Professional Documents
Culture Documents
215MadeliaPlace
Mooresville,NC28115
October5,2015
DearReviewCommittee,
MynameisOliviaKing.Iam17yearsoldandhaveattendedPineLakePreparatorysincemy
fifthgradeyearin2008.Ihaveayoungersister,Chloe,whoiscurrentlyafreshmanatPine
Lake.Asidefromacademics,oneofthethingsIenjoythemostissinging.Iregularlysingatmy
church,IamamemberofPrideSingers,andIhaveparticipatedinPineLakemusicalssincemy
sixthgradeyear.IalsoamactiveinPineLakehonorsocietiesIserveasPresidentofMuAlpha
ThetaandTreasurerofNationalHonorSociety.
IchoseactuarialscienceasthetopicformyPrideProject.IchosethisfieldbecauseIhave
alwaysenjoyedmathematics,andIknewthatactuarialsciencewasanextremelymathheavy
career,butthatwastheextentofmyknowledge.SinceIknewverylittleaboutthejobbeyondits
relianceonmath,IthoughtthatthePrideProjectwouldbeanidealopportunitytoexplorethe
careertodeterminewhetheritwouldbesomethingImaywanttopursue.Afterextensively
researchingactuarialscienceinordertowritemyPridePaper,Iwasabletodevelopan
understandingofthecareerspurposeanddeterminethatmanyaspectsofthecareerwere
appealingtome.However,Ialsolearnedthattheprocessbywhichactuariesbecomequalified
aseriesofexamsisextremelylongandtediousitcantakefrom6to10+yearsfora
candidatetoearnFellowshipinanactuarialsociety.Thisrealityhascausedmetocarefully
considerwhetherthecareerissomethingIwouldbeinterestedinpursuing.Icurrentlyhopeto
attendUNCChapelHillinthefallof2016andmajorinMathematicalDecisionScienceswith
theintenttopursueacareerinactuarialscience.
MymentorisMrs.ArdenCooke,aHealth&Benefitsactuary.FormyPrideProduct,Iplanto
workwithhertoresearch,model,andanalyzehealthcarecostsunderthevarioushealthcare
plansofferedtoNorthCarolinateachers.Thefirststepintheprocesswillbetoresearchand
understandwhattheplanscoverandhowmuchteacherswouldpayforthem.Forthenextstep,
mymentorwillprovidehealthdetailsforfictionalpeoplewithvaryinghealthcareneedsacross
thecostspectrum,aswellasestimatedcostsforservicesused.Next,mymentorandIwillwork
tomodeltheannualcostsforthefictionalpeopleundereachhealthcareplananddetermine
whichplanisthemostbeneficialandcosteffectivefortheirindividualneeds.Inaddition,we
willanalyzethecostsforindividualstakingintoaccounttaxadvantagedfundsversuspaying
withposttaxdollars.MymentorwillalsohelpmecreateanExcelspreadsheetinwhichaperson
caninputdatatodeterminewhichhealthcareplanwouldbemostbeneficialforthem.Formy
presentation,IwillcreateaPowerPointpresentationdescribingtheplanoptionsweconsidered,
thecharacteristicsofthefictionalpeopleweused,theanalysisofeachplanforeachperson,and
therecommendedplanforeachperson.Inaddition,IwilldisplaytheExcelspreadsheetandgive
teacherstheopportunitytoinputtheirowndatatodeterminewhichplanwouldbebestforthem.
Mypersonalgoalforthisproductistolearnmoreaboutinsuranceingeneral,sinceinsuranceisa
largeaspectofmanyactuarialjobs,andIcurrentlyhavelittleknowledgeaboutit.Ibelievethis
productwillprovidemewithabetterunderstandingofhowinsuranceworksaswellasvaluable
experienceworkingwithdataandExcel.Ihopetocompletemymentorhoursandproductbefore
returningtoschoolinearlyJanuary.
Sincerely,
OliviaKing