UMPI Class of 2017 Bachelors in Business Administration
When applying to colleges, Tyler Proulx of Presque Isle wasn’t sure if he would stay in state or head out of state to receive his education with only two institutions in Maine amongst those he applied to. Being initially undecided on his major and factoring in UMPI’s quality, small class sizes, and affordability, including the option to commute from home, Tyler decided to earn his wings at UMPI.
During his time at UMPI, Tyler was able to work in the campus mailroom and is quick to credit his supervisor, Don Sirois, as a factor in his success. Don became a vital part of Tyler’s support system while he was on campus and offered the flexibility to balance work and classes.
Stacey Emery, Assistant Professor of Business, and Tyler’s academic advisor was instrumental in Tyler being able to graduate early through careful scheduling and taking advantage of summer classes. Stacey also opened doors by encouraging networking and leveraging her business connections along the way. Tyler was shocked by the access to the business community, locally, regionally, and beyond offered by the faculty and UMPI’s active Business Club. Not something one would expect of a smaller institution.
For his last class, with help from Stacey, Tyler landed an internship at MMG, an insurance company that writes more than $175 million in premiums in partnership with more than 190 Independent Agencies across 460 locations throughout Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
During his internship, Tyler had the unique opportunity to engage in job shadowing across all departments. Additionally, he received targeted training within his assigned duties, mentoring, education, and the chance to interact with the entire management team. Outside of the office, interns participated in various community service projects. While based at the corporate headquarters in Presque Isle, Maine, Tyler, and his fellow interns were given the capacity to network with both the local community and business partners throughout MMG’s five-state operational footprint.
Following the completion of his internship and graduation, Tyler began working at MMG the following Monday as an Associate Personal Lines Underwriter. Tyler handles a mix of responsibilities from assisting other underwriters and policy renewal underwriting. Supporting underwriters entails ordering inspections on properties, and sending loss recommendations, while policy renewal underwriting requires reviewing home, auto, and umbrella policy renewals. Both sides of his role involve general communication with agencies, and any needed policy changes or endorsements.
Tyler credits UMPI’s tight connection with MMG and their internship program for the job he has today.
“If you are looking for a tight-knit community built on collaboration and mutual respect then UMPI is a good fit for you.”
“UMPI may not meet your needs if a large school is a must, but for those of us looking for a high-quality, cost-effective, and personal education with lots of real-world opportunities UMPI is perfect.”
