By Matthew Corkery
On August 14, 2014, members of the Society of Actuaries (SOA) and students from the 25 Centers of Actuarial Excellence (CAE) gathered in Chicago, IL for the CAE Student Summit.i The two-day summit allowed students the opportunity to network with actuarial professionals, while also providing the opportunity to meet and work with other actuarial students from around the world. Speakers such as SOA President-Elect Errol Cramer and D.W. Simpson President and Vice-Chairman Bob Morand came to the summit to give advice and talk about opportunities in the actuarial profession. On the second day attendees worked in groups on a case study focused on either health insurance or credibility for mortality. The groups then presented their work to the other members of the summit. Throughout the event ample time was given to network with both students and professionals. The SOA brought in four actuaries to serve as panelists and students were allowed to ask any career-related questions they had. Lastly, the students were able to participate in an unforgettable improv workshop. Overall, the summit gave students a wonderful chance to network while also learning more about the actuarial profession and other universities.
Personally, I thought the conference was a great experience. I was able to make friends from schools all around the world! The networking time given really allowed students to build a connection that otherwise would be hard to create. I left the conference having built several strong relationships with actuaries from Canada and Hong Kong—connections that would have been difficult to make outside of the summit experience. My experience gave me insight into what it will be like in the future, working with other actuaries in the field—especially the case study, which gave me an opportunity to work with students who thought very differently from me. I also learned about other universities program’s strengths, which allowed me to understand additional skills that could be useful in my future. The Q&A sessions provided valuable information about the actuarial profession that I was able to pass along to other students at Robert Morris University. Additionally, the summit allowed me to visit the beautiful city of Chicago and build friendships during free time. The CAE Student Summit was an amazing experience that will be memorable for both the knowledge gained and the friendships I was able to make. I would absolutely recommend the summit for any student who has the opportunity to attend.
Matthew Corkery is an actuarial student at Robert Morris University.
iAs of December 2014, 26 schools have been awarded the designation.