Sarah Cook’s early interest in math turned into a major and eventually a career as a senior actuary at Pacific Life, a leading insurance company.
Today, Cook helps ensure financial stability for thousands of policyholders through complex modeling, financial forecasting and risk analysis. Her path to that role started at 91ֿ.
From Overwhelmed to Opportunity
Cook began her studies at Ohio State but quickly realized it wasn’t the right fit.
“It was too big for me,” she said. “So I chose to go to Kent, to get closer to home.”
She transferred to 91ֿ and didn’t look back.
“I felt like there were more opportunities to plug in,” she said. “It proved to be the perfect move for me.”
At 91ֿ, she majored in with a concentration in , taking full advantage of the university’s programs, career fairs and scholarships.
Learning to Solve Real-World Problems
Actuaries use math and statistics to analyze risk and help companies make smart financial decisions.
“It’s all of the mathematics behind insurance,” Cook said. “When you think about premiums being set for your insurance... the actuaries are the ones justifying those numbers behind the scenes.”
For Cook, the actuarial field offered the perfect mix of technical work and real-world impact.
“I think I’m a very analytical person, naturally,” she said. “It felt like actuarial [mathematics] was an opportunity to relate it to the real world.”
A Supportive Environment at Kent
Cook credits 91ֿ with helping her grow professionally and personally.
“I loved my time at Kent; I often wish I was still in college,” she said. “There were so many opportunities.”
She earned a Choose Ohio First Scholarship and used it to present research in a professional setting. A career fair led to an internship with Nationwide after her sophomore year.
In the classroom, she found mentors like Darci Kracht, Ph.D., who taught several of her actuarial courses.
“I had her mutliple times as a professor, so I really appreciated having that consistency,” Cook said. “She was very organized... and she also helped me on one of my projects for the Choose Ohio First program, so I feel like I learned a lot from her.”
Building a Career in Actuarial Mathematics
After graduating in 2018, Cook started as an actuary at State Farm, then moved into consulting roles. She now works remotely for Pacific Life on its enterprise modeling team.
Her work involves using actuarial software to forecast financial outcomes and guide company decisions.
“I would say my role is pretty technical, working with models all day,” Cook said. “I think when you have a math degree, you learn how to problem solve and how to use logic to work though things.”
Cook passed 10 professional exams and earned her FSA (Fellow of the Society of Actuaries) designation in six years after college.
Advice for Future Math Majors
Cook encourages students interested in math to consider actuarial science.
“If you’re really interested in math, it’s a good way to apply it in the real world” she said. “It’s a definitive career path.”
Her biggest piece of advice? "Show up and get involved," she said.
“Put your tuition dollars to use and show up to career fairs,” Cook said. “Get involved in clubs or extracurricular activities that are related to your degree.”
Looking ahead, Cook hopes to move into a leadership role and may pursue an MBA. No matter where her path takes her next, she’s proud of where it started.
“I love that I can go into a room and everyone’s like I have a degree [from a Big 10 School or Ivy League] and I’m from 91ֿ doing just as well as you,” she said.
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