Before Da'jua Quarterman ever considered a career in insurance, she experienced firsthand the difference it can make.
After losing a loved one, she saw the challenges her family faced without life insurance. Years later, she would find herself on the other side of those conversations, helping customers navigate some of life's most challenging times with empathy and compassion.
"I want customers to know there's a human behind every conversation," Da'jua said. "Helping people understand their coverage and supporting them through difficult moments is incredibly fulfilling."
But that future wasn't always clear. In 2019, Da'jua was juggling four part-time jobs while taking college classes, searching for a path that offered stability and opportunity. Then, during a visit to her college library, she met a Year Up United recruiter. After watching a short video about the program, she applied and interviewed the very same day.
At the time, she knew almost nothing about the insurance industry. "I thought New York Life was a magazine," she remembered with a laugh.
Today, six years after beginning her Year Up United internship with New York Life in Tampa Bay, Da'jua serves as an Advanced Resolution Team Associate. She works on complex customer issues, partners with teams across the organization, and helps improve processes that strengthen the customer experience.
As a student in Year Up United's Business Career Pathway, Da'jua gained technical knowledge and workplace skills that continue to shape her career. She learned how to communicate professionally, deliver an elevator pitch, network with confidence, and advocate for herself. She also strengthened her presentation skills, learning how to communicate effectively with everyone from customers to senior leadership.
Da’jua started her internship at New York Life in early 2020, where she joined the customer service team just as the COVID-19 pandemic transformed the workplace. Despite the uncertainty, she adapted quickly, converted to a full-time role following her internship, and continued building her expertise in the insurance industry.
"As an intern, I remember giving my elevator pitch in the elevator to a New York Life senior leader," she said. "It helped me practice networking and taught me to advocate for my skills at any given moment."
Through her customer-facing roles, Da'jua gained a deeper understanding of the people behind each policy and the importance of delivering thoughtful support during critical times. Those experiences spurred her continued growth at New York Life.
After earning her insurance license, Da'jua continued expanding her skills through Year Up United's alumni resources, completing a Google Data Analytics Certificate that prepared her for more analytical and project-focused work. As she advanced within New York Life, she moved from directly supporting customers to helping solve broader challenges that impact customers and employees across the organization.
Her advice to young adults considering the insurance industry is simple: "It doesn't matter that you don't know anything about insurance. What matters is that you're willing to learn and that you know your ‘why.’ If you invest in yourself, you'll leave with so much more than you came with."
Even after graduating, Year Up United has remained a constant in Da'jua's life.
As one of more than 40 Year Up United alumni at New York Life Direct, she has helped mentor new interns, supported a Year Up United alumni mentorship pilot, and is working to strengthen the alumni community by connecting graduates across the company.
"Half of what I know is because of other Year Up United alumni," she said. "Now I want to pay that forward."
For Da'jua, bringing alumni together creates a network where graduates can share advice, encourage one another, and advocate for future career opportunities. It's this support system that has helped her advance her career — and one she's committed to building for others.
That commitment reflects the broader partnership between Year Up United and New York Life. Beyond creating internships and career opportunities, the organizations are working together to help alumni build long-term financial well-being. Through Year Up United's Generational Wealth Series — made possible by the support of the New York Life Foundation — more than 50 alumni to date have received personalized financial coaching and financial literacy resources to help them build wealth and plan for the future. The program equips participants with practical strategies for managing money, building credit, saving for major milestones like homeownership, and achieving their long-term financial goals.
Looking back, Da'jua is grateful that Year Up United introduced her to an industry she never imagined joining.
"When I celebrated my first year at New York Life, I realized I had gone from taking a chance on myself to having a career," she said. "That career helped me become a homeowner. It really was my year up."
For young adults exploring what's next, Da'jua hopes her story offers reassurance. You don't need to know everything about an industry before getting started. With the right support, a willingness to learn, and a strong community, one opportunity can become the foundation for a career you didn’t see coming.