AIG Direct Scholarship Program
A Future Within Reach
Since 2018, AIG Direct has been a proud supporter of the Life Happens “Life Lessons” Scholarship program. The program provides academic scholarships to college students who have been financially impacted by the loss of a parent, who either did not have a life insurance policy or lacked the adequate coverage needed to support their family following their passing.
Each year, AIG Direct reviews students’ compelling and heartfelt stories detailing how losing a parent personally affected their lives and how life insurance could have functioned as the financial support system needed during that time. The students’ determination despite facing adversity inspires us and reinforces the importance of protecting families through the products we offer.
AIG Direct’s President, Kevin Wilshusen, spearheads the annual scholarship review process with a committee of judges made up of AIG Direct colleagues. Both Kevin and the committee are directly involved in carefully reviewing each submission and selecting the scholarship recipients. To Kevin Wilshusen, these students serve as an inspiration. He explains,
Every day, at AIG Direct, we help families protect their loved ones in the event of an untimely death. Unfortunately, there are times when a child loses a parent or guardian who either didn’t have life insurance or the insurance they had wasn’t enough to cover the financial loss. To hear how these young adults have persevered and continue to be successful even after losing a loved one is inspirational. We are proud to be a part of this great program and help students further their education.
AIG Direct has awarded $75,000 in scholarships
to help students further their education. Learn about our current and past winners, hear their stories, and the value life insurance has on those that are left behind.
I often think about how different things would be if [my mother] had adequate life insurance and how much less we would have to worry. Because of the little preparation for things that we could have never imagined happened to us, it’s left up to me to figure it out on my own.
The security of having life insurance is the price of knowing not to take life for granted. That's a promise I have made myself.
What [a life insurance policy] could have done was provide financial stability that allowed us to move forward, rebuild our lives, and plan for a future… Be prepared because life comes at you whether you are ready or not.
Past Winners
If we had adequate life insurance, we could still be in our home, and I would not be dealing with the possibility of not attending college due to our financial hardship. You do not realize how important life insurance is until you are in a situation like ours.
When you’re a child, you don’t think of ‘reality’. You think about playing outside with your friends, eating ice cream with your brother and sister, and telling mom and dad about the bad dreams you had last night. Well, that is what I thought. We never expected to lose someone as strong and caring as my father.
My mother’s death did teach me the importance of having life insurance… It’s a daily struggle trying to figure out how I’m going to fund my education and how we are going to move forward.
No parents should ever be without life insurance. My dad failed to renew his policy…without my dad’s income we are facing the poverty level as my mom is trying to be both a mom and a dad and also working three jobs just to make ends meet.
If my father had life insurance, I would be able to accept any one of [my college] offers without hesitation. But for now, we are trying to acquire loans…I want to begin a new chapter of my life and share my story in hopes of giving others in my situation strength when they may be feeling weak.
