Meet Katie Kerckaert
Katie Kerckaert earned her Honours Bachelor of Science in Statistics from the University of Toronto, and has completed a Fellowship with the Casualty Actuarial Society. She is currently an Actuarial Analyst at Intact Financial Corporation. In her free time she can be found volunteering with an ocean conservation group, learning languages, trying new vegan foods and blogging about how we can reduce our environmental impact.
When did your love of STEM begin?
In grade 2 when we were learning basic algebra like multiplying. I liked it because I found it natural and easy - I didn't understand how other students could struggle with it. I found it fun because I always got the questions right. As I continued through elementary school and high school my love for math and physics grew to be due to the fact that it is so useful in so many situations, and the world as we know it cannot function without it. I didn't understand how other students would complain that math is useless and would wonder why we had to take it.
What is the best part about working in the field of STEM? It is challenging. I like to use my brain and I love the feeling of coming home at the end of the day feeling exhausted. Although I mostly sat in a chair and I am not technically physically exhausted, I am mentally exhausted. The days fly by when you are working through tough problems and I wouldn't want it any other way. The brain is like a muscle and the more you use it, the stronger it gets. If I was in a job that was less mentally challenging, I think I would be less able to problem-solve in my personal life outside of work.
What advice would you give young women interested in a career in STEM?
Find an application of STEM that interests you, inspires you, and motivates you - and keep in mind there are unlimited applications of STEM. In my first year of university I took some Math courses and some Computer Science courses. I ended up going more the math route, but I have always regretted a little not exploring Computer Science further. I liked what I was doing in my courses, but I was surrounded by people who wanted to build video games and I thought this was the only application of computer science and it did not interest me. If I would have known about other applications of computer science such as helping people become better drivers or improving their health, I may have stuck with it.