Hartford Insurance Giant Celebrates Special Internship Program

HARTFORD, CT — A local insurance giant this week celebrated more than just good returns on the bottom line.

It celebrated a program that provides the gift of opportunity to a population benefiting from that.

On Wednesday, Travelers hosted a dinner in celebration of the 15th anniversary of Travelers EDGE, the company’s education to career pipeline program at its offices in Hartford.

According to the company, "Travelers EDGE (Empowering Dreams for Graduation and Employment) aims to increase access to higher education for underrepresented students and bring awareness to the many careers in the insurance and financial services industry."

Once enrolled in college, Travelers EDGE scholars benefit from financial support, Travelers mentors, internship and job shadowing opportunities, as well as professional development workshops.

Since inception, Travelers has supported more than 500 underrepresented students gain access to a higher education, according to company officials.

Of those participants, 314 students have graduated from Travelers EDGE, 203 graduates have interned at Travelers and 111 graduates have accepted full-time positions at the company, according to Travelers.

“When you intern at Travelers, you aren’t just a college student – you are fully immersed in the company,” says Jah’shawn Vanholten, a Travelers EDGE scholar.

“I felt like I belonged. I was part of a team and attended meetings with leaders from across the company, experiencing the corporate culture through lunches and events alongside colleagues. Travelers is a company that people idolize – when I’m in downtown Hartford for class, I look at the Travelers Tower and I think, ‘I was in there. I worked there.’”

For more information on the Travelers EDGE program, click on this link.