Valdrin Sadiku, Class of 2009, Prospect, CT

What are you up to? I’m in my final year at The University of Hartford, studying Risk Management and Insurance. I also just started a full-time position at Travelers Insurance in Hartford, CT working in the claims department. I have also been very fortunate to work with a start up company Tauruseer, a Risk Management Platform, for this Spring semester.

How'd you get here? After my high school career was in the books, it was a rough road of working countless hours. I wasn't interested in going to college right after high school, so I moved to Florida in 2010 and worked for a home improvement company loading trucks at Raymond's Building Supply Company. The long physical hours put a big toll on my body, physically and mentally, and I knew that this was not where I wanted to be. I felt that the only solution to make something of myself was to pursue my education again.

After years of being away from school, I finally enrolled to Pasco-Hernando State College in Wesley Chapel, Florida in 2015. I found myself with a new generation of students where I thought I was never going to fit in, but man was I wrong. Joining the institution was a great eye opener for opportunity as well as understanding that age is just a number. In 2017 I received my AA (associates degree). This was just the beginning of a long road in education.

In 2018, I moved back home to Connecticut and had the goal of finishing my education in a well respected university. I chose The University of Hartford to study in the Barney School of Business. By working hard to meet deadlines and to be the best student possible, I achieved membership status in the National Honor Society, which is truly something I thought I would never accomplish.

Just remember that it doesn't matter what your background is or how old you are, the opportunity to grow starts with the will you have in yourself.

What are your goals? I am grateful to be employed and start a career with a well established company at Travelers. I feel this is just a starting point in my career where I can learn the principles of the insurance industry and keep moving forward. I plan to work hard and become an Underwriter or Risk Manager for a well respected firm. The ultimate goal is to own my own business or reach the level of a Vice President in the insurance field. Don't let fear get into the way as risk can be a valuable reward. The sky is the limit, if you want it bad enough.

If you could tell your high school self one thing, what would it be? Crack the books harder. Be responsible for your positive outcomes, learn from the negative.