Put in the hard work and it will get you to where you want to go
Paramvir Singh reflects on earning his BES and what following your passion can accomplish
Paramvir Singh reflects on earning his BES and what following your passion can accomplish
By Faculty of EnvironmentYou don’t have to be perfect; you just have to work hard at something you love.
That’s the secret behind Paramvir Singh’s success. The new graduate earned his Bachelor of Environmental Studies (BES) this June and graduated at the top of his class receiving the Alumni Gold Medal for outstanding academic achievement in the Faculty of Environment as well as the Departmental Award for distinguished academic achievement in Geomatics.
“If someone would have told me I would be winning these awards four years ago, I would have probably laughed it off,” he said. “I was not a perfect student. I didn’t make timetables. I loved sleeping in and leaving things to the last minute. But, I am someone who works hard. I push and grind for what I love.”
From the beginning, Paramvir was interested in pursuing Geomatics in the Faculty of Environment. And, after his first lecture with Dr. Peter Johnson, it was confirmed. This field of study was the path for him.
“Dr. Johnson is a cool professor and he helped me to really start liking GIS,” he said. “From week one I had a strong gut feeling that I made the right choice.”
While his friends provided emotional support, Paramvir credits his drive and work ethic to his family. “My brother and mother are a constant source of inspiration for me. As for my dad, he always said if you want to be at the top, you put in the hard work that gets you there. That’s a big motivator for me to work hard. I put in all those hours, did the best I could – without expectation. That’s the key to having these awards be a really amazing surprise.”
Paramvir convocated on Tuesday, June 13 with over 400 of his peers who also had their achievements celebrated.
“We should all be proud of graduating from such a prestigious university. It’s an honour on its own,” he said. “Going forward, we all have an equal chance of making a difference. Just remember - once you start doing what you love, you don’t realize that you’re working so hard and that is how you will find your version of success.”
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The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is co-ordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.