For the second consecutive year, the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences (FNAS) at Notre Dame University-Louaize (NDU) organized an actuarial event for high school students on March 15, 2024. The event, titled “Be An Actuary: Let us Discover and Compete”, was sponsored by The Society of Actuaries (SOA), a global professional actuaries’ organization that advances actuaries as leaders in measuring and managing risks to improve financial outcomes for individuals, organizations, and the public.
Grades 10, 11, and 12 students participated in the event, representing different schools from various regions of Lebanon. The schools consisted of Collège des Soeurs des Saints Coeurs (Kfarhbab, Sioufi and Jbeil), Collège des Frères Maristes Champville, Notre Dame de Lourdes-Jbeil, Collège Notre Dame de Louaize-Zouk Mosbeh, Collège des Frères Mont La Salle, and the Leila C. Saad SABIS School El-Metn.
The main goal of the competition was to trigger students’ interest in Actuarial Sciences and help them learn more about the Actuarial Sciences program offered at NDU, as well as to encourage them to embark on future careers in this field. This competition not only created interactive Actuarial and Mathematics platforms but also introduced students to the field and provided them with incentives to choose it as a major.
NDU Actuarial Sciences alumna and Actuarial Team Leader at Bancassurance SAL-Lebanon, Ms. Melissa Bou Zeidan, began with a lecture. She presented her career path, the importance of Actuarial Sciences, the career options, and why it is highly recommended to major in Actuarial Sciences and related fields.
In the second part of the event, a 75-minute, 20-question competition was held. The goal was to challenge students to clarify, analyze, and suggest solutions to some basic and fun questions related to Actuarial Sciences. Shortly after, the NDU Actuarial Club graded the competition. During the marking process, participants enjoyed refreshments while exploring the Department programs and Financial Aid brochures.
Winners were announced and prizes were distributed in the third and final part of the event. Anthony Saliba (Collège Notre Dame de Louaize-Zouk Mosbeh) secured the first place, while Jad Awad (Collège des Sœurs des Saints Cœurs-Sioufi) clinched the second spot. Lastly, Paul Salgi (Collège Notre Dame de Louaize-Zouk Mosbeh) claimed the third place.
This rewarding and well-organized competition successfully attracted a wealth of participants from across Lebanon and established the cornerstone for more extensive future events. By enabling students to learn more about the field, NDU has once again taken a significant step towards nurturing the next generation of actuaries.