Welcome to the revolution. That’s how Ginny Dybenko greeted the Class of 2020 Tuesday at the University of Waterloo Stratford campus.
Nearly 180 students in the Global Business and Digital Arts program crammed into the atrium, lined the staircases and leaned over the second- and third-floor railings at the St. Patrick Street building for the executive director’s opening remarks on orientation day.
Dybenko was talking the digital revolution, something that has “absolutely hammered every single industry and not-for-profit out there today.”
“By joining this program, you are now part of that revolution,” she told the undergrads.
GBDA combines creativity, business and technology disciplines to make communication in the digital age more seamless, suggested Dybenko.
“That’s what we’re all about here. We’re about the human being, and how human beings want and need to receive information,” she said. “And that, let me tell you, is the most important aspect of the digital revolution in the next 10-20 years.”
In June, the first cohort of GBDA students graduated, and many of them have gone on to unique and exciting jobs involving digital media – some of which didn’t even exist when the program was first launched in 2012.
“It’s not just Google and Facebook. It’s not just all of the cool tech industries,” said Dybenko. “It’s every single industry. It’s absolutely everybody. And you’ll be able to participate as leaders, because you’ll be the first to the goal line.”
Sitting in front of a three-storey tall digital screen showing the university’s social media feeds, the program’s instructors offered students a few words of advice.
“Be curious,” said Karin Schmidlin.
“Be present. Don’t be afraid of challenges. Push yourself,” added Hira Javed.
Jennifer Roberts-Smith, who called the GBDA program “outward facing and future oriented," encouraged students to make the most of the uniquely creative atmosphere.
“There are no other places that foster ideas like universities,” she said.
And Jessica Thompson, associate director of academic programs at the Stratford campus, urged students to take ownership of their education.
“Consider this an investment in your future self,” she said.
As part of the orientation activities Tuesday, students explored the community through a series of cultural challenges in and around the downtown core.
That included learning some stress-busting yoga moves at Moksha Yoga, putting on a kilt and striking a pose in the “MacBooth” at MacLeods Scottish Shop, taking part in a chocolate-wrapping race at Chocolate Barr’s and even kicking up their heels at the Studio Theatre for the high-energy Running of the Goat dance from the Stratford Festival’s production of As You Like It.
Story by Mike Beitz for The Herald Beacon.