Our story begins in 2016. Jackson, then a 15-year old sophomore at Bloomington High School, spotted a flyer from State Farm talking about an IT internship. It piqued his interest and he planned to apply when he met the age requirement at 16.

All in the family

“All I really knew about State Farm was that it was a good place to work; I’d heard my mom say that for as long as I can remember,” Jackson said.

Jackson’s mom, Natalie, has been with State Farm for 23 years and encouraged him to apply when he was in high school.

It was a great decision. Not only did Jackson gain experience in coding and IT work while in high school, he was also in a great position to start a new internship through the Research and Development Center (RDC) when he started at the University of Illinois.

A program that works

RDC is located on campus at U of I and matches students with internship opportunities at State Farm. Not only does this program help students gain real world experience, it also helps State Farm recruit top level students, like Jackson.

“The RDC recruits exclusively to the University of Illinois which houses the #6 Computer Engineering program in the country, so we get to meet some extraordinary students,” said Intern Coordinator Heather Park.

“I got the chance to work on all kinds of cool things at the RDC,” said Jackson. “Everybody there really takes an interest in what the interns want to learn, which is great.”

By the time he’d finished his first year, he told his mom he’d decided that he wanted to work for State Farm.

Making it official

Jackson’s internship will officially come to an end on Dec. 10, but his State Farm journey is just beginning. He’ll be starting as an official member of the State Farm family, working out of the Atlanta Hub.

“I’m really grateful,” said Jackson. “I’m grateful for State Farm for giving me these great opportunities, and I’m grateful to my mom for helping me out, as well.”

State Farm® is using technology to help homeowners better prepare and recover from the devastating impact of wildfires. These new tech tools - a sensor, an app, and your smartphone - places the power of preparation in the palm of consumers’ hands. Currently, 4.5 million U.S. homes are identified as being at high risk of wildfire. This makes the technology and wildfire preparation tools even more critical.

Ting

Ting is a plug-in device and smartphone app produced by Whisker Labs, a company specializing in fire safety using advanced technology to monitor electrical systems in the home and on the electrical utility grid.

The device is the size of a plug-in night light and can offer protection from electrical fires. Once plugged into a home electrical outlet, Ting is on the lookout for unique signals that are indicative of an electrical problem that could lead to a home fire. These signals can originate from loose connections, damaged wires or faulty devices and appliances, or from faults on the grid. If Ting detects anything unusual, it sends a notification to the customer’s mobile phone while also notifying the Whisker Labs’ monitoring center.

Electrical fires are responsible for originating 13% of all U.S. home fires, with an annual cost of $1.3 billion (National Fire Protection Association 2019 Survey). That’s an alarming statistic. While Ting can help detect electrical fire hazards in the home, it can also help detect wildfire ignition risks from the grid. The device can detect signals from malfunctions or fluctuations on the grid that indicate the risk of a fault or larger arcing event. A common example is electrical transformers that are typically installed outside the home to reduce the high-voltage supply from the grid into the low-voltage needed for a residence. When transformers work well, we don’t notice them. It’s a different story when they begin to experience issues and fail to operate correctly, or simply fail outright (Ting). These faults can cause safety issues, fire hazards, and damage to devices inside your home or produce sparks that could trigger a wildfire and potentially put other structures at risk.

Last summer, Whisker Labs helped launch a significant distribution program in partnership with State Farm. Eligible State Farm customers in Arizona, California, and Texas received Ting for free by simply enrolling online. In May, Whisker Labs announced 40,000 Ting devices had been distributed. Expansion to more customers in more states is planned in 2021.

IBHS Wildfire Ready App

Living in the era of apps, it is logical that the second new tool in a homeowners’ wildfire mitigation toolbox comes in app form. The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) is one of the leading sources in the science of catastrophes. Leveraging their latest research, the goal of their new Wildfire Ready Virtual app is to help homeowners prepare their homes for a wildfire. The app uses augmented reality so that once you point your smartphone at your home, you can “see” the weak points. It also walks you through specific do-it-yourself (DIY) projects, including remodeling tips to make your home more fire resistant.

State Farm participated in the development of this app that you can download and try for yourself anytime (download for Apple or Android phones). Motivated to do even more? Check these extra wildfire protection tips in the IBHS Wildfire Ready Guide.

Home inventory

Unfortunately, there will be instances where despite preparation efforts, a wildfire may destroy your home. Recovering from such a devastating event is difficult but technology can help. This is where the third tech tool, your smartphone, takes center stage. A home inventory can show visual proof of what was in your home before it was damaged or destroyed. To this effect, the storytelling capabilities of today’s smartphones are a great ally.

A simple way to do a home inventory is to walk through each room of your home, taking pictures and videos of everything in it. Don’t forget to also step outside and take images of the structure and everything around it.

Let me introduce you to Mary. In this video she tells us the story of losing her home to a wildfire in Santa Barbara. No one better than her and her agent, Irene, to give us a home inventory 101.

So switch on these tech tools and take your wildfire safety to a whole new level.

Do you know how you get a robot to tell a story?

The fourth graders at DeSales Catholic School in Lockport, NY, do. They use color to “code” their Ozobots to help them demonstrate reading comprehension to their teacher Jake Weiland.

To get his students excited about reading he uses graphic novels. He used to have the students tell him about the plot, action and problem solved in the stories. Now they map out the story using the bots. The STEAM-based concept reinforces their problem-solving skills.

They choose actions that represent the various story events. Coding is done with color and the way they “draw” the story determines the bot’s actions. They select different actions to represent things that happen in the story and get the bots to help them “retell” the story in the right order.

For example, the bot might move slowly at the beginning, conflict represented by a tornado-like move and do a mini-dance when a problem is solved. The movements are accompanied with color-changing lights.

Weiland borrowed the bots from a local resource center. His $2,500 Assist Grant will allow him to purchase a set for his classroom.

“The kids love it. They name their bots and search for 'theirs' even though they are all the same,” Jake said. “We are currently in-person, but if out of class, the students can do the lessons at home.”

The graphic novels also offer extra support for readers and can be used for “book clubs.” In addition to the literacy benefits, a book club supports social and emotional learning in a time when many students need it most.

“This is a hard time for our young people. These new learning opportunities help them recover educationally from the instructional interruption from the pandemic,” he added.

‘How does this thing work?’

Ranjita Sahu

Ranjita Sahu loves a challenge. You may even think of her as a detective – working behind the scenes testing auto insurance products before they’re released to the customer. A first generation immigrant to the United States, Ranjita’s zest for adventure combined with her can-do attitude means she’s well equipped to solve problems and uncover solutions each day.

“Seeing the code come to life on my screen is magical,” said Ranjita. “I’m looking into complex issues, figuring out how to break things, and then make those things even better for the public to use.”

For example, when prospective customers visit statefarm.com to get an auto quote, they’re interacting with the code Ranjita produced.

As for being a woman in tech?

“I’ve specialized in technical roles throughout my career,” she said. “While some may look at State Farm and say, ‘Oh that’s an insurance company,’ it’s way more than that. State Farm is an industry level tech company that’s working to deliver personalized customer experiences.”

“I’d love to see more women in engineering roles,” she said. “It’s about growing confidence, asking questions and believing in your abilities. I’m grateful to the women and men who encouraged me to reach higher. We’re better together.”

‘How can this add value?’

Angela Simpson

While attending a college job fair, Angela Simpson spotted the State Farm Insurance booth. It was there she learned State Farm offered many more opportunities than “just insurance.”

“I started in Auto Underwriting and eventually came to one of the largest departments at State Farm – Enterprise Technology. Today, I’m a technology manager, supporting business intelligence tools that help employees make business decisions, analyze information and develop reports,” Angela explained.

Angela has been a State Farm employee for nearly 30 years and loves collaborating, relationship building and brainstorming with team members.

“As we continue to examine technology that will move us into the next frontier, I always ask, ‘Why is this tool, process or product important? How can it help people?’ At the end of the day, it’s about providing value to others.”

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Angela moved to the United States at the age of 10. When it comes to personal and professional life, Angela shares a piece of advice she learned at a young age, and continues to apply today:

“Don’t box yourself in. Be open to new opportunities. Often, it’s that opportunity you never imagined that leads to success. Take chances. The sky is the limit.”

‘What can I do to make a difference in this world?’

Liz Pulver

Liz Pulver is passionate about people, cars and public safety. A Senior Experience Researcher, she studies how humans interact with vehicle technology to improve auto and transportation safety.

“It’s about acceptance and trust,” said Liz. “We’re examining how people of all ages respond to automated technologies. From cruise control, to parking assist, to full-fledged self-driving cars – as vehicles evolve, we’re evolving with them to advance safely into the future.”

Liz’s work also involves collaborating with universities to conduct studies and share findings. Her research serves as a voice for the public, helps educate communities and guides business decisions.

“I’ve grown and shifted a lot in my career. When I started at State Farm in 2010 I was the only woman in a room full of men. But I didn’t let that intimidate me. I tapped into my inquisitive side: observing the process, asking questions and leveraging new information to build relationships. Soon, I was the one leading meetings and mentoring employees. By discovering my voice, I’ve become a voice for others.”