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At Talgo, we believe in shattering stereotypes and spreading the belief that anyone can do math, regardless of gender!
In many parts of the world, girls have historically been excluded from STEM (Science, Technology, Education, and Mathematics). This issue starts as early as the school level – girls are discouraged from pursuing subjects like Math, IT, and Physics, or other Science-based disciplines. It’s common for young children to hear ‘Girls can’t do math’ or ‘Girls don’t belong in STEM’. Over time, we’ve noticed that many girls have learned to internalise these negative stereotypes. They believe they can’t actually do math and turn away from it as a subject or profession.
With all our years of experience as math educators, we’re here to tell you that girls CAN do math, and what’s more, girls absolutely ROCK at math!
In our latest series, #Mathspiration, we’ll tell the stories of rockstar women who have made careers out of math or math-related subjects. We’ll prove to you that all girls can do anything they want!
Women in STEM: Introducing Sri Lanka’s First Female Actuary!
This time, we spoke to Saroja Gunatilleke, Sri Lanka’s first formally qualified actuary – who just happens to be a woman! Saroja is a Fellow of the Institute & Faculty of Actuaries, UK.
As a child, Saroja nurtured her love for math and was determined to pursue it as her choice of higher education – today; she has a B.Sc. (Hons) in Mathematics and an M.Sc. in Actuarial Science.
But first, if you’re wondering what on earth an actuary is, you’re not alone!
- An actuary is a professional with advanced statistical skills who measure risk and uncertainty!
- Actuaries measure, quantify, and manage any risks and uncertainty in contracts or businesses. You’ll often find actuaries in insurance agencies or banks.
- Fun fact – actuaries used to be the UK’s highest-paid profession!
Join us as we speak to Saroja and learn more about what her math-heavy job involves. Take notes – if you love math, this could even be the career for you!
- In this video, we’ll discover what actuarial science is
- We also learn how to pursue actuarial sciences at the university level
- We understand how Saroja uses probability and statistics every day at her job!
- Most importantly, actuarial science (despite its intimidating name) isn’t as hard as it looks – and the field is open to everyone, boys and girls alike!