Tag: education

The Importance of Higher Education

Higher Education Day 2023 is an annual event celebrated to promote higher education and its importance in shaping the future of individuals and society. It is a day to recognize and appreciate the value of education beyond high school and to encourage more people to pursue higher education.

Farmers Alliance believes that higher education is an essential part of personal and professional development for any individual. That’s why we offer different channels for employees to develop their skills and knowledge.  

LinkedIn Learning

We provide access to LinkedIn Learning to our employees, which gives them a valuable resource to develop new skills and advance their careers in specific areas they choose. We frequently do LinkedIn Learning challenges, encouraging employees to complete specific topics and share takeaways with their co-workers.

Insurance Education

It’s important to Farmers Alliance that our workforce is highly skilled in the world of property and casualty insurance, and that’s why we invest in our employee’s insurance knowledge through courses offered by The Institutes and IRMI. Whether an employee is just getting started and wants to earn their Associate in Insurance (AINS) or is choosing a lifelong career in insurance and wants to earn their Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation, we provide access to the appropriate training when an employee is ready and compensate them for completing it.

Pursuing a degree

As members of the Farmers Alliance FAMI-ly, employees have a unique opportunity to pursue a college degree without incurring significant costs. Farmers Alliance’s educational reimbursement program allows team members to have up to $5,250 in expenses reimbursed annually if their major benefits both the employee and the company.

I want to advance my skills to be even more effective within my department. Secretly, I want to be the next FAMI nerd!

Natalie Zink, Quality Assurance Analyst

Natalie Zink is a Quality Assurance Analyst in our Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO). She is taking advantage of this benefit by earning her associate degree in computer science from Barton County Community College. “I’ve been with Farmers Alliance for almost 16 years, and I feel like I’ve found my niche,” said Natalie. “I enjoy the camaraderie I have with Project Managers and Developers in the IT department, and I want to advance my skills to be even more effective within my department. Secretly, I want to be the next FAMI nerd!”

Charitable Foundation 

Our passion for higher education extends beyond our employees, as we have a Charitable Foundation set up primarily to help fund scholarships for students of employees. All employees with children graduating high school with a minimum GPA of 2.5 and entering college are eligible to receive a $1,000 scholarship for the first four years they are enrolled.

It’s clear that higher education is a big deal at Farmers Alliance. That’s why we are pleased to celebrate Higher Education Day 2023.

Pursuing Opportunities for Higher Education

Kaela Moore, Advanced Underwriter

As members of the Farmers Alliance FAMI-ly, employees have a unique opportunity to pursue a bachelor’s or master’s degree without incurring significant costs. Farmers Alliance’s educational reimbursement program allows team members to have up to $5,250 in expenses reimbursed annually if their major is mutually beneficial for both the employee and the company.

Kaela Moore is an Advanced Underwriter with Farmers Alliance and has been with the company for nearly 10 years. She has experienced much growth professionally in her tenure but has also experienced significant setbacks personally that have altered her initial plans for pursuing an advanced degree. Recently, however, plans changed, and she is nearly finished earning her MBA. Keep reading and learn more about her experience and how she has benefited from FAMI’s educational reimbursement program.

What are you studying and why?

I’ve wanted to pursue a master’s degree since I graduated with my undergraduate degree. When I began my career with FAMI after graduating, I was particularly intrigued by the opportunity to make this dream come true and have the company help me pay for it. Unfortunately, life had different plans for me, and I was in a life-changing car accident that pushed my dreams out further than I had originally planned. After a period of healing and readjustment, I was ready to pursue my dream and when the pandemic hit in 2020, I had even more time at home to make that dream happen, so I enrolled at Emporia State University with the hopes of earning my MBA.

Are you taking classes in-person or online?

My classes are completely online and do not have scheduled lectures. The program is flexible and allows me to listen to lectures and complete assignments when I can make time for them throughout the week.

How long have you been with Farmers Alliance?

I’ve been with Farmers Alliance since May of 2013. I started my career as an intern while I was finishing up college and was hired full-time after I graduated in January of 2014 after graduating from McPherson College.

What do you like most about working here?

My favorite thing about working for FAMI is the atmosphere. It’s a professional environment with lots of opportunities for advancement, but it’s small enough that you still feel like you are part of a family. The corporate leadership knows me by name, understands the importance of my role in the company, and takes time to know me on a more personal level.

What do you hope to do with your degree once completed?

While I’m pursuing an MBA, I’ve specifically chosen to take electives in analytics and data. I’d like to earn my CPCU designation after graduating and be more involved with strategic planning at Farmers Alliance. After almost 10 years in the insurance industry, I feel like I have a good understanding of what we do and how we do it, but I’d like to understand more about how we plan for the future.

What would you tell a FAMI team member who is considering furthering their education?

Getting my master’s degree has expanded my knowledge and grown my critical thinking skills significantly, and it was much easier than I had anticipated. I have been able to complete my assignments and lectures in about 10-15 hours per week, leaving me time to do my full-time job and do fun things in the evenings and on weekends. My total out-of-pocket expense will be just a little over $1,000 after FAMI’s contributions. If you have the time and desire to do it, go for it!