For Steve Bochanski ‘94, a love of mathematics became the foundation for a career solving complex business and environmental challenges around the world.
Today, Steve serves as a Principal at PwC, where he advises major insurance companies on risk management, data analysis, and emerging issues like climate risk. Along the way, he has helped organizations navigate increasingly complex problems while leading innovative consulting teams.
But long before building a career in STEM and consulting, Steve was a highly involved Bonner student growing up in a family deeply connected to Bonner & Prendie.
A Family Tradition at Bonner
“I grew up in Lansdowne, and Bonner & Prendie was part of our family story,” Steve said. “My dad and his brothers went to Bonner. My mom and her sisters went to Prendie.”
One of six children, Steve entered Bonner, already well known around the school, with three older brothers attending at the same time.
“I walked into the building and people immediately knew who I was,” he laughed. “For the most part, it was a really positive thing.”
Steve immersed himself in school life, participating in 19 activities during his four years at Bonner. His interests ranged from orchestra, band, and anchoring the morning news on MBTV, to Mathletes, Scott IQ, forensics, and numerous other clubs and organizations.
“The community at the school was amazing,” he said. “I learned discipline, hard work, and caring for each other. Those values shaped me for the rest of my life.”
The Valedictorian Experience
Academically, Steve excelled and ultimately earned the honor of serving as valedictorian for the Class of 1994.
At the time, top students auditioned to deliver the valedictorian and salutatorian speeches, and Steve remembers drawing inspiration from graduation speeches he had heard throughout his childhood.
“I had attended graduations for years because of my older brothers,” he said. “I had a sense of what resonated with people.”
One moment from the selection process still stands out decades later.
“They announced the salutatorian first, and it wasn’t me,” Steve recalled. “I remember thinking it had to be somebody else. Then Father John Denny, O.S.A. announced I was valedictorian, and I was incredibly humbled and proud.”
His graduation speech centered around three themes: information, inspiration, and perspiration.
“We received information through our education at Bonner,” he explained. “We were inspired by the values we learned there, but ultimately it was up to us to apply those lessons through our own hard work and perseverance.”
Steve remembers being nervous but excited about delivering his message to the Class of ‘94, and he recalls that it was well-received. But he’s never actually heard or seen a recording of his speech.
“We didn’t have smartphones then, of course,” Steve said. “If anyone out there has a video of the graduation ceremony, I’d love to see it.”
Following a Passion for Mathematics
After graduation, Steve attended Saint Joseph's University. Initially undeclared, he eventually realized his greatest passion was mathematics.
“I always loved that math had a concrete answer,” he said. “It felt like solving a puzzle.”
That passion led him into the actuarial profession, where he completed a rigorous series of professional exams before building a career in insurance consulting and risk management.
“I wasn’t totally sure what I wanted to do at first,” he admitted. “I just knew math was something I genuinely enjoyed, and I trusted that if I followed that passion, I’d eventually find the right path.”
Over time, his work evolved beyond traditional actuarial science into technology and large-scale risk analysis. In recent years, Steve helped build a climate risk management team at PwC focused on helping organizations understand their exposure to environmental threats such as hurricanes, wildfires, and the global energy transition.
“We developed models to help companies better understand how they might be impacted by climate change,” he said. “That work felt especially meaningful because it aligned with solving important problems.”
Today, Steve continues to work with executives and organizations around the world, helping clients navigate increasingly complex challenges.
“I’ve had the opportunity to work on really big problems and help clients find solutions,” he said. “That gives me a lot of satisfaction.”
Lessons That Lasted Beyond Graduation
For Steve, many of the qualities that contributed to his professional success were first developed during his years at Bonner.
“The discipline, the expectations around hard work, character, and values — those things became foundational for me,” he said. “There was also a real sense of community. I always felt like we were part of something bigger than ourselves.”
Outside of work, Steve and his (now ex-)wife raised three children, and he remains an active musician and avid trail runner who values balance and perspective alongside professional achievement.
Looking back, his advice to today’s students is simple: don’t rush the process of becoming who you are meant to be.
“One thing I tell my own kids is to take your time,” he said. “Things move so fast today, and there’s so much pressure to compare yourself to everyone else. But you’re still growing into the full version of yourself.”
He also reflects often on a favorite lyric from The Beatles.
“There’s a line in ‘All You Need Is Love’ that says, ‘There’s nowhere you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be,’” Steve shared. “It brings comfort knowing that, even during difficult moments, you’re exactly where you need to be — and those things that were painful or seemed unbearable become part of your story, part of you - and that’s a wonderful thing...”