Kate McCoy, Lily Cook and Jacob Akstins are the 2017 winners of the CAS Trust Scholarship. The trio were selected by the CAS Trust Scholarship Committee and presented with checks at the CAS Annual Meeting in Anaheim, California, last November.
McCoy, a senior at Drake University double majoring in actuarial science and business administration, was this year’s recipient of the $10,000 CAS Trust Scholarship.
“I am so honored to be named a CAS Trust Scholarship recipient. I am constantly amazed by how supportive the actuarial community is to those aspiring to succeed in the field. The CAS is full of outstanding leaders, technical experts, and academic scholars and I can’t wait to join the organization when I receive my ACAS and then FCAS,” she said. McCoy served as the 2016-2017 co-president for her school’s Gamma Iota Sigma chapter and is currently interning at Travelers, within the personal insurance, actuarial pricing sector. Her internship allows her to analyze auto business profiles to determine the difference between lost and retained policies. “The property and casualty industry is attacking new challenges every day and I look forward to helping solve these issues.”
Cook, a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (UWEC) working towards a major in actuarial science and a minor in information systems, was awarded a $5,000 CAS Trust Scholarship. “I am truly grateful to be one of the 2017 CAS Trust Scholarship recipients. This scholarship is meaningful to me because it will allow me to focus my time on academics and extracurricular activities this upcoming school year. During my senior year, I plan on continuing to study for actuarial exams, leading the UWEC Triathlon Club as a co-captain and beginning my full-time career by applying to entry-level actuarial positions,” Cook said. Cook took on a summer internship at Travelers Insurance in the public sector. She’s gained exposure to underwriting leadership, working with finance employees and actuaries from other business units. “After experiencing this rewarding career through two summer internships, I am confident that as a property and casualty actuary I will be provided with ample opportunities to challenge myself and grow as a young professional. I would like to thank the many professors, mentors, family members and classmates who have encouraged me to think positively, stay motivated and always look for opportunities to develop.”
Akstins is a senior at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign majoring in actuarial science with a business minor. He was awarded a $5,000 scholarship through the CAS Trust. “What entices me about actuarial science is not the pure math, finance, or economics aspect. I believe in innovation. Our past, present, and future (particularly, our political climate and social movements) are constantly morphing the world as we know it,” Akstins said. Akstins has also contributed to the CAS Student Central website as a Student Ambassador, writing on subjects such as “Developing Oneself as a Holistic Actuary.” Akstins was busy last summer, interning at CNA Financial Corporation, focusing on specialty pricing. “Risk’s rate of evolution is certainly extremely positive, and, while our tools are improving, we can only remain nimble if we engage in creative inquiry to challenge the status quo. After all, our work directly impacts the lives of countless individuals and businesses.”
