Several thousand students along with their families attended the in-person Ontario Universities Fair (OUF) this year. They visited the booths of various renowned universities and collected information to help them make probably one of the biggest decisions of their lives, a decision that will influence their career and in a broader sense, the person they become.
As a current undergrad student at the University of Waterloo who was in the same place a few years ago, I couldn’t help but see a reflection of myself in these students.
I was also once a high school kid nervously browsing the internet and attending fairs to decide which university to go to for my undergrad. There was so much information, it often became overwhelming, and I didn’t want to make a decision that I would regret later. I could sense a similar emotion among the students and their families at OUF as they listened carefully to every word I said. I believe this was the reason I altered my approach from being a representative for Waterloo to acting as a friend to prospective students by asking them relevant questions to guide them toward the right program.
I, along with my fellow ambassadors, understood the values upheld by the University of Waterloo. So, we had a duty to accurately communicate information about the legacy of Waterloo in producing global leaders, the competitive nature of the admission process and the expectations from the students coming into the SAF. I ensured my guidance was insightful yet unbiased, just the way my younger self would have needed to succeed.
As the event came to an end, I took a moment to sit back and observe the Waterloo team and felt immensely proud to be a part of an organization that wants students to succeed more than anything else. At that moment, I could assure my younger self that he indeed made the right decision by joining such a world-renowned institution.