Alex Lalancette

A student committed to succeeding at school thanks to sports

For Alex Lalancette, a Secondary 4 student at Camille-Lavoie high school, schoolwork has never been easy. Suffering from dysphasia and faced with family problems, he has had to overcome numerous hurdles. The road was long and arduous but today he knows what he wants. And what he’s worth. His involvement in sports has proved to be his lifeline: a unique opportunity to learn how to channel his energy and reach higher summits.

Ritchie Succès

A student committed to changing his destiny by getting involved

At the age of 12, Ritchie Succès had already gravitated towards street gangs and was well on his way to becoming a little gangster. At school, he called all the shots. Strongly drawn to committing a thousand and one offences of all kinds, Ritchie falsely believed that the more of them he committed, the more he was proving himself! One day, while on his way to meet one of his cousins – an older boy with a negative influence -, he learned that the cousin in question had just been found dead, shot down in the street. Ritchie was in shock. And it was at that moment that he realized he had but one desire: to live a happy life.

A student committed to undertaking new projects in order to catch up at school

Many adults think there’s nothing to be learned from teenagers. If they were to meet Henrick Bernier however, there’s a good chance they’d change their minds. Because the 15-year-old student with an individualized education plan (IEP) at Louis-Jacques-Casault high school could show them the true meaning of the word perseverance. Despite an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a withdrawn personality and problems expressing his inner thoughts, the type of perseverance exhibited by Henrick has enabled him to become the class representative, take part in a leadership camp, join the science club and even find a job.

A student committed to persevering thanks to extracurricular activities

When he entered Curé-Hébert high school, Jean-Philippe Lapointe was a shy and reserved student. Experiencing considerable difficulties at the academic level, he had often contemplated dropping out of school. As a result, the principal, Mrs. Josée Fortin, convinced him to take part in various extracurricular activities with the goal of encouraging him to develop his self-esteem. Jean-Philippe took up the challenge and is now fully committed to persevering and striving to go beyond his own limits.

A student committed to overcoming her difficulties to get closer to people and give of her time

Bright eyed, with a sincere smile and a voice often fraught with emotion, Christine Lafond-Morin, a Secondary 5 student at Collège des Hauts Sommets, speaks frankly and plainly. Suffering from a combined type of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, an attachment disorder and learning disabilities, Christine has always had to fight to make headway. Her passion for the visual arts has proved to be a lifesaver, enabling her to get involved in various projects, to launch art workshops for her fellow students and more importantly to gain well-deserved recognition.

Frédéric Menger-Dumas

A student committed to passing his courses in order to ensure a brighter future for himself

Frédéric admits upfront that at school, for the past two years, everything he has put his hand to has been met by failure. Today, he is grateful to the adults around him who gave him the means to discover his acute sense of creativity. For Frédéric, it was extracurricular activities, and more specifically through his talents in drawing and his interest in martial arts, that made all the difference. “In all honesty, I went from being a student who was failing every subject to a motivated student with the potential to succeed. I think that, essentially, even though everything changed thanks to my introduction to the arts, my story is above all one of self-esteem.”