Finding her voice
Business student learns to speak up, take leadership roles during college career
Posted on: December 13, 2018; Updated on: December 13, 2018
By Mia Grimm, stucomm@mailbox.sc.edu
International travel has changed the course of Kailey Flannelly’s life, both at the beginning of her college career and the end.
As a freshman, Flannelly decided to go on an alternative spring break trip to Quito, Ecuador, where she worked with 10 other University of South Carolina students from all different backgrounds to help build a house for a local family.
The trip took her outside her comfort zone where the normally quiet and shy Flannelly had to meet new people. The trip taught her the importance of communication, whether between two cultures or among peers.
“I used to just listen to people, which is still super important, but I also realized that I needed to speak up more and respond to others,” says Flannelly, who is graduating with a degree in finance from the Darla Moore School of Business.
With this new outlook on life, Flannelly returned to campus and took on leadership roles. She became a founding member of Alpha Xi Delta, joined the club cross-country team and became a member of the Gamma Iota Sigma risk management fraternity. She also secured multiple internships.
This spring, Flannelly caught the travel bug again and took a Maymester course with the Moore School to New Zealand, where she visited several companies and learned how businesses work around the world.
“Something that really stuck out while I was there that is different from here in the business world is their customer service,” Flannelly says. “They pride themselves on that so much.”
“I found not only a school, but a community and a family ... ."
Kailey Flannelly, Class of 2018
As Flannelly began her job search in earnest, this factor weighed heavily in her decision to apply for positions. She found that quality customer service in Amica, a national insurance company where she will begin working as an account manager in the company’s Future Leader’s Program.
After graduation next week, she’s relocating to Rhode Island for training then could be placed at any one of Amica’s 44 locations. She says her time at Carolina has prepared her for this next stage of her life and she will always carry the things she learned here with her.
“I found not only a school, but a community and a family — one that offered a breadth of opportunities and challenges, as well as supportive and encouraging professors, peers and a staff like no other.”
Share this Story! Let friends in your social network know what you are reading about