Multi-year awards from Rogers support more than 20 new Waterloo undergraduate students
More than 20 first-year students are pursuing their education at the University of Waterloo with support from Rogers. The University’s long-time partner delivers the Ted Rogers Scholarships, including the $100,000 Legacy Scholarship for students in STEM-focused programs and the $26,800 Future Leader Scholarship. The national awards program recognizes academic excellence and community leadership in students facing financial need, with preference on equity-deserving students.
“We are proud to invest millions each year to deliver scholarships with university partners across Canada like the University of Waterloo, and to help youth pursue their post-secondary dreams,” said Navdeep Bains, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Rogers Communications. “An investment in our country’s youth is an investment in Canada’s future.”
The Legacy and Future Leader Scholarships are awarded in partnership with six Canadian universities, including Waterloo. Waterloo has awarded the scholarships with a focus on underrepresented students in STEM and other fields.
“Diversity fuels the innovation we need to solve our most complex problems,” says Vivek Goel, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Waterloo. “I’m grateful to Rogers for their partnership with Waterloo, and for this generous contribution to support the leaders of tomorrow. By fostering inclusion across our University community, we will empower our students to create brighter futures for humanity and the planet.”
Seven recipients of the Ted Rogers Legacy Scholarship joined the University earlier this fall. Valued at $100,000 over four years, the scholarships were delivered through Waterloo and the broader national Rogers program. Waterloo’s selection focused on students who identified as women, who were entering their first year of Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, or Computer Science. The recipients demonstrated academic excellence, combined with extracurricular and leadership achievements.
The following students are among the recipients of the prestigious award:
Samantha Mac had the opportunity to learn about Waterloo through its high school outreach programs. As an aspiring startup founder, she chose the University for its focus on student entrepreneurship. She plans to connect with resources such as the Velocity incubator and startups that hire through Waterloo’s renowned co-op program. Following graduation, she plans to launch a business that develops software to connect survivors of gender-based violence with victim support services.
Samantha also hopes to make STEM more inclusive by getting involved with campus groups like Women in Computer Science. Outside of school, she enjoys singing and trying new cafes.
“I am beyond grateful to Rogers for the generous Ted Rogers Legacy Scholarship, as it removes a significant financial burden throughout my four years of study. Any time I doubt myself, I think of the Ted Rogers Legacy Scholarship, which reminds me that someone recognized my potential and passion for technological innovation.” – Samantha Mac, Ted Rogers Legacy Scholarship recipient
Excited by the programs and research facilities at the University, Thuvaragan is looking forward to exploring the student design teams and gaining different hands-on experiences during his co-op work terms. He is a self-taught programmer who has used his knowledge to teach robotics and coding in his community. During an internship in the health sciences sector, he also created a web app to help researchers perform data analysis. With his technical skills, he aims to develop hardware for technologies such as robots, computers and mobile devices
“This award means a lot and will relieve a lot of stress on me and my family. It will also give me time to focus on the academic experience and make the most of the opportunities given to me by Waterloo.” – Thuvaragan Prathifkumar, Ted Rogers Legacy Scholarship recipient
Nikki Rana is an accomplished student and a leader in her community, teaching coding and math to girls, volunteering at a summer camp and acting as a youth advisor to her regional government. The award will give her more time to study and take part in campus groups like Women in Engineering. She will continue to mentor other young women interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), while focusing her engineering degree on innovations to combat climate change and designing more accessible technologies.
“Thanks to Rogers and the Ted Rogers Legacy Scholarship, an incredible financial burden has been lifted off me and my family. It means I can focus on my engineering studies without worry and make my dreams come true.” – Nikki Rana, Ted Rogers Legacy Scholarship recipient
Ryan was drawn to Waterloo for its commitment to innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership. He has a passion for bringing people together, particularly through STEM fields. In high school, he founded Tech Hours — a youth-led organization that offered a free one-day summit for students to develop a technological solution to advance one of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Interested in both software and hardware – and the intersection of the two – he wants to be at the forefront of technologies that will solve some of the world’s biggest problems. He looks forward to gaining a world-class education, enriched with real-world experiences through co-op. Most of all, he’s excited to connect with Waterloo’s “community of like-minded students, fueled by curiosity to build, innovate, and disrupt.”
“The Ted Rogers Legacy Scholarship gives me an opportunity to unlock my potential, explore my interests, and be part of a network of passionate individuals. This opportunity is one I am grateful for, and one I will not take for granted.” — Ryan Nguyen, Ted Rogers Legacy Scholarship recipient
Passionate about emerging technologies, Pari has participated in Hack the North – a hackathon hosted by the Faculty of Engineering – since she was a high school student in Grade 10. This annual event introduced her to the University of Waterloo and its commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship. She was drawn to the University’s “collaboration-based ethos and academic rigour,” knowing it would prepare her to make an impact on the world after graduation.
Pari joined a variety of clubs and organizations in high school, acting as the programming lead for her school’s team in the FIRST Robotics Competition. Last year, she co-founded an outreach program called EmpowHER to mentor elementary school girls through workshops and hackathons on emerging technology. She also led and organized student teams to support her community, raising over $30,000.
While she’s looking forward to testing herself in her courses and exploring extracurricular programs like Velocity, she’s most excited to meet her peers and build lasting friendships. She aims to use emerging technologies to drive positive change in her career.
“Knowing that I have financial support allows me to explore my passions without worry. From choosing co-ops based on my interests rather than compensation, to being able to focus on academics during study terms, there are so many ways this scholarship will make my education easier.” – Pari Vansjalia, 2024 Ted Rogers Legacy Scholarship Recipient
Earlier this term, the University also welcomed 20 recipients of the Ted Rogers Future Leader Scholarships. Valued at $26,800 over four years, the scholarships were awarded by the University to students who demonstrated academic excellence, community leadership and financial need, with a focus on underrepresented groups. This cohort includes undergraduate students who identify as women, entering any program in the Faculties of Engineering, Mathematics or Science in which women are underrepresented; and Black or Indigenous undergraduate students entering any program at Waterloo.
Congratulations to this year’s recipients of the Ted Rogers Future Leader Scholarship at Waterloo:
This significant investment by Rogers builds on more than four decades of support for the University of Waterloo, including the recent renewal of the Rogers 5G partnership and the creation of the Rogers Research Chair in Network Automation. Rogers has also hired hundreds of alumni and students from the University’s renowned co-op program – the largest of its kind at a research-intensive university in the world with over 70 per cent of students gaining up to two years of experience during their studies.
To learn more about the Ted Rogers Scholarships, please visit the website.
