Two case competitions plus five scholarships plus 16 months of co-op add up to outstanding undergrad experience

Because he’s an actuarial and financial mathematics wunderkind, here’s a history of Derek Kusmenko’s time at McMaster University explained in four numbers.

Two is the number of actuarial case competitions that Derek took part in, courtesy of The Co-operators General Insurance Company and Munich Re. Derek and his teammates finished third in the day-long McMaster x Co-operators Problem-Solving Workshop on campus. Derek then joined the McMaster team that competed in the 10th annual Munich Re Cup – they were one of just six teams from across North America to make it to the final round and present to a panel of judges at the international insurance company’s office in New York City. The team tacked on some extra days for shopping and sightseeing – Derek says the entire experience was the highlight of his undergrad degree.

Three is the number of times Derek made the McMaster Provost Honour Roll for maintaining a 4.0 grade point average in his first, second and fourth years – he was out of the classroom and on co-ops during his third and fifth years so he wasn’t eligible to go five for five with the honour roll.  Derek’s modest so he downplays his marks, saying only that he did alright. Professor Bartosz Protas, Chair of the Mathematics and Statistics Department, has no qualms about singing Derek’s praises. “Derek consistently ranked among the top of his class and stands out not only for his academic excellence – earning A+ grades in all his courses – but also for his leadership in case competitions and professionalism during co-op placements.”

Five is the number of academic merit scholarships Derek received, starting with a McMaster President’s Award Entrance Scholarship followed by the Gladys A. Young Scholarship, the George P. and Leatha M. Keys Scholarship, the J. Douglas Bankier Memorial Scholarship and the Herbert A. Ricker Scholarship. Because of these scholarships, Derek is graduating debt-free.

And 16 is the number of months of industry experience Derek gained through co-op work terms with TD Bank, The Co-operators General Insurance Company and Northbridge Financial Corporation. Derek could’ve graduated in four years minus his co-ops but says the added year was well worth the time and effort. “Definitely go for it,” is Derek’s advice to students considering whether to sign up for co-op work terms. Through his co-ops, Derek boosted his skills and confidence and gained a wealth of industry connections. Derek credits Dan Manns with the Science Careers & Experience Centre and both of the Advancing Tomorrow’s Actuaries and Actuarial Career Test Drive programs for helping him excel in his co-ops. “I was prepared right from my first day on the job.” He says it was Dan who taught him everything he knows about networking, delivering presentations and being a consummate professional in an office environment.

Next up for Derek is the Master in Statistics program at the University of Toronto. He’s keeping his options open, although he’s leaning toward a career as a data scientist. Derek won’t rule out an eventual return to academia, following the path of his mentor and associate professor Anas Abdallah who worked for The Co-operators before joining McMaster.