AHOU EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND

Education. It's a core value of AHOU association affiliation and membership. Because AHOU is dedicated to continuing the pursuit of various educational opportunities for its members, we're pleased to offer educational scholarships for the benefit of life underwriters, ranging from junior to mid-level (3-10 years in the profession), who show an interest in expanding their technical leadership and knowledge base.  This year AHOU is pleased to provide ten educational scholarships for the benefit of junior and mid-level life underwriters.

AHOU PREMIER EDUCATION AWARD (1)

Admission to AHOU’s Annual Conference (including registration fees, coach airfare, accommodations, meals, and airport transfers); and AHOU membership and Advance360 access for the remainder of the year.

REGIONAL EDUCATION AWARD (1)

Admission to one regional underwriting conference (including registration fees, coach airfare, accommodations, meals, and airport transfers); and AHOU membership and Advance360 access for the remainder of the year.

ADVANCE360 AWARD (3)

AHOU membership and Advance360 access for the remainder of the year.

MEMBERSHIP AWARD (5)

AHOU membership for the remainder of the year.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 3-10 years of experience in a production underwriting role with a life insurance or reinsurance carrier;
• Never attended and in the next 12 months does not have a corporate-sponsored opportunity to attend a regional underwriting conference outside your region or to attend an AHOU conference;
• Completed LOMA Level 1, ACS and/or ALMI coursework required for FLMI designation;
  
• Completed ALU 101 (minimum);
• Physically located in the continental United States; and
  
• Manager approval to attend the Annual AHOU Conference or a regional conference.

2019 AWARD RECIPIENTS

AHOU Premier Education Award

DeAnn Crane

Underwriting Assistant, Western Fraternal Life Association

DeAnn began her underwriting career a little over four years ago when she joined Western Fraternal Life.  Prior to Western, DeAnn had approximately 12 years in the industry , in a range of roles including training, claims, and service.  She earned her Bachelor's Degree from Coe College, which is located just blocks from Western's home office in Cedar Rapids. DeAnn really enjoy the challenges and learning opportunities that underwriting provides.  In her free time, DeAnn enjoys attending her kid's events, traveling, seeing shows, and spending time with family and friends.

Regional Education Award

Shena Harris

Associate Underwriter, Brighthouse Financial

Shena Harris, originally from Long Island, NY, decided she wanted a career in the ever-changing medical field after graduating high school in 2003. Because she spent much of her childhood in the hospital and doctor offices with her mom, she knew the clinical environment was not for her. In 2004, she went to trade school for Medical Billing and Coding at a technical college where she learned about medical technology and body systems. Upon obtaining her certification, she was unable to secure an entry level opportunity in Medical Billing, so she accepted a Customer Service job working for an Allstate Insurance agent. After working in the industry for a few years, she learned of the Underwriting role and aspired to one day become an underwriter. Relocating to Charlotte, NC in 2009 to care for her Mother, she continued her work in the insurance industry working for Allstate and Nationwide Insurance where she had to cross sell life insurance. She eventually became a liaison between life insurance agents and the life insurance underwriter, where her curiosity further grew. In 2015, she discovered an opportunity with MetLife to become an Underwriting trainee where she was hired to assess Preferred risk classed. In 2017, she was promoted to Associate Underwriter where she completed training, and was granted authority to assess complex risk for all rate classes. During her time at MetLife, which is now Brighthouse Financial, Shena has obtained her ACS and ALMI designations, completed ALU 101, and obtained her Associate degree in business management at Strayer University online. In the future, she would like to open a state of the art underwriting academy school for aspiring underwriters.