My Experience with Waterloop and the Leaders of Tomorrow
Hi! I am Jenarth Jegatheeswaran, recently graduated Legal Studies student from the University of Waterloo. As a current alumni of both the school and Waterloop team, I want to share my story of my time spent on Waterloo’s hyperloop team, and the lessons I learned while working on it.
Since starting University, I have kept close tabs on Elon Musk and his many fascinating endeavors. Naturally, I came to hear about the SpaceX Hyperloop competition, and the concept really stuck with me. Shortly after, I was pleased to hear that a group of students at the University of Waterloo would be representing the university at the competitions. Since first learning about Waterloop, I have followed them via social media, and it wasn’t too long after that I decided to apply.
Starting as a fledgling member of the sponsorship team, I worked my way up and managed to land a position as the Sponsorship Lead for Waterloop in April of 2018. While working in this capacity, my main role was to support the technical with building the hyperloop pod. You might be wondering how I, a non-technical student, might have done that. The answer is simple: sponsorship! By helping recruit sponsors for the team — such as Deloitte, Voltera, and Domino’s Pizza — the sponsorship team helped make the Goose I, II, and III pods possible by securing the resources needed to build them. Aside from gaining the support of our sponsors, my team and I helped create a presence for Waterloop in the community by participating in events such as TechWR, presenting at the Mitutoyo Metrology & Technology Forum, and backing outreach programs like the STEAM Project Summer Camp.
During my year on the team, Waterloop has evolved continuously as they worked to make the Hyperloop a reality; and they’re still evolving today. From a total brand revamp, to a growing community presence and support system, Waterloop team is getting stronger and stronger. It was such a pleasure to be a part of their journey, and I’ll be watching until they actualize the Hyperloop dream right here in Canada!
The experience and knowledge that I acquired while on the team cannot be overstated. It was inspiring to work alongside such a diverse team, who were all so focused on accomplishing our goal. I was able to learn so much, not just in a sponsorship capacity, but from other teams as well! Moreover, I am very fortunate to have met and worked with the future leaders of tomorrow, and I have high hopes for the collective futures of these people!
