Abby Brown is a senior on the UGA Equestrian Team. She is a risk management and insurance major and obtained an internship with Harbin Insurance Agency during May, 2016.
As a 22 year old college student going into the final year before graduation, an internship was the obvious next step. Juggling the responsibilities of a risk management and insurance major and also being an equestrian athlete at the University of Georgia means that every morning is early, every day is long, and every night is even longer. There comes a point in your career when the craziness just becomes normalcy. I struggled for a long time trying to find the answer to the daunting question of “What do you want to do for the rest of your life?”
After entering college as a science major and quickly learning through gen chem that my expertise would never be in the science community, it took me about a year of research, frustration, and hopelessness to find my niche at Georgia. All I knew is that like most things in my life, I wanted to find a career that I am passionate about. The obvious choice was to involve my love of horses, which I already knew would last a lifetime, with my profession. As I already mentioned, science was clearly out of the question so I marked equine veterinarian off my list of possibilities. I debated becoming a professional rider after my collegiate years were behind me, but without the financial support, which is extremely difficult to secure, that would be nearly impossible. Many questioned if I was interested in coaching after my college years. Although I love the thought of helping others, I still wasn’t sure that was the career fit for me.
It was only after I saw how much my sister was enjoying her job at Great American Insurance Group that I realized all of the possibilities that the insurance world offered. I had finally found it! I would study risk management and insurance at the Terry Business School which also happens to be the number one RMIN program in the nation. Most people hear business school and think they may be chained behind a desk for the rest of their time. Absolutely not! Having a career as an insurance agent would allow me to venture away from the desk and see the risks first hand. I love the idea of meeting with potential clients and explaining to them the available coverages that will ultimately help protect all aspects of their operation, including P&C, auto and equine mortality coverage. I know networking is a large part of what a producer does on a daily basis. Luckily I had the background that would give me a good push in the right direction through growing up under well known coaches, friends, and teammates I have all come to know through the horse industry. Combing my passion for horses, love of meeting people, and ability to travel, I feel as though I have hit the jackpot!
After the first week of my internship with the Harbin Insurance Agency, I know for a fact I made the right choice. It may have come with some desperate times of wondering if I would ever find my place, but I am so thankful that I have reached this point. In only one week I have learned so much. I have attended multiple client meetings with both current clients and clients we hope will sign with the agency. I have logged hours helping the agency marketing manager input documents in excel to make it faster and easier for the sales team to access. And, most excitingly, I have worked on a large horse farm proposal in the area, which is just what I hope to be doing myself one day! Everyone at my internship has been overwhelmingly welcoming and has gone out of their way to make me feel at home! Everyone is professional and gets their work done but knows how to have a good laugh and tell some great jokes. For those entering into the career world whether it is an internship or a first job, welcome. I promise it isn’t as scary as it seems!
