As it has done every year for the past decade, Windstorm Insurance Network (WIND) awarded a Florida State University risk management/insurance student a $5,000 scholarship. This year, however, the national association for property insurance industry professionals, went even further when it announced at its recent national conference that it had established the $125,000 Windstorm Insurance Network Endowment Scholarship Fund at FSU.

“Windstorm Insurance Network members chose to endow a scholarship at FSU based on its reputation as having one of best risk management and insurance programs in the country and its impressive students,” said Janet Brown co-founder and a past president of WIND, which recently marked its 20th anniversary. “We see a tremendous need for people who specialize particularly in supporting customers once they have suffered a property loss and file an insurance claim. This scholarship is one way for us to develop those professionals through the years, help them get a foot in the door and, at the same time, sustain the insurance industry.” 

U.S. News & World Report ranks the college’s Dr. William T. Hold/The National Alliance Program in Risk Management and Insurance No. 5 in the nation among all universities and its online Master of Science in Risk Management and Insurance No. 8 among public schools. 

This year’s scholarship went to sophomore Michael Ramsey, who is majoring in RMI and actuarial science. Ramsey received the scholarship at the recent Windstorm Insurance Conference, held in Orlando and attended by nearly 1,300 insurance professionals. 

“This scholarship is a major help to me because it means I’ll be better able to attend conferences where I can start building relationships with insurance professionals and gain a better idea of what is involved in the industry,” said Ramsey, a member of Gamma Iota Sigma (GIS), the international risk management, insurance and actuarial science collegiate fraternity. He heads to Hartford, Conn., in June for a two-month leadership development internship with Travelers insurance company.

The newly created endowment aligns with WINDs’ mission to provide professional development and networking opportunities, promote awareness of property and windstorm insurance claims issues through training and certification programs, and to connect defense and policy-holder representatives for the benefit of the industry and policy holders. 

“The people at WIND have always been generous partners and supporters of the College of Business, and we’re grateful to them for their investment in our students and their confidence in our program,” said Cassandra Cole, the Dr. William T. Hold Professor in Risk Management & Insurance, chair of the Department of Risk Management/Insurance, Real Estate and Legal Studies and director of the MS-RMI program.