Staying sunny through the storms

For Tia Lewis, who graduates this October with a Bachelor of Mathematics in Actuarial Science and Statistics (Finance specialization), her career is the result of years of hard work, mentorship and real-life experience.  

As a child growing up in Barbados, Lewis helped take care of her father during an illness, and decided she wanted to be a doctor. “Unfortunately, I realized soon that I didn’t like blood, so I had to find a new career where I could help people,” she says. “I did well in my accounting classes in high school, so I thought I might become an accountant, but then my teacher, Maldon Goodridge, suggested that actuarial science would be a better challenge for me.”  

It was also Goodridge who told her that the University of Waterloo had one of the best actuarial science programs in the world and encouraged her to apply. “We had a group of four friends who all said we would go to Canada to study together,” Lewis says. “In the end, I’m the only one who actually made it.”  

After studying diligently throughout high school, Lewis was awarded a national scholarship for academic merit from the government of Barbados, which enabled her to pay for her studies in Canada. “It was very stressful working towards that goal,” she says. “I didn’t really get to spend my teenage years having fun; I was mostly focused on work. Sometimes I didn’t know if it would be worth it.”  

Though Lewis’s parents and older siblings are all educated professionals, she is the first one to attend university outside of Barbados. “It was definitely a shock moving to Canada,” she says. “I didn’t know anyone here and I missed my family so much. I also moved from humid, tropical weather to a place where everything freezes in the winter.” The biggest piece of advice she has for other students from hot countries? “Splurge on the high-quality winter boots!”  

Despite the culture shock, Lewis was soon able to find community and do some of the fun things that she had missed out on during her studies in high school. She became close with her roommate in the first-year residence and made friends through the Association of Caribbean Students. She joined a local church and danced everywhere she could — at church, in Zumba classes and at cultural exhibitions.  

Lewis recalls how things were going well, but during the end of her first year at Waterloo, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Classes were moved online and she suddenly had to travel back home to Barbados. “The pandemic robbed me of so much,” she shares. “I felt so disconnected from my teachers, my classes, and I almost failed out of the program.” Despite the setback, she got through due to the camaraderie of her classmates and friends, as well as kindness and flexibility from some of her professors. “I learned to always stay the course,” she says. “Even if you’re not at the top of your class, you earned your spot here. You have to keep working hard, access resources and believe in yourself. Remember you’re not alone.”  

Lewis also admits that she struggled with doubts about whether she belonged in actuarial science — doubts that were quieted by her co-op jobs. “I was really blessed,” she says, “because I was able to find co-op jobs in Barbados and did my first two terms there. Then, when I could finally come back to Canada, I miraculously got a co-op at Sunlife Financial here in Waterloo. That was amazing … it changed everything.” Lewis completed two co-op terms at Sunlife and thrived under the mentorship of her manager Alessandra, who trusted her to create actuarial reports independently.  

At the end of that second co-op term, Sunlife offered Lewis a full-time job as an actuarial associate, which she’ll begin right after graduation. Lewis is thrilled to apply the lessons she’s learned in and outside of the classroom to a permanent position. “I’m excited to continue to challenge myself while also using my expertise in numbers to benefit people,” she says. “This way I can help people … and there’s no blood involved.”