BC's Messina College partners with Liberty Mutual Insurance
Messina College, Boston College’s new associate’s degree program which will welcome 100 first-generation students to campus this summer, has partnered with Boston-based Liberty Mutual Insurance to provide internships as part of the new residential college’s approach to career readiness.
The Liberty Mutual partnership will provide Messina students with the opportunity to work 10-12 hours a week gaining skills that relate to their majors of Applied Data Science, Applied Psychology & Human Development, General Business, and Health Sciences, said Messina College Dean Erick Berrelleza, S.J.
Erick Berrelleza, S.J.
“Internships will help our students discern where they can make their impact in the world and what their vocation might be in the broadest sense of the word,” said Fr. Berrelleza. “Liberty Mutual is a leading Boston-based company and we are very excited that they will be providing these experiences to our talented students who are overwhelmingly from Massachusetts. We are equally excited that our students will bring their diverse experiences to Liberty Mutual.”
Internships, or clinical rotations for students studying Health Sciences, will take place during the fall semester of students’ second year. Students will simultaneously take a 3-credit seminar course to help them connect their internship experience to their academic and professional goals and reflect on and articulate the professional skills they are gaining.
Berrelleza said some of the company internships will focus on business analytics – for applied data science students – while others could be in other functional areas of the company.
A presence in Boston since its founding in 1912, Liberty Mutual’s internship program provides students the opportunity to learn from accomplished business leaders, gain real-world, professional experience and work on business-critical assignments. Through comprehensive benefits, continuous learning opportunities, competitive compensation, and a supportive workplace culture, interns join a company where people from all backgrounds can build long and meaningful careers. With nearly every class, Liberty Mutual offers full-time roles to 90 percent of undergrad students and for those in two-year degree programs looking to continue their education, the company offers additional internships and tuition reimbursement opportunities.
Maura Quinn
“As a Boston-based organization, we are lucky to have some of the strongest educational institutions like Boston College in our backyard,” said Liberty Mutual’s VP of Early Career, DEI & Talent Acquisition Programs, Maura Quinn. “Through this program, we gain access to incredible talent and in return, we’re able to offer students on-the-job experiences to begin building long and meaningful careers.”
Career discernment and preparation are built into the Messina curriculum, Fr. Berrelleza said. In addition to the accompanying course, students will work closely with a Boston College Career Center coach throughout the internship process, including preparing them for the internship experience, navigating any challenges, and serving as a resource for on-site internship supervisors.
Messina College is part of Boston College’s $100 million Pine Manor Institute for Student Success initiative to enhance educational opportunity for underrepresented, first-generation students, and marks the first time BC will offer an associate’s degree.
In today’s economy, Fr. Berrelleza said work experience is crucial.
“In some of our fields of study, internships are the ways that many students secure their first jobs,” said Fr. Berrelleza. “We want to prepare Messina students for the next step in their lives and while our focus is on higher education, we want to ensure every student has that experience with employers and workforce readiness that their peers will have coming out of traditional four-year degree programs.”
“Internships will help our students discern where they can make their impact in the world and what their vocation might be in the broadest sense of the word.”
The residential college will welcome students this July, ultimately enrolling 200 students at its campus located on the former Pine Manor College, now known as the Brookline Campus of Boston College.
The Pine Manor Institute for Student Success was established in 2020 when Boston College and Pine Manor College signed an integration agreement that included a $50 million commitment from Boston College that has grown to $100 million through investment returns and an anonymous pledge of $25 million.
To learn more, visit the Messina College website.