Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) and Society of Actuaries (SOA) Successfully Host First “Be An Actuary Month” Inspiring High School Students to Connect with the Profession

Arlington, Va. – The Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) and Society of Actuaries (SOA) recently hosted the first Be An Actuary Month, an initiative designed to inform high school students about the actuarial profession as a career choice. Throughout the month of February, four free virtual events were held to inspire students towards a math-related career path through interactive activities and exposure to credentialed actuaries, candidates and actuarial university students. The month builds on the success of previous “High School Actuarial Day” events held by the CAS and SOA.

The CAS and SOA connected with over 440 students from 14 countries and more than 110 working actuaries volunteered to participate in the events. The programs included personal stories about joining the actuarial profession, actuarial trivia and math activities, networking with actuarial volunteers, and a variety of videos from actuaries about how their work is impacting society. The program also shared resources available through the Organization of Latino Actuaries (OLA), the International Association of Black Actuaries (IABA), the Sexuality and Gender Alliance of Actuaries (SAGAA), and the CAS/SOA BeAnActuary.org website. Additionally, partner universities were recognized for their efforts in helping spread the word about the initiative to their local high schools, including Arizona State University, California State University, Iowa State University, Ohio State University, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Temple University, and Virginia Commonwealth University.

A primary goal of Be An Actuary Month was to reach high school students representing demographic groups currently underrepresented in the actuarial profession, as the CAS and SOA have a long history of partnering on initiatives designed to diversify the pipeline for actuarial talent. Recent research commissioned by CAS, SOA and other partners has shown that underrepresented groups lack awareness and exposure to the career until later in their college years or even after college. This puts them at a disadvantage in comparison to other students. Be an Actuary Month is designed to help address this barrier to entry into the actuarial profession.

Previously, High School Actuarial Day has been an in-person event hosted under the Be An Actuary brand with universities and local high schools. The first Virtual High School Actuarial Day was created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and piloted in September of 2020.

Organizations interested in establishing their own Virtual Be An Actuary event can contact Beth Gall at bgall@soa.org or Margaret Kerr at mkerr@casact.org.

About the Casualty Actuarial Society
The Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) is a leading international organization for credentialing and professional education. Founded in 1914, the CAS is the world’s only actuarial organization focused exclusively on property and casualty risks and serves over 9,000 members worldwide. 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 nearly 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.