WHAT IS YOUR AREA OF FOCUS OR PRACTICE AREA?
P&C, Workers’ Compensation
WHAT LED YOU TO BECOME AN ACTUARY? AND WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO THE PROFESSION?
During my sophomore year of college, I was taking a statistics class with multiple seniors who were talking about taking an exam. (My university didn’t have an actuarial science program, but apparently had an actuarial club that fizzled out after the exam my classmates took.) Being curious, I asked them what it was about—and I was hooked immediately. Going to college as a math major, I knew there were many options for me when I graduated, but I hadn’t figured out which option would be best. Once I heard about the practical use of math within the profession, I knew it was the right path for me.
DESCRIBE A TIME WHEN YOUR PROFESSIONALISM TRAINING HAS HEALPED YOU IN YOUR CAREER.
It’s hard to find a single time where professionalism training has helped me in my career being that so much of that training plays a role in your daily life—from the ASOPs [actuarial standards of practice] to business etiquette, and the four principles of ratemaking. I feel like professionalism bits and pieces are embedded in all that we do.
TELL US ABOUT A TIME WHEN YOUR ACTUARIAL EXPERTISE INFLUENCED AN IMPORTANT DECISION IN YOUR WORKPLACE.
In a prior role, I had the responsibility of reviewing new programs. We had to decide whether or not to take them on. My experience enabled me to adequately analyze the data which led us to turn down a prospective program. We reviewed it again a couple of years later and it appeared we made the right choice, as it had not been profitable.
WHAT’S ONE OF THE BIGGEST LESSONS YOU’VE LEARNED IN YOUR CAREER?
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that some of the projects that you may believe are the most boring or monotonous are the ones that you learn the most from. I had one project early in my career that I wasn’t the biggest fan of, but, if it wasn’t for that project, I probably wouldn’t be where I am today.
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU WISH WERE GIVEN AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR CAREER?
Exams are tough, and it’s OK to fail! Just keep working hard and success will come.
WHAT DO YOU VALUE MOST ABOUT YOUR ACADEMY MEMBERSHIP OR ACADEMY VOLUNTEER WORK?
The part I value most about my volunteer work is the ability to contribute to publications and presentations. I’m a mathematician, not a writer, so I never dreamed of being a part of a published document. It was a great experience to present one of those papers at Envision Tomorrow, the Academy’s Annual Meeting.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE ANYTHING ELSE WITH ASPIRING OR NEW ACTUARIES, OR THOSE INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING FOR THE ACADEMY?
For new actuaries, don’t try to rush into the “cool” things (as I mentioned earlier with the “biggest lesson”).
For those interested in volunteering, don’t be afraid to join a committee because you don’t feel like you’ll have much to contribute or believe you’re too much of an introvert. We’re actuaries—we’re almost all introverts! It might take time before you feel comfortable contributing, but it’s much better to sit and observe for a while than to be completely off the field.
BEYOND WORK—WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR HOBBIES OR OTHER PERSONAL INTERESTS?
I was a double major in college with dance as my second major. I was a dance teacher until the financial crisis of 2008. Though I took some time away from the dance world after that, I recently started taking a tap-dance class again. I also enjoy spending time with my husband and two boys. Most of that time is spent either coaching or attending some sort of sporting event for one of the boys. When we get a free day, you’d typically find us in the arcade, on the beach, or in the arcade at the beach—one of the great things about the “Jersey Shore”!
