Kerthanan Srikantharajah has always gone above and beyond. Whatever he could do to improve where he studied or where he worked – he would do it. That included doing as much as he could in one degree. Srikantharajah leaves Waterloo with a BMath, Honours in Actuarial Science with a Finance option, Joint Honours in Statistics and a minor in Computer Science.
To graduate in time, it meant he sometimes had to overload his courses. He added a sixth course some terms and took one or two classes during co-op terms.
“I would definitely say that the course load was more on the heavy side,” noted Srikantharajah. “But you just get one shot at it, so you might as well make the best out of it.”
It was Waterloo’s spirit of ‘we’re all in this together’ that helped Srikantharajah keep going through his five years. From his first step on campus in front of the Waterloo sign at an Open House, he remembers thinking:
That feeling was reinforced on move-in day, and he won’t forget the spirit of everyone that wanted to help him. Their excitement for the new start was contagious.
“People’s spirits during the first couple of weeks were amazing,” said Srikantharajah. “Everyone wanted to meet new people and gain these experiences. That spirit and environment made the transition from high school to university so easy.”
The challenges drove Srikantharajah as well. He liked the opportunity to grow professionally and personally. He overcame challenges at his co-op positions and in classes, which gave him experience and learning that will last a lifetime.
The passion of his instructors also inspired Srikantharajah. It kept him focused on learning everything he could. He saw the value in what they learned and how he could apply it to the real world.
“Having a math degree gives you a different eye on how to solve problems and think logically to use that data to solve problems,” reflected Srikantharajah. “It’s time to show the world what a pink tie really means. That’s the spirit of Waterloo that’s instilled in you.”