State Farm, which has donated more than $2.4 million to The University of Texas at Dallas since 2014 for student-focused initiatives, recently hosted 46 students from the Undergraduate Success Scholars (USS) program for a career day and workshop at the company’s offices in Richardson, Texas.
The USS program provides academic support and professional development resources for UT Dallas students in underrepresented communities through immersive experiences such as workshops, mentorships, internships and networking opportunities. State Farm has supported the program since 2019, and that has helped drive an increase in the number of students served to more than 350.
“This is something that has been in the works for probably about three to four years, pre-COVID, and this year we’re finally able to make it happen,” said Princella McNair, a corporate responsibility analyst at State Farm.
The State Farm career-day event included a panel discussion on professional development with senior staff and opportunities to network with representatives from a variety of departments.
“The most valuable experience I had was definitely speaking to the networking panel,” said Gabe Puente, a computer science junior. “It was so interesting to hear all the things they had to say. I was specifically interested in claims and underwriting, so I was talking to them on how claim policy works.”
The State Farm staff members led a comprehensive tour through their workspaces and around the company’s campus. Students had the opportunity to see the workflow of a day in the company’s offices.
“I’m not used to working in areas like [State Farm’s office], nor is my family, so it’s very exciting to be the first one in my family to go and experience this workspace,” said Marisella Mendoza, a computer science junior. “I’m so excited to tell my little sisters, ‘Hey, maybe one day you can work in an office like this.’ I like that State Farm has a lot of areas where you can connect and collaborate with other people.”
Scholars are expected to attend at least two workshops each semester — like the one at State Farm — and participate in an academic enrichment experience. They also are invited to attend cultural events around the Dallas-Fort Worth area and get involved with on-campus leadership opportunities.
“This is a program that gives students like me, who are underrepresented or who don’t get as much recognition on campus, opportunities we wouldn’t typically find,” said Kevin Kibe, a psychology senior.
McNair said, “UTD is one of our priority schools here in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. That means that we emphasize recruiting, connection, volunteering and engagement with our philanthropic funding for UTD. And that’s very important — investing in students, investing in their education because it’s a part of our giving-back philosophy.”
“This is a program that gives students like me, who are underrepresented or who don’t get as much recognition on campus, opportunities we wouldn’t typically find.”
Kevin Kibe, a psychology senior
The collaboration between State Farm and UT Dallas focuses on increasing access to higher education for all North Texas students. Nearly 42% of UTD’s bachelor’s degrees are earned by economically disadvantaged students. A significant portion of State Farm’s contributions to the University has supported endowed scholarships to assist low-income and first-generation students.
“We are here to build safer, stronger, better-educated communities,” McNair said. “Being able to give back to these students is a wonderful opportunity. UT Dallas graduates are a major part of North Texas’ future workforce, so we’ll see a return on this investment when they give back to us in the future.”