2023 Katie School Scholarship Recipient

Recipient Name: Fernando Esai Villanueva

E-Mail: fevilla@ilstu.edu

Expected Graduation Date: May 2024

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois Major: Finance and RMI

Leadership Roles

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

Officer or leadership role in other organizations: Delta Sigma Pi Professional Business Fraternity

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

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

October 12 – GenStar Lunch & Learn ☒

October 24 – Gallagher Reinsurance Presentation ☒

Other: Selective Insurance Case Competition

November 3 – Katie School Executive Risk Forum ☒

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

Competed within the Selective Insurance Case Competition, working with a team of other Katie School students against RMI programs of 7 other nationwide universities. Competition was a 4 weeklong process where each team had to revive a dying brokerage agency within a simulation.

Insurance Licensing and Professional Designations Exam Parts Completed or Passed

N/A

Community Involvement During College

Only got involved with Gamma Iota Sigma fall semester of 2022. Had the opportunity to go to meetings and seminars within the College of Business here and then also was able to attend the Katie School Executive Risk Forum in Chicago with my peers. Got to meet people from plenty of companies and learn more about the industry in the future.

Other Campus Involvement and Personal Accomplishments

Involved with Delta Sigma Pi, a professional business fraternity that only has business majors as members. We learn about polishing our professional skills, such as participating in mock interviews and holding seminars about working on your resume and LinkedIn. We also hold community service events, such as working with Ronald McDonald House and fundraising events that go to our chapter and other charities.

Career Goals

As someone who recently just became involved in the industry, I have a broad desire to look into becoming an insurance underwriter or an actuary. I feel that both compliment who I am as a worker, and how prepared I will be in the future. I want to be able to use everything I learned as a finance major and an RMI major in the same career.