Actuarial Program Alumni Highlights

The road to becoming a Fellow in the Society of Actuaries is recognized by those in the actuarial community as a very challenging one. The process requires a great deal of dedication since it can take years to complete.

We celebrate with two alumni from the program, Ryan Eliason and Daniel Schwartz, who completed the requirements to become Fellows this past year.

Daniel Schwartz works at Pacific Life Insurance Company (TM) as an actuary.

Schwartz is proud of this accomplishment and views it as “achieving one milestone on a journey of continuous learning and contribution.”

He is grateful to his professors’ dedication to the field and their sincere interest in student development.

He recommends that those studying for Fellowship exams consider studying third-party exam preparation material in addition to those published in the course syllabus.

Ryan Eliason works for Cigna in New England. As the pricing lead, Eliason sets the price of insurance policies for the states of New York and New Jersey.

It took “immense dedication” for Eliason to pass his exams. For those seeking Fellowship status, Eliason recommends comparing the number of hours actually studied to their study goals. “Daily measurement kept me motivated and accountable to being prepared on exam day,” Eliason said.

He called BYU’s actuarial program a “great springboard into a successful actuarial career.” The internship and exam resources especially helped him prepare. Eliason also attributes success in obtaining Fellowship status to his family, friends and mentors.

Eliason recognizes that becoming a Fellow in the Society of Actuaries opens up several business opportunities. He is “excited about the opportunities available in the field.”