Vraj Patel

Graduate Teaching Assistant @ Carnegie Mellon University

About

I recently graduated from the University of South Florida with a 4.0 GPA, earning the double degrees of B.S. Computer Science and B.A. Statistics and achieving highest honors and recognition as a King O'Neal Scholar. My strong passion for the insurance industry drove me to take and pass the first two actuarial exams, and I am committed to pursuing a career as an actuary. My technical foundation in Python, C, C++, and JavaScript, combined with expertise in data structures and algorithms from my CS coursework, positions me to excel in today's technology-driven actuarial landscape. My Statistics degree provided me with a solid understanding of probability and mathematical modeling—core competencies essential to actuarial work—while my proficiency in R enhances my ability to perform sophisticated actuarial analyses. I also have a strong grasp of Microsoft Excel and intermediate proficiency with VBA. My summer software engineering internship at Deloitte helped me develop strong interpersonal skills and understand how high-performing teams collaborate effectively on complex, high-stakes projects. This fall, I'm proud to have joined Carnegie Mellon University's M.S. in Applied Data Science program, which is a rigorous, statistics-driven program that will strengthen my quantitative foundation while ensuring I'm prepared to leverage modern data science techniques in actuarial practice. My goal is to become a well-rounded actuary who can bridge traditional actuarial methods with cutting-edge analytical approaches, ready to make an immediate impact in the evolving insurance industry.

Country

United States

City

Lakeland

Industry

Computer Software

Skill

Organization Skills, Data Visualization, Predictive Modeling, Analytical Reasoning, University Teaching, Probability, Statistical Data Analysis, R (Programming Language), data structures and algorithms, Oracle Cloud, Linux, Interactive Bots, Differential Equations, MATLAB, Data Science, Applied Probability, statistical machine learning, Actuarial Science, Snort, Wireshark

Experience

Graduate Teaching Assistant

Carnegie Mellon University

2025-8 - Present · 1 yr 2 mos

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

36402 - Advanced Methods for Data Analysis (January 2026 - Present) Supported the learning of over 200 students through grading in class exercises, homeworks, and exams. 36225 - Probability (August 2025 - December 2025) Led weekly recitation sessions and held office hours to reinforce key probability concepts for a cohort of 300+ students, enhancing comprehension and engagement for both technical and non-technical audiences.

Founder and Developer

TheClassTracker.com

2024-6 - 2025-7 · 1 yr 2 mos

Tampa, Florida, United States

Built a Telegram bot-based system to help USF students track closed course sections and get real-time seat availability alerts for a nominal fee. Hosted on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure and powered by a custom query optimizer algorithm using tree-based data structures, the tool was adopted by numerous students and outperformed alternatives like Coursicle in speed and reliability. Managed the full stack — from backend performance logic to bot interface, cloud deployment, and user support.

Undergraduate Teaching Assistant

University of South Florida

2024-1 - 2025-5 · 1 yr 5 mos

Tampa, Florida, United States

• TA for MAP2032 Differential Equations: Drafting exam answer keys, grading exams, proctoring exams, and holding office hours to help students with the foundational concepts of ordinary differential equations. • TA for CIS3213 Intro to Cybersecurity: Grading lab assignments and holding office hours to help students grasp introductory cybersecurity concepts.

Mortgage Loan Officer Assistant (NMLS #2222551)

Innovative Mortgage Services, Inc.

2022-8 - 2025-5 · 2 yrs 10 mos

Lutz, Florida, United States

• Assisted a senior loan officer in managing loan files throughout the mortgage process, including initial borrower screening, gathering and analyzing financial documents, and preparing loan applications • Collected and analyzed financial data to assess borrower risk profiles and loan eligibility, ensuring accuracy and compliance with lending guidelines • Developed strong attention to detail and organizational skills while managing multiple loan files simultaneously in a fast-paced environment

Deloitte Summer Intern

Deloitte

2023-6 - 2023-8 · 3 mos

Lake Mary, Florida, United States

As a software engineer intern at Deloitte, I was required to play an integral role as part of a large team responsible for creating software for various states that needed to upgrade their Medicaid systems. I was exposed to all parts of the software development cycle including development, testing, and deployment. In addition to learning technical skills such as automation with PowerShell scripting, this internship enhanced my ability to effectively communicate with team members to get work done efficiently.

Summer Intern

Podium Education

2022-5 - 2022-8 · 4 mos

Tampa, Florida, United States

This internship was extremely fast-paced, in that it aimed to teach the fundamentals of web development, with the markup languages of HTML and CSS in the first stage, and JavaScript in the later stages. We were required to communicate with colleagues to finish assigned web coding projects, which helped build my communication skills in a real life environment. At the end, I gained valuable interpersonal skills along with a rich assortment of web-based projects to add to my portfolio.