AUSTIN - On Wednesday the Insurance Council of Texas Education Foundation will join the University of North Texas in celebrating the Education Foundation’s surpassing $1 million dollars in scholarships and education funding given to support insurance education in Texas.
UNT is hosting the $1 million celebration ceremony during which the Education Foundation will present scholarships to seven UNT insurance and risk management students, a press release states.
The students will join 478 past scholarship recipients at 12 Texas universities who have received the ICT scholarships since 2002.
ICT’s Education Foundation board of trustees, UNT supporters, professors and students will attend the ceremony at the UNT campus in Denton. UNT’s insurance and risk management program was one of the first three universities to receive ICT scholarships.
“The ICT Education Foundation is honored to be celebrating its $1 million milestone at the University of North Texas because the school has one of the finest insurance and risk management programs in the country,” said Tony Gonzalez, president of the ICT Education Foundation.
“We are thankful for UNT’s continued commitment to insurance education and grateful for the number of quality students who have graduated from UNT and entered the property and casualty industry.”
During the ceremony, Gonzalez, ICT Executive Director Albert Betts, and other ICT Education Foundation Board members will give remarks on the success of the scholarship program and the importance of supporting and developing the next generation on insurance professionals.
Former UNT insurance professor John Thornton, whose endowment has greatly enhanced the program, is also expected to attend the ceremony.
Funds for the scholarship program come from donations and ICT Property and Casualty Symposium sponsorships made by insurance companies, agencies, and individual insurance professionals.
ICT’s scholarships recipients at UNT, in classes taught by Professor Dale Sharpe-Jenkins, include Anthony Barnett, Erika Miller, Landon Wolf, Laura Babcock, Madison Harnist, Maranda Johnson and Kaitlyn Mustico.
Earlier this fall semester, ICT also gave scholarships to ten insurance and risk management students at St. Mary’s University and Baylor University.
ICT scholarship recipients at St. Mary’s University, in classes taught by Dr. David Sommer, were Carina Gonzalez, Rachel Jasso, Michael Hernandez, Estefany Robledo and Jacob Gutierrez.
ICT scholarship recipients at Baylor University, in classes taught by Dr. Jim Garven, were Claire Fogarty, Miles Greenwood, Sam Bode, Camille Wallace and Priya Patel.
In total, the Education Foundation will have given $30,000 this semester to 17 deserving insurance and risk management students. Overall, since 2002, the Education Foundation has awarded $1,002,275 to 485 students at 12 Texas universities.
Scholarship students are also invited to attend ICT’s annual property and casualty symposium in Austin where insurance industry leaders gather to hear an update on the latest insurance trends in Texas and nationally. The students have an opportunity to meet insurance executives and thought leaders, and learn more about the industry.
ICT and its members are happy to support this worthwhile effort and give back to students and our Texas universities.