Co-op student wins international actuarial prize
Jean-Sébastien Côté is a young man who can be described by the numbers.
He ranked 185 out of 2,700 in the 2012 Montreal Marathon.
He has already completed four of his Society of Actuary exams.
With Côté as its VP of Finance, the Mathematics and Statistics Student Association ranked first as the most financially accountable student association in the Faculty of Arts and Science.
He has completed four co-op work terms.
And now Côté is one of only 14 international recipients of this year’s prestigious John Culver Wooddy Scholarship.
The scholarship, worth $2,000, is awarded to students who successfully complete at least one actuarial examination, rank in the top quartile of their class and are nominated by a professor at their school.
This is the third year in a row that a Concordia student has been among the winners. It will also be the last, as the scholarship is being wound up after distributing close to $250,000 in 114 scholarships since 1996.
Côté first heard about the scholarship when Dr. José Garrido, a professor of actuarial and financial mathematics, mentioned it in class. Côté responded to the announcement, and was guided in his application and letter process by Garrido and Dr. Ewa Duma, a mathematics lecturer. “They were both an important part of my success,” says Côté. “In fact, it was Dr. Duma who completed the nomination and submitted the application to the Actuarial Foundation selection committee.”
The Wooddy Scholarship is meant to encourage students to become actuaries, something that Côté practiced first-hand through Co-op work terms and internships. “I had the chance to experience and discover the day-to-day of jobs in different fields. Now I can share it with other students who are looking for the specific field (Society of Actuaries or Casualty Actuary Society) in which they want to build their career,” he said.
As VP Finance in the Actuarial Students’ National Association, Côté is in a unique position to do so. In addition to studying for actuarial exams and bringing home top marks, he is helping to organize a convention of actuarial students and employers, to take place in Winnipeg in January. “It takes more than just math to be a good actuary. It takes the ability to form client relationships,” he said. “To succeed, you must be someone who is interested in professional relationships.”
Among his secrets to success are organization and planning. “My mother taught me to be well organized. I usually have my assignments prepared one week in advance,” he says.
When does he find time for fun? “I have fun all the time!” His fantasy career is as a chef. He loves creating home-made pasta, and cooking and eating seafood. Côté says, “Mental endurance helps me alternate between study and fun. While I was training for the marathon I was always analyzing. It was even more important to be prepared mentally than physically.”
At one time Côté considered becoming an accountant. When asked what he thought the difference was between a career as an economist, accountant and actuary, he pegged them according to their data analysis: “Past, present and future.” As an actuary in the making, the future is definitely his.
Related links:
• Institute for Co-operative Education
• Faculty of Arts and Science Math Department
• John Culver Wooddy Scholarship
• Actuarial Students’ National Association