Sciences and Mathematics

Joe Menta

B.S in Mathematics, Concentration in Actuarial Science (2008)

I am an actuary and graduated from WCU in 2008. While I was at school, the summer before my senior year, I had an internship at Independence Blue Cross and I passed Exam P/1 during the fall of my senior year. Now I work for Lincoln Financial Group, and have been here for about three and a half years. For me, the most useful courses I took were Probability, Financial Mathematics, Finance/Economics, Statistics and Life Contingencies, and also writing and public speaking. My experiences at WCU helped me realize how serious I needed to take my studies and the importance of continually improving my skills and adding to my knowledge base. I carried this approach over once I graduated and began studying for actuarial exams while working. I passed my last actuarial exam in 2013 and got my FSA in August 2015. When I began working as an actuary, I was surprised to notice how great actuaries are in problem solving regardless of whether the problems are math-based or not. If I were to do it all over again, I would take my classes more seriously during my early years in college, and I would try to get a relevant summer internship during those early years, whether actuarial or something related more to general finance/business.