State Farm Projects:
My work at State Farm revolved largely around supporting and promoting the newly introduced State Farm program for individuals perusing an agency career. This new design, the Agent Aspirant Program, is a path for individuals to train to become State Farm agents after working under the guidance of a current agent. To support the program, I analyzed leadership best practices surrounding the Agent Aspirant Program and created prompts for Sales Leaders to answer so they could then be advertised to other State Farm employees in field leadership roles. I also created timeline representations of the program to be used to help various audiences understand the program phases. Additionally, I worked to document and record processes of the Agent Aspirant Program to help ensure easy access to past decisions. Beyond my efforts surrounding the Agent Aspirant Program, I also handled the task of compiling contacts across the Agency Development Centers and Agency Recruiting centers to be used for intern tracking purposes as well as developing organization techniques for business success.
Red Cross Projects:
This summer at the American Red Cross I worked on enhancing the current Ready Rating membership program they have through various avenues. Ready Rating is an online program that allows organizations, schools, and businesses to gauge their level of preparedness, and then use tools to help them improve it as well. To maintain active membership, I worked to develop an organized process for Red Cross coordinators to communicate with Ready Rating members on a consistent basis. Through creating customized email templates and membership lists, personally delivering certificates to active members, and even presenting on the Ready Rating program to community members, I was able to help increase membership motivation and promote awareness of the program. Additionally, I worked to help develop a Ready Rating workshop for faith-based organizations in the area, an objective of the American Red Cross following the tornadoes that affected Central Illinois last November. Outside of the Ready Rating program, I was able to gain a sense of the work that the American Red Cross accomplishes as a whole: I also collected feedback from recipients of American Red Cross disaster services, assisted in a blood drive, helped educate community members about the history of the American Red Cross, and more.
Brittany’s Grant:
The American Red Cross requested funds to assist them in their interactive workshop for faith-based organizations, “Growing Resilient Communities.” This workshop will educate leaders of their faith-based organizations on steps their organization can take to respond to a disaster in an appropriate and efficient manner. The American Red Cross strives to provide compassionate care to those in need and is committed to educating communities on emergency planning and preparation. Through this program, they will be able to exercise both objectives by enhancing preparedness levels of organizations throughout the community. Not only do churches serve as a place of worship for their immediate congregation, but they often times provide services to many vulnerable populations as well. The more prepared they are to respond to and recover from an emergency, the sooner they will be able to continue serving and providing a safe environment for their own congregation and the additional vulnerable populations they serve. Through this workshop we hope to provide them with the necessary information to help them prepare for and recover from a disaster and understand the role they can play in helping the greater community recover from a disaster as well.
A Note From Brittany:
Thank you to all the kind, intelligent people I met this summer at State Farm and the American Red Cross. This internship has given me rewarding challenges, enormous growth, and a variety of opportunities. You have all offered me a summer filled with positive experiences and invaluable lessons to take with me as I continue down my career path in the future— for that, I cannot thank you enough.