Wearing purple, finding Community

Like most first year students, Remi Rotenberg arrived at the University of Waterloo Orientation Week expecting to learn her way around campus and meet a few people before classes began. Instead, it became the starting point for many of the friendships, leadership opportunities and campus experiences that would shape her university career.

“I was really excited to see what it was like and to get the full experience,” says Rotenberg, now a fourth-year Civil Engineering student. “I went in a little nervous, of course, moving away from home, but immediately I felt welcomed.”

That feeling of belonging came quickly. Encouraged by enthusiastic student leaders and surrounded by peers navigating the same transition, Rotenberg found herself embracing the energy of Engineering Orientation.

“My leaders were so excited to have us there,” she says. “It made me feel really excited to be there.”

Within days, she had fully embraced one of engineering's most recognizable traditions. “I got purple immediately, head to toe,” she says with a laugh.

Long before arriving at Waterloo, Rotenberg had heard stories about Engineering Orientation from her father, Meir Rotenberg (BASc '89), a Waterloo engineering graduate. But experiencing it herself was different from anything she had imagined.

What stood out most was not the traditions, but the connections she made.

Engineering Orientation places students into colour teams, creating opportunities for incoming students to meet others in their program before classes begin. For Rotenberg, that meant meeting fellow Civil Engineering students who quickly became friends, study partners and a support system.

“I had built-in friends right away,” she says. “We were all excited because we were in the same program.”

When classes started, that sense of familiarity made a difference. Members of her Orientation team sat together in lectures, tackled first-year projects together and helped one another navigate the challenges of university life.

“The initial group projects, I already knew who to turn to because I knew these people,” Rotenberg says.

Several of those friendships have endured throughout her degree and remain some of her closest relationships today.

Orientation also introduced her to upper-year students who became mentors, sharing advice, notes and encouragement during the transition to university.

“It's a really good culture of giving back,” she says.

Before arriving at Waterloo, Rotenberg had heard the stereotype that university students often keep to themselves. Her experience quickly challenged that perception.

“Everyone's just as nervous as you are,” she says. “When you calm those nerves together, it's a bonding experience.”

As her confidence grew, so did her involvement on campus. Through people she met during Orientation, she was introduced to the Engineering Society and other opportunities to engage in student life.

What began as participation soon evolved into leadership. After her first year, Rotenberg returned as an Orientation leader, determined to help new students feel the same sense of belonging she had experienced. Each year, she became more involved in planning and delivering the program.

“I've had more fun as a leader than as a first-year student,” she says. “Every time I got a glimpse of what happened behind the scenes, I wanted more.”

Now, as one of the students helping shape Engineering Orientation, she has a new appreciation for the effort that goes into creating the experience.

“You get to watch first-year students experience those moments,” Rotenberg says. “It's so rewarding because I know leaders did that for me.”

Seeing students arrive nervous and uncertain, then gradually settle into their new community, has become one of the most rewarding aspects of her involvement.

Today, Rotenberg sees Orientation as far more than a week of activities and traditions. She views it as a gateway to everything that follows, from friendships and mentorship to leadership opportunities and campus involvement.

“Orientation is your first entrance into the community,” she says.

As another group of students prepares to begin their university journey, Rotenberg encourages them to embrace the experience, even if stepping into an unfamiliar environment feels intimidating.

“Showing up is the hardest part,” she says.

Her advice is to focus on meeting people, being open to new experiences and remembering that everyone is navigating the same transition. “I joke that I have a group degree,” Rotenberg says. “Everyone has different strengths, and having people you can rely on makes such a difference.”

For Rotenberg, many of the most meaningful parts of her Waterloo experience can be traced back to a single week at the beginning of first year. What started as an introduction to campus became the foundation for a community she is now helping create for others.