Posted on April 23, 2021 by Wendy Frost
UTSA Top Scholar Lindee Fiedler has a passion for statistics. An actuarial science major, she will intern with USAA this summer as an actuary analyst. As founder and president of the Adopt a Grandparent student organization, she had to adapt during the pandemic to continue serving seniors through letter writing and grocery deliveries.
Favorite class
Probability and Statistics with David Han. He did an amazing job of making his content interesting and showing us enough examples so that we never left without understanding. He also engaged us constantly. I also really just enjoyed the subject itself because it went far more in-depth than any statistics class I have ever taken and prepared me for my first actuarial exam, which I passed the summer after taking his class.
Favorite professor
It’s a tie between David Han and Jerome Keating. They both love their job, and they love statistics. I’ve talked a little about Professor Han, but Professor Keating loves to tell relevant stories and answer mildly off-topic questions about statistics. I am currently enrolled in Time Series Analysis with Professor Keating, and one thing I love about his class is that he assigns homework that applies to real data sets. This allows me to practice my SAS programming and Excel spreadsheet skills which I learned in past classes. Overall, these two professors taught me more in their classes than I learned in all my other courses combined.
How has COVID affected your studies or you personally this semester?
I am the founder and president of a student organization called Adopt a Grandparent which is devoted to serving the elderly community here in San Antonio. When COVID restricted visitation in nursing and retirement homes, I knew that we would have to make some major changes. One of the changes we decided to make was to replace in-person visits with letter writing. We have been writing letters, delivering groceries and cleaning windows so the residents can visit their families through the windows since last spring.
What have you learned most from your program of study thus far?
I have learned from my studies in actuarial science that the field requires a lot more computer programming than I had originally imagined. At first, I was a little wary about this new skill I would need to learn, but as I began to dive into the programming lessons, I found that I truly enjoyed it. I can’t wait to get into the field this summer in my internship with USAA to put my new skills to the test.
Any organizations or activities that you’ve been involved with in the COB or at UTSA?
In addition to Adopt a Grandparent, I am a member of the Top Scholar program. Top Scholar is a group of diligent students devoted to improving themselves in knowledge, leadership and service. As a Top Scholar, I am a member of the UTSA Honors College which provides a unique educational experience for academically talented students with a commitment to excellence. Finally, I am the Chairwoman of Young Americans for Freedom, a non-partisan, conservative student organization devoted to promoting free speech and sharing conservative ideals on campus.
What are you watching, reading or listening to right now?
I just finished watching “Wanda Vision,” but overall, once school switched to virtual, I haven’t been watching much at all. Instead, I recently purchased a drum set and have been learning to play that. I recently re-read the Percy Jackson and the Olympian series, the Heroes of Olympus series (both by Rick Riordan) and “Midnight Sun” by Stephanie Meyer. I know. Kid’s books, but I love them, and I tend to prefer re-reading things. I listen to pretty much all kinds of music.
Professional work experience or internships that you’ve participated in?
I will be attending an internship with USAA this summer as an actuary analyst intern. I am so excited to have this opportunity to work with an amazing company like USAA.
What are your future career plans?
I hope to become an actuary for an insurance company someday, USAA if possible.
— Wendy Frost
