Rajet Anand
Pierre-Laporte

In life, there are instigators of change and then there are observers. From as far back as he can remember, Rajet Anand, a Secondary 5 student at Pierre-Laporte high school in Montréal, has always made sure he was associated with the first group. Be it through the student council, extracurricular activities or the cafeteria committee, Rajet gets involved and gives of his time. “When something isn’t to my liking, I simply feel like changing it. When I work towards making my school a more welcoming and enjoyable place, I have the feeling I’m doing something constructive.” With his passion for people, and their views and concerns, Rajet Anand has always felt the need to represent his peers and defend their interests. As early as Secondary 1, he joined the student council, with the firm intention of playing a constructive leadership role. Participating in all the meetings, organizing festivals and activities, setting up special committees, during his high school years he didn’t let anything pass him by. Last year, he even became the student representative on the governing board and is now able to contribute in a different way to his school’s development. “Getting involved in student life brings me greater self-esteem and a feeling of satisfaction because I feel useful. And, because I now know the ins and outs of the decision process in society, I intend to reinvest this know-how later on so as to help improve the quality of life of each and every one of us,” recounts the student who irrevocably asserts he wants to be a cardiologist. For Rajet, enhancing the quality of life of his fellow students hinges on a large number of small gestures like, for example, joining the committee in charge of improving the cafeteria. As a member of the committee, Rajet helped transform the cafeteria by helping to redesign the dining areas to make them more hospitable and, more importantly, by implementing the use of sustainable dishes and setting up an efficient recycling system, both of which help reduce the school’s ecological footprint. “Rajet is a student who is always at the ready and shows unremitting initiative, resourcefulness and efficiency in everything he undertakes. He is also concerned about the well-being, quality of life and success of his peers. He is always willing to help students experiencing difficulties,” asserts student life counsellor Sylvie Lafrenière in her letter of support. Rajet’s eagerness to help out is manifested in various ways. Among other things, he regularly assists a number of students with their schoolwork, above all in mathematics and French. Every day, he also accompanies a student in a wheelchair, a gesture that makes the school day a whole lot easier for the young boy in question. “I feel as though I can make a difference for certain people and this is what I enjoy most when giving of my time. I don’t do it for myself, I do it for them. I think this is what being committed is all about,” he says. Rajet’s valuable contribution during open-house days at school, as part of the welcoming committee at the beginning of the school year and at special events reserved for parents is also worthy of mention. “As well as being a hard-working student, Rajet possesses diplomatic skills, leadership and an ability to interact with his fellow students. When he graduates next year, he will leave a great void in our school community,” Mrs. Lafrenière points out. For the Secondary 5 student, each academic project is a stimulating challenge that he hopes to always take up with enthusiasm. In fact, this is why he strives to encourage as many young people as possible to follow in his footsteps. “A lot of young people are scared to get involved because they think it will take up too much of their time and they won’t be able to do anything else. It’s the opposite; when you get involved, you learn to manage your time more efficiently and what’s more, it’s enriching. You learn new things and you might even say you learn about yourself. You really mustn’t hesitate if you plan to get involved in a project,” Rajet concludes.

Rajet Anand
Pierre-Laporte