1. What LEO projects did you work on during your internship? What did you do for those projects?
I have worked on a variety of different projects, but the most recent project I have been involved with is the Nudge Intervention for College Scholarship project. The program grants low-income students up to four years of college tuition if they complete 12 required steps between 8th grade and high school graduation. LEO has partnered with local schools to design and implement a program that seeks to increase enrollment in this scholarship program. I have been heavily involved in analyzing results and providing background research on the project. It is incredibly rewarding to be doing work that is helping economically disadvantaged students attain a brighter future.
2. How will your experience at LEO help you pursue your future career?
Working at LEO has provided invaluable experience for my career as an actuary. Learning the quantitative side of LEO's work, where we employ statistical and econometric methods to analyze data, has furthered my interest in pursuing an analytical field while providing me technical skills I can use going forward. It has also allowed me to employ my communication skills, an important aspect of any career, by performing literature reviews and reporting results. Overall, my experience at LEO has provided me a solid foundation to start my career as an actuary.
3. Why do you think LEO's work is important?
Poverty is one of the greatest problems America faces today and is connected with many negative outcomes. In the war on poverty, it is vital that we understand what actually works versus what doesn't. By fighting poverty through rigorous evaluation, we seek to find effective and efficient ways to address the needs of economically disadvantaged people and improve their quality of life. This is what makes LEO's work so important.