Volume 24, Issue 1
Feature articles: E xEcutivE DirEctor anD StratEgic Plan annnouncEmEntS Program HigHligHtS all For matH c amPaign
Plus: Meet Our New Trustees
Formula 2024 Virtual Gala and 30th Anniversary Celebration Highlights Competition and Scholarship Updates
On June 17th, 2024, the Foundation announced Valerie Thompson as new executive director. Valerie’s appointment follows a national search and comes at a time when The Actuarial Foundation is pivoting in a new strategic direction.
“At The Actuarial Foundation, we are focused on unleashing the power of math education and creating a future where everyone experiences the confidence and opportunities afforded by math,” says Board Chair Sharon Robinson. “Valerie Thompson is the ideal person to lead the Foundation through our new chapter as we focus on the next generation of our exceptional math education programs.”
Valerie has three decades of experience in nonprofit leadership roles. She has served as the Foundation’s Director of Development since 2020 and, more recently, as Interim Executive Director. Her prior experience includes leadership roles at the American Academy of Dermatology, the American Brain Tumor Association, the Emergency Fund for Needy People (now known as All Chicago), and Resources for Community Living.
“I am honored to take on this role at such an important moment in The Actuarial Foundation’s history,” says Thompson. “Not only is the Foundation celebrating its 30th anniversary this year—we are also embarking on an ambitious strategic plan that will take our award-winning programs to the next level.”
Through these programs we will continue to ignite a passion for math beginning in elementary school and continuing through high school and beyond.
Our Board of Trustees recently completed a strategic and holistic review of the organization with input from a variety of stakeholders including individual donors, corporate supporters, supporting organizations, volunteers, and others.
The result is a new strategic plan with revised mission and vision statements and a new operating model.
Our new mission is to unleash the power of math education and transform futures by leveraging the talents and resources of the actuarial community.
Our new vision is a future where everyone experiences confidence and opportunities available through math proficiency.
The strategic plan includes three pillars:
Pillar 2:
Increase Engagement in the Actuarial Community
Pillar 3:
Position the Organization for Long-Term Success
Moving forward you will see a narrowed focus on programs we are uniquely positioned to deliver, optimized operations, and enhanced transparency as we work to establish a strong foundation for future endeavors.
To learn more about our Strategic Plan, visit our website by clicking here.
On May 9, 2024, we celebrated our 30th anniversary during our virtual gala, Formula 2024: Empowering Students through Math Education. The event highlighted three decades of advancing math and our long-standing commitment to transforming young people’s lives by leveraging the actuarial community’s talents and resources.
The evening was filled with inspiring stories about the positive impacts of our work in promoting mathematics education. One of the most memorable moments was the keynote address by Ellen Ochoa, former astronaut and past Director of the Johnson Space Center. Ochoa, who made history as the first Latine female astronaut to fly aboard the Space Shuttle, shared her journey and emphasized the importance of STEM education, resonating deeply with our mission.
“We are excited to have a keynote speaker whose outstanding personal achievements and commitment to STEM education so closely align with our work,” said Executive Director Valerie Thompson. “For 30 years, we have been changing lives by empowering young people through match education, coupled with
our deep commitment to increasing representation and inclusion in the actuarial profession. Our vision is a bright future in which everyone, regardless of personal background and challenges, can achieve success through math proficiency.”
The event was made possible through the generous support of sponsors listed below.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for this special virtual gala. Your participation and support help us continue our mission of empowering students through math education. And special thanks to our guest Ellen Ochoa and to cohosts Jeff Johnson, FY22-23 Board Chair, and Asrielle Allen, volunteer and 2022 Actuarial Diversity Scholarship Recipient.
The Modeling the Future Challenge had a remarkable year with a notable increase in the number of states and schools participating. Eleven new states and 40 new schools joined this year’s Challenge!
Over 108 schools and organizations had at least one participating team enter the Challenge, with South High having the most participants--20 teams! California boasted the most teams with 93 total.
New this year, a Regional Competition was held at Bentley University. The winning team from this competition received automatic entry into the Final Round of the MTFC. Teams presented their MTFC Research Projects to a panel of expert actuaries who reviewed their reports and presentations, and selected the top winner.
The Regional Competition introduced students to university faculty members, actuarial professionals, and college life. It provided opportunities for students to ask questions of current actuarial students and to learn the benefits of actuarial majors and careers. And most of all, it provided the opportunity for local teams to stand out and compete for a spot as a Finalist in the MTFC.
This year, 100% of participating teachers stated that their students’ analytical skills, problem-solving skills, and research skills greatly increased or increased as a result of participation in the MTFC. One student writes, “Being able to work through a hard project with a
First Place
Diana Tang and Qi Zhang from Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, IL
Second Place
Lillian Wang, Jaden Chen, Audrey Hong, and Aaroh Tak from Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, IL
Third Place
Karina Chung, Maya Figelman, Avnish Kumar, Davis Rattanavijai, and Tsubasa Tamura from Newton North High School in Newton, MA
Fourth Place
Sophia Caramanica, Anthony DeRosa, Derek Desrosiers, Lindsey Paradise, and Heidy Rodriguez from Massachusetts Academy of Math & Science in Worcester, MA
team with passion made finishing the project a huge reward, something I will continue to be proud of.”
Our Internship Program welcomed six upperclassmen, the highest number of interns in the program to date. For the first time, all the interns were recruited through our University Partnerships and attend a partner university. One intern further leveraged the MTFC to develop their college degree capstone project, creating tools and resources that future cohorts of the MTFC will be able to use to support the math modeling components of their projects. Because of the success of this collaboration, we will continue to extend the opportunity for future interns to utilize the MTFC as a capstone project, class credit, or other resource toward their degree.
The STEM Stars Actuarial Scholars Program’s updated mission is to increase the representation and inclusion of individuals from social, cultural, and economic backgrounds who have historically been underrepresented in the profession. STEM Stars is more than a scholarship program. In addition to financial assistance, our Stars receive mentors, networking opportunities, exposure to internship and job shadowing experiences, and direct connections with actuaries and the companies that hire them.
The program now boasts 45 Stars and 50+ mentors. We are already seeing tremendous progress and achievements not usually seen by first- and second-year students. 79% of our Rising Juniors (first cohort) have attempted and/or passed at least one exam. 86% of those Stars have also held summer internships in actuarial roles. One Star has already received a job offer upon graduation! These successes underscore the dedication and hard work of our students, as well as the strong support system offered by the program.
“This program has definitely assisted me in furthering my goals as a future actuary. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with likeminded students who are pursuing the same degree as I am. I am also very thankful that I have a mentor to help me along the way.”
In addition, we are thrilled to share that our STEM Stars team is growing. Reko Daye, Program Manager is now joined by Program Specialists Daisy Hernandez and Virginette Scott who will help support our Stars and mentors.
Congratulations to our 2024 Interns!
• Isaiah Choy (‘23), Travelers
• Nana Kofi Anti (‘23), Deloitte
• Ashleigh Daniels (‘22), Unum
• Kimberly Munda (‘22), METLife
• Quade Saldana (‘22), CNA
• Stephanie Hayd (‘23), UnitedHealth Group
• Naomi Nwokoma (‘22), Cigna Group
• Brendan O’Connell (‘22), Wakely Consulting
• Mikayla (‘23), Liberty Mutual (Externship)
• Kennedy Copper (‘22), Liberty Mutual (Externship)
• Tyler Shaia (‘22), Oliver Wyman
• Muhammad Alliyu (‘22), JPMorgan Chase
• Emily Roman (‘22), Travelers
• Kelsey Johnson (‘22), Travelers
As part of our 30th anniversary celebration, we are honored to share a special interview with Walt Rugland, FSA, MAAA. Walt played many crucial roles in the actuarial profession, including serving on the Society of Actuaries (SOA) Board and as SOA president, serving on the Academy of American Actuaries board, and serving as the president of the International Actuarial Association.
In the early 90s, Walt was one of a handful of leaders who worked to establish a philanthropic organization for the actuarial profession. Walt served as one of the founding trustees and remained a steadfast advocate of the Foundation throughout the years. His enthusiasm and support have been pivotal to the Foundation’s growth and success.
We sat down with Walt for an interview in February to discuss the Foundation’s 30-year journey and our place within the actuarial profession. His words capture the essence of why we exist—to harness the talents and resources of actuaries to inspire young people to reach their potential in math. Just weeks after that conversation, Walt passed, surrounded by his loved ones.
We encourage you to watch this short, inspiring interview and join us in celebrating Walt’s legacy and the continued importance of our mission. As we reflect on Walt’s legacy, we remember his intelligence, his ethic of care, and his abundant generosity. May his memory continue to inspire us as we carry forward the work he held dear.
Click the image above to watch the video.
Transforming futures, one student at a time
This school year 368 volunteers graciously offered over 4,100 hours of volunteer time lesson planning and tutoring. These volunteers included 119 college students and 249 corporate/retired professionals.
Students worked hard with their tutors and reached new milestones in their educational careers. In Des Moines, a hardworking Horizon student grew all the way from below basic to proficient on his end-year benchmark, while a North High student exceeded their IEP Math goals--they no longer have accommodations/ modifications for Math, participating in mathematics class with the rest of their classmates.
Math Motivators and CAS partnered last winter to deliver free graphing calculators, helping students learn how to best use them
In Pittsburgh, 98% of students surveyed found Math Motivators tutoring helpful or very helpful in improving their math confidence and grade.
Emily Hand, Education Support Coordinator at the Joshua Group shares, “Our students have been engaged in weekly tutoring sessions with Math Motivator tutors. The thirdgrade students, especially our Harrisburg Catholic Wednesday group, arrive with ‘bells on’ and with great excitement. They are locked in to their one-on-one and small group sessions, engaging in the differentiated lessons presented by the dedicated tutors. We look forward to our continued relationship with Damaris and Math Motivators and are excited to expand the programming into other grade levels.”
A Math Motivators high school student working with our curriculum at the winter event
In the fall, we are refocusing the program on in-person tutoring at schools and community organizations in order to best serve students and teachers. The program will be available in five cities including Chicago, Des Moines, Hartford, the Twin Cities, and Philadelphia. Smaller programs will also be available in Lincoln, NE, Portland, ME, and Harrisburg, PA.
This year’s theme for the Hardest Math Problem Student Contest was animal habitats and conservation. Middle school students worked to solve multi-step, grade-specific math problems with real-world situations and engaging characters. 77% of coaches noted that their students built knowledge, math, and SEL (social and emotional learning) skills by participating in the HMP.
Contest winners receive their certificates and prizes
This year, 1506 middle school students participated across 35 states! Of these students, 10.4% were from the fifth grade, 34.3% were in the sixth grade, 30.6% were in the seventh grade, and 24.6% were in the eighth grade, with female students accounting for 57% and male students 43% of participants. Of the participating schools, 26.7% were Title I, 4.7% home schools, 16.3% private schools, and 52.3% non-Title-I public schools. We are grateful to New York Life Foundation for their partnership in providing this program.
“The challenge provided the appropriate rigor for my math students who love math. The justification process in challenge two is amazing because they have to be detailed. I love the challenge for them!”
Challenge One launches on 8/16 and features an informational webinar!
“With 30 years of experience as both an actuary and as a nonprofit volunteer, I find it extremely rewarding to combine the two. It’s especially satisfying to be able to empower today’s youth with math skills that can improve lives and foster a more productive and beneficial society overall.”
“I am thrilled to be rejoining the Board in service of our mission: providing opportunities for actuaries to give back. On committees, I will be helping advise Math Motivators as it scales up its very successful tutoring model, and I will support the Foundation’s expansion and program growth.”
“As actuaries, we are all in a unique position to leverage our skills and education to change lives, and I am grateful to be able to contribute to making that happen as a Trustee of The Actuarial Foundation and its programs.”
“My passion for math, as well as the fundamental belief that any child given the right opportunity can be good at math drew me to the mission of the Foundation to enhance mathematics literacy.”
Allstate Insurance Company
Ameritas Charitable Foundation
Arch Insurance Group
Athene
Casualty Actuaries of New England
Conference of Consulting Actuaries
Genworth Financial
Grace Global Capital LLC
Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF)
New York Life Insurance Company
Northwestern Mutual Foundation
Builder ($5,000+)
Aflac
Diversified Search Group
F & G
Gen Re
Global
Pacific Life Foundation
Pinnacle Actuarial Resources, Inc.
PwC LLP
SCOR Global Life Americas
Spencer Educational Foundation
The Cigna Group
The Hartford
The Terry Group
Trustmark Foundation
Zenith Insurance Company Thank
Ambassador ($2,500+)
Aetna, a CVS Health Company
Actuaries Club of Hartford & Springfield
Buck, a Gallagher Company
UnitedHealth Group
Nassau Financial Group
StoicLane
Advocate ($1,000+)
