Léonie Matteau
École secondaire Jean-de-Brébeuf

“You just know when a young person gets involved because it’s part of their values, and believe me, Léonie is the epitome of self-sacrifice.” It was in these laudatory terms that Brigitte Trudel, acting principal at Jean-de-Brébeuf high school, spoke of Léonie Matteau’s involvement. With a heart of gold and a head brimming with ideas, the Secondary 5 student will have left a significant mark on her high school. The breakfast club, the health squad, the EVB (Établissement vert Brundtland) committee, a campaign for Haiti, fair-trade fund-raising campaigns, Léonie is on the front line of every battle and knows how to get her ideas across and get others involved.

The more you listen to Léonie Matteau, the more you discover who she really is and the more you feel all the positive energy she exudes. As she explains that the world cannot evolve unless each and every one of us does our part, it’s almost as if she has chosen to compensate for all those who don’t do their share. Blessed with a sort of missionary’s soul, she observes, analyses and makes suggestions so as to help out or change situations she deems unacceptable.

For example, when she arrived at Jean-de-Brébeuf high school in 2008, she was quick to set up the EVB committee, which organizes events relating to social justice and the environment. And same story when Haiti was hit by catastrophe on 12 January 2010. No sooner said than done, she got together a team and organized the school’s very own fund-raiser. In less than two days, they had raised more than $500 and over $1,200 in two weeks. The money was immediately donated to the Red Cross.

And then there’s her work to get the school administration to accept her idea of using fair-trade products when setting up fund-raising activities. Léonie wrote on the subject, rallied together other students, presented her project to the governing board and campaigned to have the concept integrated in the school’s code of ethics. Now, every time there’s a fund-raising campaign, the students sell fair-trade products.

“I took part in a conference for young leaders organized by the Club 2/3 and it was a real inspiration. It was from that moment on that I decided I wanted to start changing the world … my own way,” Léonie points out.

And judging by the pace at which she gets involved, she is well on her way to doing just that. Her participation in a humanitarian aid trip to Ecuador, where she helped set up a school, and her involvement in her school’s breakfast club are other fine examples of her dedication. At the beginning of the year, she agreed to take charge of the club and managed to recruit other students, reorganized the schedule and got the committee back on track, thus enabling it to continue its mission of providing breakfast for those who needed it at school. “Léonie adds colour to our school. She is always willing to help out and to participate in projects, most of which she is actually the instigator,” asserts Mrs. Trudel.

“When I have something to do, I never wait until the last minute. I think that’s why the people around me trust me and give me responsibilities. They know I will never neglect my duties,” Léonie surmises.

What’s more, as Léonie has a highly developed artistic side, she is steadfastly involved with the school’s brass band and musical comedy troupe. Léonie plays the French horn in the band, a very complex instrument, and also teaches beginners. Moreover, she played an active part in producing a video that was to accompany a concert given by the band on the theme of film soundtracks. With the musical comedy troupe, as well as helping create the costumes and design the choreographies, she will also be playing one of the leading roles and will be interpreting, either solo or in a duet, a total of 13 songs.

“I get involved at my school because I believe that if there were no activities open to students, the school would lose its merit in the eyes of many. And then by doing what I do, I gain valuable experience that will be useful later on,” confides Léonie, who hopes to one day pursue a career in the field of health.

Léonie Matteau
École secondaire Jean-de-Brébeuf