CIA and ASNA announce Nandisha Uppiah as winner of Inclusive Culture Scholarship

The CIA and the Actuarial Students’ National Association (ASNA) proudly announce the results of the 2024 ASNA-CIA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Scholarships.

Nandisha Uppiah has been awarded the Inclusive Culture Scholarship. The scholarship, valued at $3,000, acknowledges Uppiah’s exceptional contributions to creating a more diverse and inclusive actuarial community. The scholarship was awarded at the CIA gala dinner during the 34th ANÉA-ASNA Convention in Montreal on January 20.

At York University, Uppiah serves as an ambassador for Sun Life. Through her role, she provides underrepresented students with valuable opportunities to gain experience and advance their professional careers. Uppiah is also a mentor with the International Association of Black Actuaries, where she actively works to create a more inclusive actuarial profession.

Two other scholarships are offered as part of the ASNA-CIA partnership: the Academic Achievement Scholarship and the Indigenous Scholarship. Due to limited participation, these scholarships were not awarded this year.

All three scholarships aim to increase representation from underrepresented groups in the actuarial profession, recognize outstanding efforts toward making Canada’s actuarial community more diverse and inclusive and provide financial support based on demonstrated need to help students achieve their professional qualification goals.

“We are again this year delighted to work with ASNA to provide financial support to an outstanding individual in the actuarial field,” says Steve Prince, FCIA and CIA President. “Together, we are proud to help individuals from underrepresented groups achieve their career goals.”

ASNA President, Samantha Intranuovo, also shared: “We celebrate the impact of these scholarships in promoting equitable representation and diversity within the Canadian actuarial community, and we look forward to another year of empowering talented individuals from various backgrounds in their educational pursuits.”