February 4, 2015
Alexander Casanova, a senior Finance and Risk Management major, and Leanne Fuentes, a junior double major in Finance and Risk Management, and Marketing, have been selected as Anita Benedetti Student Involvement Program Scholars to participate in the Risk Management Society, or RIMS, 2015 Annual Conference in New Orleans.
Casanova and Fuentes are two of just 30 students nationwide selected to attend the conference. They will work with mentors, participate in conference sessions and network with risk management and insurance professionals. The program honors the late Anita Benedetti, former deputy executive director of RIMS and president of the Spencer Educational Foundation Inc.
“My hope is that we leave a lasting impression so that other St. Mary’s students can continue to attend in the years to come,” Casanova said, who also attended the conference in Denver last year through a scholarship he received from the South Texas Chapter of RIMS. Casanova, who will graduate in May, recently accepted a job offer with CNA Insurance as a commercial lines underwriting trainee in Dallas and is currently working toward a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation.
“I am thrilled and grateful to be selected for the Anita Benedetti Student Involvement Program and the opportunity to attend the conference,” Fuentes said. “I hope to gain knowledge about the important steps to excel in a career in insurance and risk management.”