructional assistant professor of finance; and Andre Liebenberg (right), UM professor of finance, congratulate Laila Williams, an Alcorn State University freshman, at celebration of graduates from the university's Insurance Certificate and Internship program on Thursday (March 21). Piñero-Brooks said the experience will allow her to build a successful career. Photo by Srijita Chattopadhyay/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services

* Ivonne Liebenberg (left), University of Mississippi instructional assistant professor of finance; and Andre Liebenberg (right), UM professor of finance, congratulate Symone Piñero-Brooks, a Jackson State University junior, at celebration of graduates from the university's Insurance Certificate and Internship program on Thursday (March 21). Piñero-Brooks said the experience will allow her to build a successful career. Photo by Srijita Chattopadhyay/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services

* A group of graduates of the University of Mississippi's Insurance Certificate and Internship program for students from Mississippi HBCUs celebrate their achievements Thursday (March 21) in Oxford. They include (front row, from left) Symone Piñero-Brooks (JSU), Bethsheba Johnson (JSU), Laila Williams (Alcorn State), Ayuanna Thomas (Alcorn State) and Tamera Jackson (JSU); and (back row, from left) Adarius Hyde (Tougaloo), Emmanuel Burns (JSU), Philip Kenley (JSU) and Jaquavis Gibson (Alcorn State). Photo by Srijita Chattopadhyay/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services

Graduates also heard speakers focus on national insurance trends, leadership and regulatory issues during the symposium. On Thursday, they gathered with members of their families and insurance firm representatives to celebrate their achievements.

Symone Piñero-Brooks is a JSU junior majoring in entrepreneurship. The Oakland, California native said she has been especially pleased with the mentorship and knowledge she has gained from working with professors and industry leaders.

"I will enter the workforce with a wealth of knowledge from this partnership program, as well as my new network of professionals," Piñero-Brooks said. "I plan to apply my entrepreneurial skills to this industry and build a successful career."