Steven Dalgetty is a senior double majoring in Risk Management and Insurance and Finance and Banking. He explains how staff members in the Walker College of Business make a difference to individual students.
“Greg Langdon has been a mentor since I met him my freshman year at Appalachian,” Dalgetty said. “He spoke to my class about how the insurance industry provides great opportunities for graduates. I researched it and decided to take an introductory class, and after only a few weeks, I loved learning about insurance.”
Langdon is associate director of Brantley Risk and Insurance Center at Appalachian, a privately funded entity within the Walker College of Business that prepares the next generation of industry leaders by student interview guidance, resume production techniques and teaching networking and “soft skills” that complement the rigorous academic coursework.
Dalgetty also gives high praise to the faculty leaders and the cocurriculum offerings from the Brantley Risk and Insurance Center.
“Appalachian has one of the best programs for RMI majors. The opportunities that Dr. Epermanis and Dr. Wood offer are eye opening…
“Dr. Wood leads a team of students every year over spring break to London for the week to look at Lloyds of London and how they operate. Each semester there are at least five travel opportunities for RMI majors.”
The RMI major at Appalachian prepares students for a wide variety of professions within the greater risk and insurance field including:
- General Management
- Underwriting
- Claims
- Agency Sales & Operations
- Brokerage
- Surplus Lines
- Risk Management
- Reinsurance Specialties
During the summer of 2015, Dalgetty worked as an intern for Wells Fargo Insurance Services in Charlotte, gaining hands-on experience of how brokers in the insurance world work and forming a better understanding of how insurance companies are run.
Because the Brantley Center bridges the space between academics and industry, Dalgetty adds that scholarship opportunities for RMI majors are abundant. “There are many companies that offer scholarships just for majoring in RMI because there are so many job positions available that they want to encourage graduates to fill.”
Dalgetty’s advice for prospective students: Be thoughtful and intentional with classes taken and connections made at Appalachian. “I don’t just think it’s another class I have to pass, but rather as something that will benefit me in my career. I surround myself with friends who are driven and want more out of college than just going to class. We represent Appalachian. I have a professional mindset and I can take on any task,” he said.
After graduation, Dalgetty plans to take on the insurance industry, pursuing a career as a broker, build his own books, and eventually create his own insurance company.