UNPAR.AC.ID, Bandung – Three students from the Mathematics Program at UNPAR have achieved an impressive feat by participating in the Actuarial Business Case Competition (ABCC) 2024. The team, consisting of Gracia Stephanie, Levana Loanardo, and Catherine Wijaya, secured 3rd place in the competition organized by the Actuarial Student Association of Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS).
As known, this competition is part of the 2024 Actuarial Exploration event (JEJAK) and consists of three rounds: preliminary, semifinal, and final. The final round was held in the form of a presentation directly at ITS.
Through the competition, the team ‘Powerpuff Girls’ positioned themselves as actuaries at a reinsurance company that was reported to be offering products that experienced significant losses, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2022. Therefore, various analyses were necessary to provide solutions to the problems faced by the company. Not only did they conduct behind-the-scenes calculations, but the team also had to consider the business impacts of their solutions.
“We applied the actuarial knowledge we had learned during our studies and explored further to achieve optimal results,” Gracia Stephanie stated in a written interview cited on Monday (November 4, 2024).
However, the ‘Powerpuff Girls’ team faced challenges, as the final round coincided with the midterm examination week.
“This competition was more exhausting because in each round we were required to complete new key activities, each with a one-week duration for completion. Additionally, especially during the final round, which was held during the midterm week, we struggled with a lack of rest and sleep, needing to balance our time to focus on both,” the team remarked.
Despite these challenges, Gracia expressed happiness and pride in their accomplishments throughout the competition.
“I am very happy and proud of our efforts that led us to this ABCC championship,” Gracia said.
Discussing actuarial science, Gracia noted that this field is still rarely pursued by many people, making it a challenging area of study.
“The learning process is not easy and is rarely comprehended after just one or two learning sessions. However, because the subject matter is still infrequently studied while the demand is high, and because the science itself is interesting, we remain enthusiastic about delving into this field. It’s exciting to perform life risk calculations and relate them to business,” she explained.
As students of the 2021 Mathematics cohort, Gracia and her team conveyed a message to their peers. They encouraged fellow students to seek new experiences that could enhance their CVs, including participating in competitions.
“We believe this is a great opportunity to apply what we’ve learned in college to real-world problems through competitions, especially since we’ve gained a lot of knowledge during our studies. Additionally, by participating in competitions, we can gather many new ideas that can serve as topics for our theses,” she stated.
Furthermore, Gracia Stephanie and her team expressed their gratitude for studying in the Mathematics Program. They shared that they have received numerous opportunities beyond just academics, particularly related to competitions.
“We feel very supported and facilitated during our competition journey, especially with the availability of a supervising lecturer who accompanied us throughout this competition. We hope that in the future, UNPAR Mathematics will continue to grow and produce many new achievements,” she said.
In closing, the ‘Powerpuff Girls’ team also extended their thanks to the UNPAR Mathematics Program, especially to several lecturers and friends.
“A big thank you to the UNPAR Mathematics Program for helping and supporting us throughout this competition journey, especially to Ms. Felivia, Mr. Jonathan, and Mr. Robyn. Also to our friends who assisted directly by providing valuable insights or indirectly through prayers and support. We are also very grateful to our families who always support us regardless of the situations we face. All the prayers and support mean a lot to us,” the team concluded. (KTH-Humas UNPAR)
