As the second semester rolls by, seniors throughout Rose are faced with a decision that defines the next four years of their lives: which college they will attend. While some face adversity when it comes to choosing, senior Devin McAlduff has maintained his calm, cool and collected mentality, given that he carries a passion for commercial insurance. 

     McAlduff recently received his acceptance letter into East Carolina University's (ECU) Honors College, which brought both excitement and curiosity about what his college experience could entail. 

     “I was super pumped because I knew if I got in there, that was where I was probably going to go,” McAlduff said. “I've heard a lot of good things about the Honors College, and they have one of the best risk management programs on the East Coast.” 

​

graphic by Maggie JArman

     This acceptance then further encouraged McAlduff’s wishes to major in business, leading him to ponder about attending both the business school and the risk management program, which happens to have a speciality of commercial insurance. As the program is packed full of McAlduff’s interests and very favorable benefits for his future, he naturally leaned towards that occupation.

      Although McAlduff is now set on his academic plans, he has not always carried this eagerness and been educated about the line of business, as he only found out about risk management during the summer of 2025. 

     “I knew before applying to ECU and the Honors College that [commercial insurance] was kind of what I wanted to do,” McAlduff said. “I found out about it through one of my dad’s friends, and he had a really cool work-life balance, plus he makes pretty good money.”

     Around the time when he became more informed on commercial insurance and business, McAlduff took a day off from his leisurely summer-day lifestyle when he decided to reach out to ECU business school professor Kurt Fickling about attending one of the business school’s tours. 

     “[The tour] kind of helped me get my foot in the door, [and] meeting him for the first time, I didn't know … that he was important as he is,” McAlduff said.“I later found out that Kurt Fickling [is] kind of the bigwig of the business school.”

     After McAlduff made it up in his mind that commercial insurance was going to be his niche, he and his mother began to figure out the steps they had to take in order to introduce him to the profession that he sought after. 

     His mom then reached out to Margret Turner, who is heavily involved in the General Admissions process at ECU. After that, Turner got McAlduff in contact with ECU Honord Student, Kooper Ashmore. 

     Kooper Ashmore is the president of the Gamma lota Sigma club at ECU, which is the risk management insurance fraternity. As soon as McAlduff reached out to Ashmore, a date was set to discuss the details of that club, increasing his excitement about the possibility of a future in insurance. 

     “I was talking to Kooper about what I wanted to do, so he then asked me to lunch, so I went with him and one other member, [fellow Rose Alum], Andrew Knight-Hyatt,” McAlduff said. “We went and talked, I learned more about the program and what it's all about,” McAlduff said. 

     After achieving both a belly full of food and a brain full of knowledge, McAlduff reached back out to his previous tour guide, Kurt Fickling, where he got invited to a special event hosted by Gamma lota Sigma. 

     “I texted him after my lunch with Kooper … he then invited me to one of their interest meetings, so I went and learned more about the club,” McAlduff said. “The club … is super beneficial to all of [the members] because they take several trips out and around the country and [attend] different conferences where you interview and talk to different companies.”

     As the meeting concluded and McAlduff went home for the night, he reflected on all of the information he had learned about in the time span of a few days. Currently, risk management employees are in high demand and learning about that grew both McAlduff’s confidence and desire to further utilize this program. 

     “I didn’t realize how many good things are coming out of ECU and that program right now, which opened my eyes at that meeting,” McAlduff said.

     Risk management is not only a great pathway for McAlduff because it incorporates all of his niche interests in one job, but also because of the lifestyle he would have shortly after he walks the stage at ECU’s graduation. 

     “Mr. Fickling told me that every single one of his students has come out with a job starting anywhere from 60 to 70 thousand their first year after four years with him,” McAlduff said. “Which was great because I didn’t want to go to school and worry about … what I'm going to do next.”

     As McAlduff has dove into the deep end of risk management, he feels he has a few words of advice for any other students who are interested in business, just like he has been.

     “Business is a good major, and you can do a lot of things with it,” McAlduff said. “It's really broad, which is great, but have a more specific idea of what you want to do within the major.”