3 minute read
Jennifer Causey
CRUNCHING NUMBERS
When Jennifer Causey started at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU), she wasn’t sure what she wanted to study. She says being open to anything helped guide her towards applied mathematics, with a focus on computer science, a natural fit for someone truly happiest working through complex mathematical problems or simply solving Sudoku puzzles. “I just knew that I liked math and playing around with numbers,” she explains. “I was like, ‘this comes naturally to me, I’m pretty sure I can get a good job with this,’ so when I discovered the new mathematics program KPU had released, I knew it was the perfect fit for me.” That same approach came in handy again after Causey graduated in 2018 and was having trouble finding work. Once more, she stayed open to new possibilities and decided to complete a master of management degree at the University of Calgary. She says learning the fundamentals of business, teamwork and leadership with a cohort of students from diverse backgrounds helped enhance her background in mathematics. “Having that business knowledge on top of the technical skills from my math background helped me to be able to find my current role,” she says. Causey returned to B.C. and took a health and benefits analyst position at Mercer, an American consulting firm with locations worldwide that specializes in talent, health, retirement and investments. Based out of the Calgary office, she is part of the Mercer Marsh Benefits team, helping Canadian companies with their employee benefits plans, including extended health care, dental, life insurance, disability and other offerings. “We offer consulting services to help companies design their benefits plans to attract talent and meet current and prospective employee needs, negotiate with insurers on behalf of our clients to ensure they are receiving competitive rates, and monitor and evaluate plan performance to identify trends and guide decision-making,” she explains. When she was deciding where to go for her undergraduate studies, Causey says running the numbers also helped her choose KPU. A shorter commute from her hometown of Surrey gave her more time to study, and lower tuition costs and intimate class sizes all factored heavily into her decision.
“The bigger universities are more expensive and you’re essentially getting the same education. Plus, KPU has smaller class sizes,” she says. “I never had to deal with the whole 300-person class environment, which I felt had a significant impact on the education I received. In one of my fourth-year classes, there were only five people in the class, and it was a lot of one-on-one attention and help from the instructors.” Causey says the tight-knit environment helped her get through long days of studying and to develop lifelong relationships. “I have good memories with the group of people that I went to class with,” she says. “Because our class sizes were so small and you were with the same people all the time, you really got to know them and bond with them. I’m still friends with several of those people today. “It was a pretty tough program and there were some challenging classes to go through. Being able to work together, help each other get through tough material and support one another in and out of school was really beneficial.” Leaning on her support system has helped Causey get through an unusual first year in her current role. On top of the steep learning curve that goes along with starting a new job, she has had to navigate working virtually with a new team and the uncertainty of the pandemic in the field of health and wellness benefits. Despite the challenges, she’s proud of all she’s been able to accomplish so far. “Given the COVID-19 pandemic and the nature of the business being health-focused, this first year has been a-typical but definitely a really good learning experience. It’s been difficult, and many of the challenges we are helping clients through we are all tackling for the first time, but I’m still managing and excelling through it.”
