Immersive Aflac co-op unlocks corporate career potential for Columbus State students

October 21, 2026

Columbus State University and Columbus-based Aflac launched an innovative corporate-academic partnership last summer that provides students with an immersive, multiyear professional pathway and supports regional workforce development. The new Aflac Claims Co-op program is helping students build career-ready skills relevant to their degrees by integrating professional industry experience early in their undergraduate studies.

The inaugural co-op cohort consists of 20 Columbus State sophomores majoring in business and data analytics, computer science, health sciences and kinesiology. By aligning the Columbus-based Fortune 500 company’s operational needs with Columbus State’s academic programs, this co-op provides students with the opportunity to work for Aflac for three years while finishing their degree—with the potential to extend beyond graduation into their professional careers.

“What attracted me to the co-op is being able to get real work experience in a corporate environment,” explained Jayde Colson, who is majoring in business administration and human resources. “I also grew up here in Columbus, so seeing [the Aflac headquarters] building every day on my way home—I always wondered who worked there. I find it very rewarding that I’m now a part of that.”

Unlike conventional semester internships, the co-op embeds students within Aflac’s corporate claims team throughout most of their college years. They start with an intensive summer training program, working 40 hours weekly during the first half of the term. To help students balance their duties, this summer training is worth three academic credits, with further options being explored for electives and credit for prior learning.

After completing their summer training, students move into a flexible 20-hour work schedule that fits around their school and personal commitments. To support this, Columbus State and Aflac have set up dedicated, secure workspaces on campus in the Turner College of Business & Technology’s Synovus Center for Commerce & Technology and the College of Education & Health Professions’ Frank Brown Hall. These areas are access-restricted to co-op students, enabling them to meet their weekly work targets on campus using Aflac-provided technology.

The Center for Career Coaching will share information on how students can sign up for future Claims co-op cohorts at various career fairs throughout the year, several of which will include Aflac representatives. The center’s website lists those opportunities.

 

Aligning academics with career-readiness

The disciplines represented by the co-op’s inaugural cohort were intentionally chosen to align with students’ academic and career interests. Business and data analytics students quickly engage with strategic corporate projects, data systems and process improvement efforts. Computer science students implement artificial intelligence, business analytics and technical project management directly in enterprise settings. Health science and kinesiology students leverage their understanding of medical terminology and human health to accurately interpret and handle real-world medical claims.

After earning her bachelor’s in business administration from Columbus State in 2000, Heather Runci joined Aflac in 2001 and now oversees its Claims Co-op program. She views the co-op program as an opportunity to help students sharpen their business sense alongside their technical proficiencies.

“What I’m seeing from the students in the [co-op] is they’re asking lots of questions, they’re very engaged, they’re already looking at our processes and ways that we can innovate them,” Runci said. “Some of the things we’re looking for are really around Aflac’s core beliefs: clear communication, adaptability, accountability, forward-thinking and innovation—and, really, a customer-first mindset, because it’s all about our customers.”

Besides technical skills, the Aflac Claims Co-op also focuses heavily on personal development and important soft skills. Students are evaluated on crucial career-readiness aspects like effective communication, integrity, customer service and the ability to adapt flexibly to organizational changes.

Co-op students are paired directly with Aflac employees through its internal mentoring program known as TEACH, offering practical insights into workplace etiquette, professional conduct, and adapting to different management styles, division functions and corporate standards. Regular roundtable meetings allow students to network with peers and confidently share process-improvement suggestions with company management.

“[The co-op] will make me a better business student because it will put me in rooms that I never was in before,” Colson said in the early days of her Claims Co-op training.

Co-op students are regarded as Aflac employees and earn wages significantly higher than minimum wage, with pay increases anticipated annually. They also have access to various part-time benefits, including paid time off, additional health insurance options and 401(k) planning opportunities.

Driving strategic workforce development goals

For Aflac, the partnership is part of a progressive strategy for developing its regional workforce. The co-op program offers quick assistance with claims processing, improves overall efficiency and encourages the development of future full-time staff. According to Mike Johnson, Aflac’s vice president for claims, this creates a “win-win” situation for the students and for Aflac.

“We are very intentional about how we built the structure,” Johnson said of the co-op’s design while emphasizing the “wins” for Columbus State students. “For the student, it’s a win because they’re continuing their education, and as they’re continuing their education, they’re able to get real-life work experience with a Fortune 500 company.”

For Aflac, the co-op program helps recruit and develop new talent while expanding claims capacity. For the university and its students, it connects academic learning with practical, real-world experiences within a Fortune 500 company environment. With demonstrated success, Johnson said the co-op can be scaled within Aflac’s Claims Department to engage more students. He also said it could be scalable within the Aflac enterprise to other business units and locations in the U.S.

“The ultimate goal is for us to take our success from Aflac Claims and share that success with my business partners in other areas of Aflac here in Columbus to see if they want to scale the partnership in their area,” Johnson said.

That’s good news, according to Dr. Stuart Rayfield, president of Columbus State, in her efforts to advance the university’s current strategic plan. The co-op program supports three of its four strategic priorities by enhancing students’ career readiness and employability, aligning degree programs with regional workforce needs, and establishing and maintaining unique industry partnerships.

“Our goal is to prepare students to solve real-world problems from day one,” Rayfield said. “Collaborating with innovative partners and global employers like Aflac allows us to tailor our degree programs and our students’ hands-on learning to our region’s workforce needs, ensuring our graduates enter their careers fully prepared to lead, serve and succeed.”

Co-ops are one of the strategies the university’s Center for Career Coaching is expanding to ensure it provides 100% of the university’s undergraduate students with a degree-relevant experiential learning encounter by 2030. Internships are another, and, as Chad Melvin, Aflac’s vice president of human resources and talent, explains, both are essential for students seeking to be competitive and for companies vying for top talent.

“Aflac has a multifaceted recruitment strategy for talent coming into our organization, one of which is partnering with community colleges, colleges and universities to really attract talent,” he said. “Columbus State University is right here in our backyard, and it’s a natural funnel for talent into our organization. It’s been a win-win for us, and it’s one that we will continue to foster as part of our recruiting strategy going forward.”

---

Media contacts: Columbus State University:Michael Tullier, APR; Aflac: Jon Sullivan, Director of Corporate Communications, 706.763.4813, jsullivan@aflac.com (Aflac WWHQ | 1932 Wynnton Road | Columbus, GA 31999 | Z2600771A | EXP 9/27)