Randy's advice: If you like suspense stories, who-done-its, investigative work--if you're of the view that behind the numbers is a story--you'll probably like actuarial science. If you're only going to see it as number-crunching, you're probably going to get bored.  

Randy, you came from a business background, having among other things managed your family farm. How did you hear about actuarial science? I responded to an ad in the paper for mathematics, statistics & finance majors. The literature turned out to be about actuarial science.

What is your position today? I'm an Actuarial Assistant at Caterpillar Insurance Services Corporation here in Nashville, TN.

What kinds of things do you do on a day-to-day basis? I am working on the pricing of warranty policies for machines and engines. It involves analyzing claims and performance data.

How did you use MTSU's graduate program in Mathematics to achieve your goals? Since I already had an undergraduate degree, I took strictly those classes that applied to actuarial science. When I first started out, I was a non-degree-seeking student taking courses specifically for the 1st exam. Then, a professor at MTSU told me about Graduate Teaching Assistant & graduate program opportunities.  The department was flexible, and I put together a program that helped me study for exams and work toward a graduate degree.

Every career has its plusses and minuses. For you, what's the biggest plus? Everybody I'm working with is highly competent. This is a field that requires a high degree of ability. I work with a bright bunch of people. And we all tend to be on the same page.

And biggest minus? I guess I don't really have one. The hours are fair. Sure there are deadlines, but we meet them. I'm as happy as happy could be.