More than half of the 355-plus college students who have participated in the Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association's annual internship program since its inception in 1981 end up working in the industry.

"Supporting interns is important for several reasons," says Gerald Dupre, president and chief underwriting officer of the specialty insurance division of Hallmark Financial Services and 2022 co-chair of WSIA's Internship Committee. "These interns are top-notch students who we want to enter the surplus lines workforce, and many of them will have opportunities outside of (the wholesale insurance business), so it's imperative that we support their summer experience in our industry so they will have a good understanding of the opportunities afforded here. They also have their own networks, and we want them to go out and speak positively about the experience."