COUNTRY Financial Celebrates 8 Years at the University of Illinois Research Park

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  3. COUNTRY Financial Celebrates 8 Years at the University of Illinois Research Park
  4. COUNTRY Financial Celebrates 8 Years at the University of Illinois Research Park
COUNTRY Financial DigitaLab interns.

COUNTRY Financial is celebrating its 100th anniversary of providing quality insurance products and financial services to families, and 8 years of the DigitaLab at the University of Illinois Research Park.

COUNTRY Financial DigitaLab interns.

Over the last eight years, 171 students have gone through the COUNTRY Financial DigitaLab internship program. These students come from across campus including majors like information management, computer science, biology, systems engineering, statistics, business analytics, social work, economics, and advertising. DigitaLab interns are solving real-world problems through their contributions to over 200 completed projects.

Students showcase an average of eight projects per semester to their corporate office. 42% of COUNTRY Financial interns work on production or production-ready projects across application development and data science, while 20% focus on research and innovation, providing them with the real-world experience needed outside of the classroom.

“COUNTRY Financial is a great place to work – great people, culture, and interesting work. One of the primary reasons I hear from interns as to why they stay semester to semester, is the variety of projects and the level of responsibility they are given, which equates into a great experiential learning experience, setting them up for future success.” - Julia Hart

The internship program has served as a launch pad for students, as 30 interns have transitioned to full-time roles at COUNTRY Financial, contributing to a 71% conversion rate since 2019. Some interns have even gone on to work at companies like Amazon, Google, Facebook, and GoDaddy. In fact, some have returned to COUNTRY after exploring careers elsewhere.

COUNTRY Financial’s DigitaLab was founded in August 2017 under the leadership of Julia Hart, an Illinois alumna and director of the Women in Finance Academy at Gies. The DigitaLab has become a space where students begin their careers, receive mentorship, and create innovative ideas.

COUNTRY Financial DigitaLab interns.

The COUNTRY Financial DigitaLab has cultivated a community that interns describe as unlike anything they’ve experienced elsewhere. Several interns maintain contact with former interns and colleagues via LinkedIn and when traveling, reflecting the unique bonds formed during their time at the lab.

It’s no secret that the DigitaLab’s success can be credited to Julia’s leadership, as she was brought on to establish the lab. As a leader committed to success and innovation, Julia is now in her fifth year of directing the Women in Finance Academy and is launching a pilot program in Fintech at the Gies College of Business.

“Working with the students at the DigitaLab has been the highlight of my career. Having the opportunity to mentor and help them prepare for the first or next step in their career journey has been a great experience for me and I am humbled that many of them still stay in touch and continue to ask for my advice.” - Julia Hart

The Research Park, home to the DigitaLab and many other corporate innovation centers, fosters a unique community that attracts students across campus. Interns at the DigitaLab interact with the other interns across the Research Park, allowing them to make diverse and lasting connections.

As part of the eight-year celebration, around 50 former COUNTRY Financial DigitaLab interns attended a special reunion event on May 16, 2025. This reunion was a testament to the meaningful and lasting relationships created through this unique partnership. The intern reunion was meant for reminiscing about good times, as well as a perfect recruitment opportunity.  It was a chance for former interns to reconnect, share stories, and maybe even find their way back to COUNTRY Financial as experienced professionals.