3 Careers That Started With an Internship at Mutual of Omaha

An internship can help students gain experience, build professional skills and explore potential career paths. Sometimes, it can also be the start of a long-term career.

At Mutual of Omaha, interns work on meaningful projects, collaborate with experienced professionals and gain exposure to the business in ways that help prepare them for what's next. For some, those experiences become the foundation for a successful career with the company.

As we celebrate National Intern Day, we're highlighting three associates whose journeys began as interns and continue to grow today.

Katie Crane: From intern to senior actuary

Today, Katie Crane is a senior actuary at Mutual of Omaha. Her journey began nearly a decade ago as an actuarial intern in 2017.

Drawn to the program's rotational structure and development opportunities, Crane spent the summer completing two six-week rotations across different actuarial teams. She continued working part-time in Workplace Solutions while finishing college before joining Mutual of Omaha full-time as an actuarial assistant after graduation in 2018.

Over the years, Crane continued to build her expertise through the company's Actuarial Student Program, earning her Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) designation in 2023 and advancing to actuary. Earlier this year, she was promoted to senior actuary.

Looking back, Crane says her internship provided more than technical experience. It gave her confidence in her abilities and helped prepare her for a successful career.

"The most valuable thing I gained was confidence — both in my technical abilities and in navigating a professional environment,” Crane said.

The mentorship, hands-on experience and professional relationships she built as an intern helped lay the foundation for the career she continues to build today.

Ally Graves: Turning curiosity into a technology career

Today, Ally Graves is an information services manager at Mutual of Omaha. Her journey began in 2018 as an information technology intern.

Starting in a business analyst role, Graves gained exposure to business requirements, process improvement and collaboration across teams. As she worked alongside fellow interns and experienced associates, she discovered a growing interest in more technical work, including user interface development, API architecture and business process design.

Over multiple internships, she gained experience across Information Services and Internal Audit, helping her better understand the organization while identifying the type of work she enjoyed most.

After graduation, Graves joined Mutual of Omaha as an application developer, where she continued building her technical expertise while learning from experienced leaders and teammates. As her career progressed, she took on increasing responsibility, ultimately advancing into leadership as an information services manager.

For Graves, one of the most impactful aspects of the internship experience was seeing how classroom learning translates into meaningful business outcomes.

"The most valuable thing I gained from my internship was the ability to translate what I learned in an academic setting into a professional, real-world environment,” Graves said.

That experience, combined with the relationships she built along the way, helped shape the leader she is today.

Will Grimes: Building a foundation for success in finance

Today, Will Grimes is a senior finance analyst at Mutual of Omaha. His journey with the company began as a Finance and Accounting Development Program (FADP) intern in 2022.

After changing his major from marketing to finance, Grimes was eager to gain practical experience and explore where a career in finance could take him.

Working on the FP&A Data Strategy team, he supported stakeholder engagement and change management initiatives as data systems were being replaced or modernized. The experience allowed him to develop communication, relationship-building and problem-solving skills while contributing to meaningful projects.

After completing his internship, Grimes transitioned into the FADP program, where he continued building his business knowledge and professional network. Today, he’s a senior finance analyst, applying many of the skills he first developed during his internship.

As he reflects on his internship experience, one takeaway stands out.

"The most valuable thing I gained was confidence in my ability to communicate ideas and propose solutions to challenges I encountered,” Grimes said.

That confidence not only helped prepare him for the next phase of his career but continues to influence how he approaches new opportunities and challenges today.

More than an internship

While their careers have taken them in different directions, Crane, Graves and Grimes share a common experience: an internship that helped launch their professional journey.

At Mutual of Omaha, interns are given opportunities to contribute, learn and grow from day one. They work on meaningful projects, collaborate with experienced professionals and gain real-world experience that helps prepare them for what's next.

For some, an internship is a valuable stepping stone. For others, it's the beginning of a career that lasts for years.

For Crane, Graves and Grimes, it was both.