Co-op and Experiential Education

Banner image courtesy of Loran Scholars Foundation. Chidi Umenwofor-Nweze, far right, stands with all of Waterloo's current Loran Scholars.

Earlier this year, Waterloo opened its doors to thousands of new students, one of whom was Chidi Umenwofor-Nweze, a 2019 Loran Scholarship recipient whose educational journey from the ice-capped mountains of Iqaluit to a small village in India has given her the ability to thrive as a young leader and make a positive impact in her communities.

Startup companies at the University of Waterloo's flagship entrepreneurship programs have generated more than $2 billion in revenue and around 7,500 jobs over about a decade, according to a major new report by Deloitte Canada.

Landon Jennings was 14-years-old when her life changed forever.

A freshman in high school, the then grade 9 student had to recount experiences she never wanted to think about again.

“I remember being called out of class to the principal’s office,” says Jennings. “Someone close to me slowly became a monster in front of my eyes as I was forced to replay images I tried to forget.”

Back when I was studying Global Business and Digital Arts at the University of Waterloo, I had to complete an internship in my third year in order to graduate. Knowing this, I worked my butt off all through my first and second year to build job experience, a social media following, and a meaningful network by the time I had to apply. I remember coming into it feeling ahead of the game with sky-high expectations and definitely an inflated ego.

Rukshan de Silva (BES ’14, MEDI ’17) received a top honour at the Planning Institute of Australia’s (PIA) National Awards for Planning Excellence.

You might have noticed something familiar while flipping through the channels earlier this week.

For the first time ever, the University of Waterloo appeared as a Pit Stop on this season of CTV’s The Amazing Race Canada.

In traditional Waterloo fashion, innovative projects and head-scratching challenges designed by students were showcased on Canada’s most-watched summer series.

Global and individual health care continues to be deeply disrupted by technology. The Waterloo Innovation Summit investigates this ongoing transformation and how it will impact our lives.

On October 1, join global thought leaders and change agents on a deep dive into the burgeoning HealthTech boom. The day-long conference will feature a keynote address by Waterloo’s Nobel laureate, Donna Strickland, along with talks by expert speakers including current and future alumni.

As more of the world’s population migrates to cities, our global community is faced with complex questions: How can we make our streets smarter, and safer? How do we feed our growing urban centres? And are our cities making us sick?

The latest issue of Waterloo Magazine delves into these questions with alumni and researchers who are reimagining how we live. The print edition will hit mailboxes soon. Until then, check out the digital version for exclusive online extras like this interview with illustrator and alumnus Kathleen Fu.

For graduating students, convocation is a significant milestone, a time to celebrate their accomplishments in front of family and friends. Each year, students are nominated by peers to represent their class during convocation. The position of valedictorian is an honoured one, reflecting an individual who has led an active post-secondary career, both academically and socially.

Meet our 2019 valedictorians: