Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) and Society of Actuaries (SOA) Host First Be An Actuary Day in Conjunction with Arizona State University
Arlington, Va. – September 22, 2020 – The Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) and Society of Actuaries (SOA) hosted the first Be An Actuary: Phoenix on Friday, September 18th in conjunction with Arizona State University and their Kappa Chapter of Gamma Iota Sigma.
The virtual event was modeled after past CAS/SOA Be An Actuary Day, an event developed to expose minority high school students to the actuarial profession as a career choice. Recent research on barriers to entry into the profession for under-represented demographic groups has shown that one of the main reasons that minority students do not enter the profession is their lack of knowledge of the profession until late in college. This puts them at a disadvantage relative to other students, as many employers look to hire students who have passed a few actuarial exams and completed an internship before offering full-time employment.
Traditionally, High School Actuarial Day has been an in-person event hosted under the Be An Actuary brand with universities and local high schools. While most in-person insurance industry events are not currently taking place, there is still a need to reach students and spread awareness about the actuarial profession. Virtual High School Actuarial Day was created in response as a pilot program that is a condensed version of the traditional event.
During the event, four actuaries, Alex Knights, FSA, EA; Rose Barrett, FCAS; Alejandro Ortega, FCAS; and Mark Priven, FCAS, presented to an AP calculus class of 21 students at Cortez High School in Phoenix, AZ. Eight Gamma Iota Sigma students from Arizona State University also participated and shared why they decided to study actuarial science. During the 60-minute event, the actuaries discussed the profession and how they got into the industry, presented several logic and problem solving questions, and shared resources currently available through the Organization of Latino Actuaries (OLA), the International Association of Black Actuaries (IABA), and the CAS/SOA Be An Actuary website.
Kathryn Griepp, AP Calculus teacher at Cortez High School commented, “My students and I found the presentation very engaging and interactive. Students especially enjoyed the problem-solving questions. Several of my Calculus students have said they are now considering becoming an actuary because of the presentation!”
Based on the successful pilot, the CAS and SOA will be partnering with DePaul University to bring the virtual event to Chicago and expand the number of student participants. Interested in helping organize your own Virtual High School Actuarial Day? Contact Beth Gall or Margaret Kerr for more information.
About the Casualty Actuarial Society
The Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) is a leading international organization for credentialing and professional education. CAS credentials demonstrate the expertise to identify, analyze and advise on the potential financial impact of risk and uncertainty. Professionals educated by the Casualty Actuarial Society empower business and government to make well-informed strategic, financial and operational decisions.
About the Society of Actuaries
With roots dating back to 1889, the Society of Actuaries (SOA) is the world’s largest actuarial professional organization with more than 32,000 actuaries as members. Through research and education, the SOA’s mission is to advance actuarial knowledge and to enhance the ability of actuaries to provide expert advice and relevant solutions for financial, business and societal challenges. The SOA’s vision is for actuaries to be the leading professionals in the measurement and management of risk.