Meet our students

Meet our SYDE Undergraduate Students

Arden White

Arden White

Arden White

Meet Arden White!⁣

Hey, I'm Arden! Currently on my fourth co-op (between 2B and 3A) and my program is Systems Design Engineering (SYDE).

Why did you choose your program?⁣

By putting in a lot of work discovering what I was interested in! I spent 4+ years (you're reading that right, I was thinking about this in elementary school!) attending UWaterloo events and talking to people in careers I was interested in: lawyer, architect, engineer, designer, professor. I attended more than six capstone events. I thought about what I enjoyed in my 6 years of student leadership and my many years of Tech Design. The common thread was that I like looking at problems from the big picture perspective!⁣
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I remember attending the SYDE capstone after so many capstone symposiums (think cool science fair), and I had a moment when I was listening to a project by fourth year students that developed a boardgame to educate elementary school students on municipal water management that I thought: Yes, this is the kind of problem I want to be solving at the end of my degree.⁣

What are your plans after graduation?⁣

Become a full-time UX Designer! But if we're talking not career related, then I plan to buy a kitchen aid mixer and bake bread all the time.

Rebecca Lai

Rebecca Lei

Rebecca Lai

Meet Rebecca!

Hi, I'm Rebecca, a 2B Systems Design Engineering student.

Aside from co-op and school, I am also involved in UW Blueprint, a student-run organization that builds technology for non-profit organizations! I have been a product designer for UW Blueprint in the past 3 terms and will be stepping into the role of VP of Design next term. 

Why did you choose Waterloo Engineering?

I have always wanted to study Engineering at Waterloo, ever since I was old enough to picture my future as a woman in STEM. My earliest memory of Waterloo Engineering is when my dad took me to the Go ENG Girl conference event hosted by the Uwaterloo Women in Engineering team in Grade 7.  

I remember speaking to all these women in engineering and I was inspired by their hard work and determination to succeed in a traditionally male-dominated field. I knew back then that if I were to choose Waterloo Engineering, there would be a lot of support and resources for women like me. I am happy to say that my impression of Waterloo Engineering was correct!

What has been your favourite thing about your program so far?

The people! I love the Waterloo Engineering structure of cohorts, being in the same classes with all my peers has fostered a close community of like-minded people. Everyone is super supportive of each other and willing to lend a hand when studies get stressful.
Your favourite co-op experience?

I would say my favourite co-op experience is my co-op, as a UX Researcher for Sun Life Financial. I really enjoy networking with seniors colleagues in my field and getting to see the impact of the work I do. My team has also made my co-op experience really memorable, through encouraging me to get hands-on experience on a variety of projects. I have really learned a lot.

Advice for first year students?

If I were to talk to first-year me, I would say to not be afraid to put yourself out there to get what you want. Whether it be in your search for a co-op position, or applying to a design team, take risks because you never know where people could use your skills.

Zoey Zhang

Zoey Zhang

Zoey Zhang

Meet Zoey Zhang!⁣

Hi, I'm Zoey. I am in my last school term (4B) before graduating Systems Design Engineering (SYDE).

What have been your most memorable experiences at Waterloo?

I thoroughly enjoyed co-chairing the Conference on Diversity in 2023. Diversity enriches the educational experience, and we can learn so much from experiences, beliefs, and perspectives that are different from our own. People deserve to feel belonging and inclusion in Engineering and we gain so much from allowing diverse perspectives in the room.

EDI was probably the biggest part of my degree outside the classroom. Listening and understanding how to advocate for others empathetically, especially when you don't necessarily belong to those marginalized communities is critical. Sometimes we need to unlearn our existing biases to be able to learn and grow.

Beyond my advocacy work, I was a representative as well as Director, Commissioner, and then Vice President of Communications for Waterloo’s Engineering Society (EngSoc). I was also a student representative for the Canadian Federation for Engineering Students (CFES). I genuinely feel a true commitment to creating supportive environments within Waterloo and beyond.

What are your plans after graduation?⁣

I'll be working in California as a Technical Marketing Engineer at NVIDIA, developing the latest AI projects and transforming them into a marketable product for customer use.