Alumni showing off old shirts from Waterloo

Your Story Matters

Share your Story

This Giving Day, we celebrate our community of supporters – the alumni, friends, students, parents of students, faculty, staff and retirees who make UWaterloo such a special place.

We invite you to share what inspires you to stay connected to UWaterloo – a fond memory, a great experience, a milestone or anything else that’s meaningful to you.

Share your story today

If you’ve got a treasured photo – a favourite place on campus, an event you attended or some other special memento of UWaterloo, we’d love to see it! Email it to annualgiving@uwaterloo.ca

Your Stories

“Why am I still connected after 52 years? Simple: UW = interesting people doing interesting things!”
- Ron Champion (BA ’79), University of Waterloo Retirees Association President

Optometry building
“I've worked in the School of Optometry and Vision Sciences since May 1990. The photo that I have submitted looks to be taken in early 1970's when the original building was first built. I remember sitting out on the lawn (in the 1990s) at the "hill" closest to Columbia St. with a blanket over my lunch hour enoying the scenery and lovely shaded trees. That was a wonderful memory of mine.”
- Anonymous University of Waterloo Staff Member

"I was very excited to be accepted to the University of Waterloo, and I started off my five years by participating in Orientation with the Math Faculty. One of the first things we did was "earn our pink tie". During this event, I noticed another first-year student that I was pretty interested in, but I couldn't seem to get his attention. After being awarded my pink tie, I realized I didn't know how to actually tie it around my neck, so I used the opportunity to ask him to help me tie it. That was 27 years ago and we've been together ever since."
- Anonymous

"In 1968 I came to the University of Waterloo to study science. Being a United Church kid, I stayed at United College. There, I met Catherine A Carmichael, a mathematics student. During Susie Q Week, when the girls invite out the boys, she invited me out in the prized weekend slot. We went to see a local movie. We almost immediately became a couple and were married the next year. We subsequently had three boys, Russell, Ryan and Robert; all three attended UWaterloo. Our immediate family earned five degrees there. We now have seven grandchildren — five boys and two girls. In April 2025 we celebrated our 56th wedding anniversary. How much more romantic can a story get?"
- Paul Eagles (BSC 72’), University of Waterloo Retirees Association Committee Member

“Going from being an undergrad student to a UWaterloo staff member who interacts directly with undergrads has been a really nice full-circle experience. I love helping at events for incoming students who are SO excited about being admitted to Waterloo!”
- Anonymous

"When I suddenly and unexpectedly lost my husband, the first group to offer support was the Warrior Men's hockey team. Coach Bourque called me and immediately arranged for me to spend time with the team. Through my association with the hockey team, I met the new head coach of Warrior Football. Once I retired from the faculty, Coach Bertoia invited me to join his staff, and I am happy to still be working with the football team. I have come to know many Warriors and student therapists from many teams. These young people keep me alive."
- Mary Ann Vaughan, UWaterloo retiree and Special Assistant to the Head Coach, Warrior Football

"My heart is connected to the University of Waterloo. To me it is a very special place. The greatness of its position as a place of advanced research and a top university worldwide makes me proud to be in its vicinity. Added to that, my late husband was one of the professors who contributed to UWaterloo’s greatness with his research in AI and robotics. My memories are bright, with the many excellent friends and students whom my husband supervised, and whom became professors in Canada and throughout the world."
- Aida Kamel, University of Waterloo Retiree