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Katie Brown '04 delved into the field of insurance by shadowing Michael Weisburger '82, president of Weisburger Insurance Company, White Plains, N.Y., during an externship between semesters.
Weisburger Insurance Company is a full-service insurance broker offering specialized coverage in the pest control, the lawn care, landscaping, and arborist industry. It is a fourth-generation family-owned business with about 30 employees.
Weisburger says that Brown was an asset to his company during the five days that she was there. “I asked her to review the comments made by an outside consultant concerning our web site,” says Weisburger. “Not only did she make constructive comments, but she also added some of her own suggestions, which were very helpful.”
“Everyone was very nice to me and helpful in explaining the business and what their jobs were,” says Brown, a double major in economics and business and history. “Whenever I had a question, the employees at Weisburger never hesitated to explain something to me. Weisburger is one of the largest providers of pest insurance in the nation, but the company is very small and intimate. The people who work there act like one big family, and the environment is comfortable.”
Brown helped send a newsletter to clients, worked on a database, and created a renewal application insurance form for clients. “I created it using the Excel program, and I even added a graphic of a bug on it,” says Brown. “I also critiqued their web site and offered suggestions for improvement.”
“Most importantly, I learned as much as possible about the business during my time there,” adds Brown.
She was among more than 160 students who participated in Lafayette's Alumni Externship program, in which students serve two- to five-day externships with graduates who are seasoned professionals in business, the arts, education, healthcare, law, engineering, science, government, non-profits, and other fields.
Brown is involved in the prison-tutoring program and Kids in the Community, two of 25 programs of sustained voluntary service conducted annually under the auspices of Lafayette's Landis Community Outreach Center. She is also on the committee for Experience Lafayette, an on-campus admissions program for prospective students.