Juliana Mannine’s dream of becoming an actuary has existed since she was a sophomore at North Rockland High School. Now, that dream has translated into her studies and involvement at St. Thomas Aquinas College.
Juliana is no stranger to academic achievements. As a high school student, she was a member of the National Honor Society, Science Honor Society, Business Honor Society, and you guessed it: the Math Honor Society. She balanced multiple extracurricular activities with being a varsity tennis athlete and even graduated in the top five percent of her class.
Now, Juliana is a student at St. Thomas Aquinas College. She is studying Mathematics with a concentration in Actuarial Science and a minor in Finance. Juliana is a member of the STAC Business Club and the STAC Honors Program, as well as a recipient of the Bloomberg certification. She even participated in the STAC Volleyball Club.
Juliana has several favorite aspects of her experience at STAC. She appreciates the attention that students receive from their professors at the College.
“The relationship you get to build with your teachers throughout the class,” Juliana says, “the idea that you are not just a number and they actually know your name and who you are as a person.”
Juliana says that Associate Professor of Mathematics, Dr. Meghan DeWitt, and Associate Professor of Business Administration, Professor Christine Cahill, have had a powerful influence on her.
“She motivates me every day in class to push myself and better myself,” Juliana says of Dr. DeWitt. “She also is that professor who gets to know their students so well; there are things I told her at my orientation and she still remembers, which makes me love going to this school even more.”
She adds that Professor Cahill has a clear passion for the subject that she teaches as well.
“She is another professor that makes me love going to STAC. I’ll never forget when she came up to me and remembered seeing my face outside my high school where she walks and congratulated me for being in the top 5%. Little things like this make a student feel so good and especially in a stressful time it reminds you that all your work pays off,” Juliana says.
Juliana says that she has also experienced teamwork that comes with relationships between classmates in small class sizes.
“Being such a small school, it is amazing the great opportunities they have for their students that help set them apart from other students at big universities,” Juliana says.
The Bloomberg Lab at STAC is an example of what Juliana loves about the College. It wasn’t only the relationships made at the College that attracted Juliana to STAC; her own brother is an alum who had many achievements as well during his time at STAC. Having the ability to study abroad at the University of Oxford through the STAC Honors Program helped her decide to enroll, too.
Juliana also works besides studying. She does data entry as an employee for Medstar Consulting in Pomona and is a salesperson with Flamingo Pools in Tomkins Cove. She even tutors students in a plethora of math courses through STAC’s Center for Academic Excellence.
Juliana encourages all students to get involved.
“Even though sometimes it’s scary, it is important to just go with it,” Juliana says, “you can only grow from it.”
Such involvement and success are indicators to Dr. DeWitt that Juliana will have a great and successful future.
“Juliana is one of the most dedicated and driven students I have ever had. Her work ethic and ability to help others is constantly impressing me, and I can’t wait to see the amazing things she accomplishes in her life,” Dr. DeWitt says.
Professor Cahill marvels at Juliana’s success, which was apparent in the business law course she taught her in.
“From the first day of class, Juliana impressed me with her ability to be articulate about difficult concepts, her sensitivity to the nuances within the law, and her passion for learning both in and out of the classroom. She is an energetic, enthusiastic learner and inspires those around her. She skillfully and seamlessly transitioned to the virtual learning environment when we were faced with COVID-19 challenges,” Professor Cahill says. “Throughout the semester, Juliana demonstrated an openness to the opinions and perspectives of others, along with shrewd powers of observation and organizational skills, all qualities that make her outstanding as a student and will lead to great success in the future.”