The Ness School is full of students doing amazing things. One of those students is Leah Barber.
Barber is a Junior from Sioux Falls, SD majoring in Agricultural Business with minors in Entrepreneurial Studies and Marketing.
Barber is one of the many Ness School students using her summer to earn academic credit for an internship. Her internship is at Marsh McLennan Agency where she is an Insurance Intern.
What's a day in the life of an Insurance Intern? Barber said, "Every day is different in my internship at MMA, which I love! Some days I attend client/carrier meetings in the office or off-site, other days are filled with back-to-back meetings. I work closely with my fellow interns each day to complete projects, collaborate on presentations, and simply develop a better understanding of the industry as a team."
Internships are a great way for students to utilize their summers to gain real-world experience. "Internships are phenomenal tools in discovering possibilities in a career path that you may not have considered otherwise. I would argue that being aware of what careers you do not want to explore is just as—if not more—important than knowing the ones you do. And, at the end of the day, you’re locked into a finite amount of time with the company so take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself," Barber said.
Barber’s advice to new students is to step outside their comfort zone. “I would advise anyone considering an internship to push themselves outside of their comfort zones and pursue it fully! A remarkable amount of growth, both professionally and personally, can occur in such a short amount of time during an internship. Even for those that are not currently considering it, I would strongly suggest doing some research on opportunities near you,” she said.