Two students from the Faculty of Mathematics have been named winners of this year’s Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA) Leadership Award. The award recognizes students who have shown exemplary dedication to fostering community and supporting others through their involvement in the university and in extracurricular activities.
This year’s two award winners from the Faculty of Mathematics are Josué Kurke and Kanan Sharma.
Josué Kurke has just completed a double major in Pure Mathematics and Combinatorics and Optimization. He volunteered as a student leader with WUSA, the Mathematics Society, the Faculty of Mathematics Ambassador team, the Faculty of Mathematics Orientation team, and the Faculty of Mathematics Student Health and Well-being Committee.
He is presently working as the student supervisor for the rock climbing gym on campus and is making plans for his future with graduate studies in mind.
“My fondest memories of my undergrad come from my extracurricular activities and all the wonderful teams I got to be part of,” he says. “Volunteering helped me figure out what things I enjoy doing and helped me through my degree.”
“I think leaders fundamentally have to be good followers,” he continues. “I see leadership as a role where you facilitate everyone’s good ideas. And so that means you have to be willing to listen to the people you work with and help them implement their vision.”
Kanan Sharma has just completed a degree in Financial Analysis and Risk Management. His student leadership volunteering involved working with WUSA, the Mathematics Society, the Mathematics Endowment Fund, the Faculty of Mathematics Orientation team, and the Faculty of Mathematics Student Health and Well-being Committee.
Having completed his degree program, he is looking forward to beginning his career as a financial performance and analysis consultant.
“Getting involved in so many student organizations was a way to meet similar-minded people and give back to the community, especially students, at the same time,” he says. “I came to the university to get an education that would prepare me to succeed in the future, but what I found is that while classes are an integral part of the university, there is an entire world outside classes that teaches you just as important skills to succeed in life.”
“I think the most important qualities for leadership are listening to others and having an open mind to differing opinions,” he continues. “It also takes having the patience to keep at things even if it seems like nothing is changing, as it can take a lot of time and effort to change things at an institutional level.”