Two undergraduate students with majors in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln are among 20 selected to the second cohort of the Ameritas Emerging Leaders Academy this fall.
The program, coordinated by the university’s Center for Executive and Professional Development, develops leadership skills for undergraduates of any major with an interest in exploring the insurance industry through specialized training, strengths coaching and hands-on innovation projects.
The yearlong academy features monthly professional development sessions in Howard L. Hawks Hall. Students work closely with university faculty and industry experts to sharpen leadership skills, culminating in a two-month innovation project. Teams design prototype solutions to challenges facing the insurance industry and present them to Ameritas senior leadership. Past projects have explored topics such as improving Ameritas’ mobile app and analyzing the impact of artificial intelligence on the industry.
CAS students selected:
- Zanib Al Razaq, senior, economics and Spanish
- Justin Fintel, senior, economics and political science
“The Ameritas Emerging Leaders Academy offers an experience that complements and enriches the great education Nebraska provides,” said Bob Jurgensmeier, chief executive officer of Ameritas. “Supporting programs that enhance the academic environment is a top priority for Ameritas.”
Amber Messersmith, executive director of the Center for Executive and Professional Development and the program’s faculty lead, said the direct connection between students and industry leaders sets the experience apart.
“This academy gives students the rare chance to build leadership skills while solving real challenges facing the insurance industry,” she said. “From change management to innovation, they learn in ways that connect the classroom with the workplace. The energy and commitment from both our students and Ameritas leaders have only grown in the program’s second year.”
