The University of Waterloo will expand enrichment activities in math and computer science for high school students.
WATERLOO, Ont. (Friday, November 15, 2013) — The University of Waterloo will expand enrichment activities in math and computer science for high school students in the greater Toronto area thanks to a generous gift from Tom Higgins, former CEO, President and Director of Maple Financial Group Inc.
A $525,000 donation to University of Waterloo’s Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing (CEMC) will support efforts to ignite passion in math and computer science among youth. Higgins’ gift will allow the CEMC to increase activities in the greater Toronto area, including more school visits and an annual math camp for students in early high school.
“Tom Higgins’ gift will ensure that more students in the GTA have the opportunity to nurture their talent for math and go on to achieve great things,” said Feridun Hamdullahpur, president and vice-chancellor of Waterloo. “We are grateful for his support of this outreach initiative.”
Higgins has had a passion for mathematics since he was a young boy. He participated in University of Waterloo math competitions in high school, and went on to study mathematics at university. He then used the skills and discipline developed through mathematics to build a successful career in international finance and trading.
“I was fortunate to have someone in my life to give me encouragement and the vision to see that mathematics was something I should pursue,” said Higgins, who would like to encourage more students to challenge themselves as he did.
Tom Higgins
The CEMC is the largest national youth and educator outreach program promoting mathematics and computer science in Canada.
“We’re excited to reach many more high school-aged students at a time when they are starting to make decisions and choices in their studies that will affect their lives and career paths,” said Ian VanderBurgh, director of the CEMC. “All of these young people will be encouraged to follow their interest in math and to explore the opportunities offered by this exciting field.”
Pursuing math helps students develop analytical thinking and problem solving skills, which are key to success in careers ranging from finance to law and medicine and beyond.
In just half a century, the University of Waterloo, located at the heart of Canada's technology hub, has become one of Canada's leading comprehensive universities with 35,000 full- and part-time students in undergraduate and graduate programs. Waterloo, as home to the world's largest post-secondary co-operative education program, embraces its connections to the world and encourages enterprising partnerships in learning, research and discovery. In the next decade, the university is committed to building a better future for Canada and the world by championing innovation and collaboration to create solutions relevant to the needs of today and tomorrow. For more information about Waterloo, please visit www.uwaterloo.ca.
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Nick Manning
University of Waterloo
519-888-4451
226-929-7627
nmanning@uwaterloo.ca
www.uwaterloo.ca/news
@uWaterlooNews
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