DENTON (UNT), Texas – Two students studying math at the University of North Texas have won the Actuarial Diversity Scholarship, an annual scholarship program administered through The Actuarial Foundation. The scholarship is awarded to students who are intent on pursuing a career in the actuarial profession.

TJ Gebreyohannes and Lindsey Whiting are two out of only four winners from Texas. Both were awarded a $4,000 scholarship.

The Actuarial Diversity Scholarship recognizes highly qualified minority students who are of Black/African American, Hispanic, Native North American and Pacific Islander descent and are on the path to becoming actuaries, professionals who compile and analyze statistics and use them to calculate insurance risks and premiums.

TJ Gebreyohannes came to study at UNT after attending Dallas County Community College District. Originally from Ethiopia, the senior math major said he wants to work in a property and casualty insurance firm after he graduates.

“I’ve always been interested in applied math, so it was natural for me to pursue actuarial science,” he said. “Winning the scholarship has not only been financially rewarding but also emotionally satisfying.”

Lindsey Whiting always knew she would major in math. The senior El Paso native has won the scholarship all four years of college, which she says “made me pretty happy.” After graduating, she hopes to be an actuary for an insurance company.

“I found the scholarship through my own independent research,” Whiting said. “Not many people win it, so it feels good [to be one of those people].”