Carmel High School seniors Varad Tanksale and Aaron Fedorcha have gained valuable experience through their internship at Jurs Insurance and Financial Services, a State Farm office in Carmel. Through their experience, they have learned firsthand to navigate professional communication, client interaction, and teamwork. As interns with the Carmel High School Work-Based Learning Program, the two have spent their semester immersed in the finance and sales industry, gaining both confidence and clarity about their future careers.

For Varad and Aaron, the internship has bridged the gap between classroom learning and real-world application. “Developing soft skills and speaking skills has definitely been the biggest takeaway,” says Aaron.

At school, we learn how to present, but here, we’ve learned how to adapt to different people and situations, getting comfortable being uncomfortable.

Varad agrees, adding that every conversation on the job brings new lessons. “You have to figure out how to connect with people quickly. Not everyone responds the same, and learning how to adjust to different communication styles has been a big part of the experience.”

As evidenced by Aaron’s and Varad’s enthusiasm, Adam Jurs has been very intentional in his approach to help students develop the skills they need for success in the workplace: “Our high school internship program is designed to give hard-working young adults an opportunity to learn real-life skills and can be catered to many skill sets they are working on in class.  We love the energy and excitement, eagerness to learn, and watching the students grow throughout the year.”

One of their mentors at State Farm, Andrew Szymanski, notes that the two interns have made a noticeable impact on the team. “Varad and Aaron have generated opportunities through outbound calls and client outreach,” says Szymanski. “They’ve helped us refine our approach by sharing what works from a student perspective and showing real persistence in following up with leads.”

Each student has learned that rejection can often be the best teacher. “Cold calling can be challenging,” Aaron admits. “You get turned down often. But I’ve learned to have a ‘next play’ mentality and not take it personally, just move on to the next call.”

According to Szymanski, that mindset has been one of the team’s biggest strengths. “Both Varad and Aaron have grown in resilience and confidence; they’ve learned that attitude is everything—if you stay positive and keep improving just one percent each day, success follows.”

The experience has also encouraged both students to think more clearly about their futures. “The internship really confirmed that I want to go into sales or finance,” says Aaron. “Working here showed how much this field is about relationships and communication.”

Through their time at State Farm, Varad and Aaron have gained a lasting understanding of what it takes to succeed in a competitive, people-centered industry. As Szymanski puts it, “They’ve learned the value of persistence, adaptability, and genuine connection—and those lessons will carry them far beyond this internship.”

Mr. Jurs adds, “Our hope is to create an interest in retirement planning,  insurance, and entrepreneurship, and to have the opportunity to work with them again one day.  We are thankful for Carmel High School and the program to help our future generations!"

Work-Based Learning Information