JOHNSTONE EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the Johnstone Educational Foundation is to support the educational future of insurance industry leaders through providing scholarship funds to deserving students on a non-discriminatory basis who are interested in pursuing a college level course of study in the field of business administration and insurance.

HISTORY

In 1984 the membership of AIPAGIA established the AIPAGIA Educational Foundation as a 501 (c)(3) public tax-exempt charitable organization, independent of AIPAGIA, for the purpose of providing financial support to college students who are pursuing an education and career in the field of business administration and insurance.

In 1990, AIPAGIA and the insurance industry suffered the loss of a great friend and supporter with the untimely passing of then AIPAGIA Executive Director, Jack Johnstone. As a means of memorializing Jack’s contributions to the industry the AIPAGIA Educational Foundation Board of Directors changed the name of the Foundation to The Jack B. Johnstone Educational Foundation.

In 2001, Bill Johnstone, who had proceeded his brother, Jack, as Executive Director for AIPAGIA, retired. As an acknowledgement of Bill’s contributions and hard work on AIPAGIA’s behalf, The Jack B. Johnstone Educational Foundation’s Board of Directors once again renamed the Foundation to the Johnstone Educational Foundation.

Although the Foundation has gone through several name changes, it has remained unwavering in its commitment to the betterment of the insurance industry.

SEE PREVIOUS RECIPIENTS

Hey there! My name is Luckson Chigarire, and I am beyond honored to be selected as a recipient of the JEF Scholarship through the Johnstone Educational Foundation and AIPAGIA.

I am a Mathematics and Finance student at The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN, expected to graduate in May 2027, with my sights firmly set on a career as a risk mathematician. But there's a lot more to me than spreadsheets and numbers.

I grew up in rural Zimbabwe, the only son among six children — yes, five sisters — and trust me, that alone has taught me more about negotiation, patience, and resilience than any textbook ever could. My family is everything to me, and their sacrifices are the fuel behind every goal I pursue.

Outside of academics, you'll find me at the gym with my friends or on the track, staying sharp in body as well as mind. I'm also a pianist — there's something about translating emotion into structure through music that feels surprisingly close to what actuaries do with data. When I'm winding down, I reach for a book, though "light reading" in my world might look a little different: I'm the kind of person who reads John Von Neumann for fun and keeps Nassim Nicholas Taleb's work on the nightstand. If you ever want to debate the nature of uncertainty, tail risk, or the limits of formal systems over cold brew (with a lot of ice!) — I'm your person.

And when I need to feel grounded, I put on Oliver Mtukudzi or Leonard Zhakata (My dad used to play these non-stop when I was young, and now I’m more like him). There is something about Zimbabwean music classics that carries the weight and warmth of home in a way nothing else quite does.

Once again, Tinotenda (Thank You!)

Luckson Chigarire
B.A.: Mathematics and Finance / Minors: Applied Economics, Data Analytics
The College of St. Scholastica
Duluth, Minnesota

Watch Luckson's Video