TWENTY-THREE-YEAR-OLD Timar Jackson, one of two awardees in the category of academics in the recent Prime Minister's Youth Awards, says becoming an actuarian is the next goal he has in mind.
"On a daily basis we face a profusion of risks and uncertainties like earthquakes, fires, illness, accident or death. Actuaries analyse the financial costs of such risks and uncertainties," Jackson told Career & Education.
"We use mathematics, statistics and financial theory to evaluate the likelihood of future events and design creative strategies that reduce the impact of undesirable events that do occur. This profession [would] give me the opportunity to apply my problem-solving and analytical skills, contribute strength and resilience to financial institutions, and by extension, the health and security of the country's financial system."
Jackson, who has a bachelor's in actuarial studies, and a GPA of 4.12, is currently employed to Sagicor Life Jamaica as an actuarial analyst.
He told Career & Education that in addition to solving mathematical problems on an economical level, he wants to enter and impart his knowledge in the classroom setting as a teacher.
"As an educator, I will be able to nurture and inspire the minds of the next generation. In particular, I want to help individuals realise the power of mathematics, and that it is a very fun subject once they cast away their phobia," he said.
Jackson is a past student of Norman Gardens Primary and Junior High, Vauxhall High and Ardenne High. He obtained six distinctions and three credits in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC), and seven distinctions at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) level. He placed first in the island in CAPE pure mathematics unit two, first in the island for CAPE accounting units one and two, and second in the island for economics unit two during 2007 and 2008.
"The biggest challenge I faced while I was in university was balancing all my co-curricular activities with the demands of my academic programme. I had the privilege of serving on the student guild executive and as the president of UWI Students Today, Alumni Tomorrow, and Vice Chancellor's Student Ambassador Corps," Jackson said.
He said "discipline and proper time management" were the two attributes which assisted him in getting first class honours and making the dean's list each year.
Kimani Kitson-Walters: soon-to-be marine biotechnologist
Kimani Kitson-Walters is the first student at UWI, Mona to have completed a bachelor of science degree in biotechnology and marine biology with a GPA of 3.78.
Kitson-Walters graduated last year and was a nominee for the 2012 valedictorian for the Faculty of Science and Technology.
According to the 2012 graduate of the University of the West Indies (UWI), given the profound risks and economic challenges Jamaica now faces, he wants to make the nation better through actuarial studies.
Timar Jackson accepts his award from Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller. (PHOTOS: KARL MCLARTY)
Kimani Kitson-Walters accepts his award from Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller.
    Timar Jackson accepts his award from Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller. (PHOTOS: KARL MCLARTY) #slideshowtoggler, #slideshowtoggler a, #slideshowtoggler img {filter:none !important;zoom:normal !important}  1/2  |
"We use mathematics, statistics and financial theory to evaluate the likelihood of future events and design creative strategies that reduce the impact of undesirable events that do occur. This profession [would] give me the opportunity to apply my problem-solving and analytical skills, contribute strength and resilience to financial institutions, and by extension, the health and security of the country's financial system."
Jackson, who has a bachelor's in actuarial studies, and a GPA of 4.12, is currently employed to Sagicor Life Jamaica as an actuarial analyst.
He told Career & Education that in addition to solving mathematical problems on an economical level, he wants to enter and impart his knowledge in the classroom setting as a teacher.
"As an educator, I will be able to nurture and inspire the minds of the next generation. In particular, I want to help individuals realise the power of mathematics, and that it is a very fun subject once they cast away their phobia," he said.
Jackson is a past student of Norman Gardens Primary and Junior High, Vauxhall High and Ardenne High. He obtained six distinctions and three credits in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC), and seven distinctions at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) level. He placed first in the island in CAPE pure mathematics unit two, first in the island for CAPE accounting units one and two, and second in the island for economics unit two during 2007 and 2008.
"The biggest challenge I faced while I was in university was balancing all my co-curricular activities with the demands of my academic programme. I had the privilege of serving on the student guild executive and as the president of UWI Students Today, Alumni Tomorrow, and Vice Chancellor's Student Ambassador Corps," Jackson said.
He said "discipline and proper time management" were the two attributes which assisted him in getting first class honours and making the dean's list each year.
Kimani Kitson-Walters: soon-to-be marine biotechnologist
Kimani Kitson-Walters is the first student at UWI, Mona to have completed a bachelor of science degree in biotechnology and marine biology with a GPA of 3.78.
Kitson-Walters graduated last year and was a nominee for the 2012 valedictorian for the Faculty of Science and Technology.