This article is part of a series focusing on the grads of the Dalhousie Class of 2019. Spring Convocation kicked off May 10 in Truro, with Halifax ceremonies from May 27 to June 1. Read all our profiles here, and for more information visit the Convocation website.
Life is full of risk, which is why so many organizations and businesses turn to experts called actuaries to help them make smart decisions about everything from pension plans to insurance coverage and beyond.
Taking courses in actuarial science at Dal over the past couple of years has proven to be a great way for Lindsay MacCormick to minimize risk in her own life by helping channel her skills as a statistics major into a more applied field.
"I was kind of looking for a career option in which I could involve my math and stats abilities with being able to work with people, and actuarial science seemed like a really natural fit for me," says Lindsay, who graduates Friday.
Lindsay began her studies at Dal with an eye on neuroscience, but her love of mathematics and numbers drew her in a different direction that ultimately led her to look a bit more into actuarial science — a field she knew little about before coming to Dal.
"I researched it and it is a really exciting field that Dal has to offer,” she says.
Dal first launched its Actuarial Science program in 2015, the year after Lindsay started at Dal. While she didn’t end up majoring in the program, the courses she did take on the topic planted a seed I her mind as to what career she might want to pursue beyond graduation.
Branching out
During her time at Dal, Lindsay also leaned into her interests in working with people. She served as treasurer and then president of the Dalhousie Undergrad Math and Stats Society before taking on the role of president with the Faculty-wide Dalhousie Science Society (DSS) in her final year.
"I learned a lot about time management, organization skills, and how to work with people from different areas,” she says of her experience as DSS president. “It really gave me a chance to work with a different group of people who have different opinions and ways of thinking about things. That was really nice."
Lindsay, who grew up in Antigonish, says she’ll miss the feeling of community at Dal and being able to “just walk through campus and run into people I know all the time.”
As much as she’ll miss Dal, Lindsay says she’s also excited to have already embarked on her post-graduation plans with a job as an actuarial analyst at the Halifax offices of consulting firm Morneau Shapell.
“It has been a great fit,” she says, noting she plans to pursue certification as an actuary in the coming years. “I feel like the actuarial science program at Dal really did prepare me for this field and this job."