2023 Katie School Scholarship Recipient

Recipient Name: Karim Massarani

E-Mail: kmassar@ilstu.edu

Hometown: Franklin, MI

Expected Graduation Date: May 2023

Major: Finance and RMI

Leadership Roles

Officer Role in Gamma Iota Sigma Click here to enter text.

Officer or leadership role in other organizations: Vice President of Beta Gamma Sigma

Katie School/Gamma Iota Sigma Events and Industry Involvement – Fall 2022

Please check the following activities in which you participated in the fall semester:

August 30 – Why Insurance ☒

September 7 – 1st General Meeting ☒

September 8 – Cards for Military Families ☒

September 9 – Gamma Picnic ☒

September 12 – Resume and LinkedIn Workshop ☒

September 14 – CNA Day Lunch ☒

September 14 – Zurich Presentation ☒

September 19 – Safety National Info Session ☒

September 21 – Safety National Day Lunch ☒

September 21- Fall Internship Fair ☒

September 27 – ICC Presentation ☒

October 10 – Amica Lunch & Learn ☒

October 11 – Disney World Risk Manager Chat ☒

October 12 – GenStar Lunch & Learn ☒

October 18 – Bake Sale Fundraiser ☒

October 21 – Gallagher and Zurich Headquarters Visit ☒

October 24 – Assurance Lunch & Learn ☒

October 25 – Interview Prep with Zurich ☒

October 26 – Sompo Lunch & Learn ☒

November 2 – Claims Case Study and Lunch with Aon ☒

November 2 – GIS 3rd General Meeting ☒

November 4 – State Farm Headquarters Visit ☒

November 7 – Federated Insurance with BGS ☒

November 14 – DEI Chat - Virtual ☒

November 15 – Alpha Kappa Birthday Celebration ☒

December 1 – Chicago Cubs & St. Louis Cardinals Risk Manager Panel ☒

December 7 – 4th General Meeting ☒

Internships in Insurance, other Relevant work Experience or Relevant Insurance Industry Involvement

I interned as an Express (small commercial) Underwriter with Liberty Mutual over this past summer, where I learned a lot about risk appetites, quoting insurance applications, and building relationships with independent agents. In addition, I worked alongside a fellow intern on an internship project where we used Excel PivotTables and Tableau to analyze new business sales data through measurements like flow, quote ratio, hit ratio, and issued premium across different lines of business in several important states in the North Central region. We presented our project to the region’s team managers and Underwriting Director during the last week of our internship, and many of them were so intrigued by our work that they asked us to delve deeper and investigate more specific details in their respective territories.

Insurance Licensing and Professional Designations—Exam Parts Completed or Passed Collegiate Studies for CPCU certificate obtained (For completing Ethics 312: Ethical Guidelines for CPCUs and getting two collegiate course waivers based on academic performance for CPCU 520 and CPCU 551)

Community Involvement During College

I organized and set up volunteer events with Midwest Food Bank for our Beta Gamma Sigma chapter.

Other Campus Involvement and Personal Accomplishments

I am currently serving as the vice president of the ISU chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma, which is an international business honor society that only accepts the top business undergraduate and graduate students. In my role as vice president, I help the president and the rest of the executive board communicate with members, generate ideas, plan and organize events, and collaborate with other RSOs and local organizations in the aim of motivating business majors at ISU to excel both inside and outside of the classroom. This year, I believe that we as a BGS executive board succeeded in accomplishing our main goals, which were raising awareness about our BGS chapter and increasing involvement amongst active members.

Career Goals

My goal following graduation is to get a full-time role as a commercial underwriter at a well-established regional or national insurance carrier. After that, I want to work on obtaining my CPCU designation and getting a Master’s degree, both of which will make me more well-regarded in the industry and open up new opportunities for me to pursue in my professional career. Eventually, my dream is to become the CFO or CEO of an insurance company sometime before I retire.