Wartburg College junior Kelly Uwanjye recently received scholarships from the International Association of Black Actuaries and The Actuarial Foundation.

Uwanjye, an actuarial science and accounting double major from Kigali, Rwanda, hopes to work at an insurance company as a life actuary and earn a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries designation following graduation.

“I personally enjoy mathematics, and I find business and finance very interesting. I wanted a major that combines those things. After high school, I discovered actuarial science, which I found to be very fascinating due to its intricacies in mathematics. I decided to double major in actuarial science and accounting since they both were my favorite majors,” said Uwanjye.

At Wartburg, Uwanjye also is a residential assistant and involved in International Club, Catholic Knights, Phi Eta Sigma, service trips and the Actuarial Science Club.

To qualify for each scholarship, a student must have a minimum 3.0 grade point average, plan to pursue a career in the actuarial profession and be enrolled as a full-time student at an accredited U.S. educational institution. The Actuarial Diversity Scholarship offered by The Actuarial Foundation promotes diversity within the profession through an annual scholarship program for Black/African American, Hispanic, Native North American and Pacific Islander students. Additionally, the IABA provides scholarships at both the undergraduate and graduate levels to Black students who are interested in pursuing a career in the actuarial profession.

“My adviser, Dr. Brian Birgen, recommended the scholarship to students who met the requirements. My friend Rachel Ndjuluwa, who is a student here at Wartburg and who recently received the scholarship as well, encouraged me to apply,” said Uwanjye. “I was so excited and grateful because apart from the dollar amount that the organizations pay towards my tuition, I got access to different opportunities, such as mentorship, career opportunities and guidance.”

To find out more information about Wartburg’s actuarial science program, visit https://www.wartburg.edu/actuarial-science/.