For Johnson & Wales University Computer Science major Tucker Kerr ’27, an internship at AIPSO provided an opportunity to put his classroom experience into practice while discovering new possibilities for his career. 

“AIPSO is a nonprofit auto insurance company that works in the residual market,” Kerr explained. “The residual market, in simple terms, is a market that helps those who cannot get regular insurance due to their past auto experiences.” 

Working at the company as an assistant software engineer offered Kerr a closer look at an industry where technology, problem-solving and collaboration all play an important role. 

Putting Classroom Lessons to Work

Kerr’s internship gave him the chance to apply the fundamentals he developed through his JWU coursework in a professional environment. His typical day begins with a morning meeting, where he reviews what he accomplished the previous day and discusses his plans and priorities for the day. His responsibilities involve working on state-specific policies, creating code and helping senior team members troubleshoot issues and move forward on their work. 

“The hands-on experience within classes and working with IT for JWU has allowed me to open the door to get this internship as well as excel in it.”

While Kerr expected his programming coursework to help prepare him for an internship in technology, he found that the broader skills he developed at JWU were just as important. “My experience at JWU helped prepare me for my internship in ways that I was not expecting,” Kerr said. “Through my classes I learned the basics of problem-solving as well as programming theories.” 

Experience in the field has also played a huge role in preparing Kerr for the workplace. In addition to his classes, working as a student assistant with JWU’s IT department helped him develop the practical skills and confidence needed to take on professional responsibilities. “The hands-on experience within classes and working with IT for JWU has allowed me to open the door to get this internship as well as excel in it,” Kerr said. “JWU has really helped me build the fundamentals I needed to succeed in many roles within my career.” 

Discovering Opportunities at AIPSO

Beyond developing his technical skills, Kerr also gained a new perspective on what it can be like to start a career at a smaller, specialized organization. “AIPSO is a great company to pursue,” Kerr said. “They work within a smaller market in the insurance industry and the work that you do means a lot more.” 

The company’s welcoming environment and vast opportunities to learn made the internship particularly valuable to him. Rather than feeling like a small part of a large organization, Kerr saw how his contributions fit into the company’s broader work. “The company is very welcoming, has plenty of learning opportunities and ultimately is a great place to get your career started,” he said. 

Kerr also encourages students not to overlook smaller organizations when searching for internships and career opportunities. While large companies can seem like the obvious choice, he believes AIPSO’s local and close-knit environment provides an opportunity for students to make a meaningful impact. “Looking at big companies is often scary,” Kerr said. “With AIPSO, it’s local, small and really cares about its impact.” 

And opportunities at AIPSO extend well beyond computer science. Kerr noted that the organization includes teams working in many fields, including finance, communications, claims, actuarial services and other areas, making it a potential destination for students across a variety of majors. “You do not have to be in computer science to head into AIPSO,” Kerr said. 

Looking Ahead

Using what her learned this summer, Kerr hopes to explore different directions his career could take. In addition to strengthening his programming and problem-solving abilities, his time at AIPSO gave him a leg up in the insurance industry and demonstrated how a computer science background can be applied outside of traditional technology companies. 

“I hope to take this experience to further explore what directions of careers I want to pursue,” Kerr said, “as well as all the knowledge I gained about the insurance industry.” 

For Kerr, the internship represents the next step in a journey that began in the JWU classroom. Through his coursework, hands-on learning and experience with JWU IT, he built the foundation that helped him enter the professional world prepared to learn, contribute and discover where his career can take him.