René Duchesne, an accounting student at the Université du Québec in Chicoutimi, is involved in a village known as Saint-Ambroise, located near Chicoutimi. Faithful to his Saguenay heritage, he believes deeply in local economic development. His commitment to this course of action is based on the conviction that by working in his community he will be able to contribute to its improvement. “Even without being on the job market, it is possible to face greater challenges and obtain much more in return than a mere pay cheque. One gains the satisfaction of having accomplished something and the impression of having contributed to bettering the community,” explained René.
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Since early adolescence, Christine Renaud, a student in secondary education in ethics and history at the Université de Montréal, has distinguished herself through her creativity, positive leadership and strong abilities, not only for developing projects but also for bringing them to life. As early as 1991, at only eleven years of age, she participated in the establishment of the L’Entracte youth drop-in centre. A few years later, she embarked on an extensive period of travel and international cooperation which included visits to Guatemala, Ecuador, Vietnam, Wales and El Salvador. At the same time Christine was involved with Amnesty International, organized a collection of second-hand books for underprivileged children in the Côte-des-Neiges neighbourhood, developed a workshop on social commitment which she presented during a colloquium for students and teachers, and coordinated a one-day symposium on educational reform and its implementation at the secondary level. Moreover, she created and supervised the Teranga project which offers students in education at the Université de Montréal the opportunity to follow an introductory course in international cooperation in Senegal. Her strong commitment also prompted her to represent the Marche 2/3 organization during the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 2003.
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Resolute and fully aware of the world around her, Karen sees her life as a puzzle, with some pieces earmarked for the search for an in-depth understanding of the complexity of the human body, some pieces allotted to her involvement in all her activities and some assigned to volunteer work in the community. Karen, an avowed feminist, completed a bachelor’s degree in anatomy and cellular biology and studied the piano at the Royal Conservatory of Music of Toronto for 12 years before beginning her studies in medicine at McGill University. She speaks four languages, including German and Yiddish. Since 1996, she has held the position of ombudsperson at the Sexual Assault Center at McGill University, a distress line centre for rape victims.
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Having recently completed his PhD in clinical sciences at the University of Sherbrooke, Stéphane P. Ahern will soon become a resident in internal medicine in a hospital in the province. However, his many ambitions could take him much farther. More than by practical experience, research and teaching, Stéphane P. Ahern is guided by one underlying principle: humanistic involvement. His manner of interpreting the relationship that should exist between patient and physician has a great deal to say about his vision of the practice of medicine. “The clinic is an extraordinary place, where a person who is suffering or haunted by a disease gnawing away at him unveils his innermost concerns to another person who attempts to establish a diagnosis and treatment to help the patient,” he explained.
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Always busy, Véronique Godbout is one of those people who succeed at everything they do. Blessed by God, she excels in her many activities, to the happiness of some and to the incredulity of others. A physical education instructor by profession, she is presently studying medicine at the Université de Montréal. This ultra-dynamic 25-year-old woman from Saint-Pascal de Kamouraska in the Lower St. Lawrence region has garnered many awards. She has been involved in volunteer work of many kinds since 1984, and her studies will not impede her ability to continue in the same vein. On the contrary, Véronique considers her studies, job, volunteer work, sports activities and social life the hallmarks of equilibrium.
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Sylvain Turgeon has chosen adventure. When he enrolled in the Outdoors and Tourism Adventure bachelor program at the Université du Québec in Chicoutimi, his lifetime dream became reality: the opportunity to enjoy his passion for physical activity in the great outdoors. From the onset of his bachelor program, Sylvain stood apart with his leadership skills and organizational abilities. Since 1997, he has multiplied his endeavours: fundraisers for expeditions to Nepal, animation at the Café-Jeunesse among children from single-parent families, repairing bicycles intended for use in Mali and more. In his quest to encourage groups to use nature as a context for learning, Sylvain is planning a Master's degree in education by means of the outdoors.
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When Louis-Samuel Jacques strums the cords of his mandolin, he does not do it to relax, but to liven a concert hall with his musician friends, the Gros Gnômes group. This budding agronomist and second-year student at Laval University has more than one string to his bow. He speaks several languages and improved his theoretical knowledge of German by working in a cheese factory in Bavaria for several months. He perfected his Spanish during a two-month stay in Salvador under the aegis of the Québec Without Borders program. Concerned about the environment, he enrolled in Laval University in search of a greener world, and successfully developed a carpool project.
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Dividing his time between school and sports, Louis Saint-Laurent is adamant about two great passions in his life. This native of Lac-au-Saumon in the Lower St. Lawrence region took to skiing at a very early age and entered the cadets, where he became interested in the biathlon. At ages 14 and 15, he won the provincial junior cadet championship. This serious student is presently studying engineering at the Université du Québec in Rimouski. He believes that high-level sports act as a stimulus to concentration, and he uses his experience to teach young cadets the importance of sports and total personal investment at all times.
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Social inequality, poverty and underdevelopment are terms that Nilima Gulrajani does not use solely in her economics and political science courses at McGill University. These down-to-earth concepts are the underpinnings of this young humanist. Her goal is to understand and combat poverty and promote human rights. Scholarships, awards, honours and practical experience are the hallmarks of the impressive résumé of this young woman who backs down before nothing to achieve her ideal. Consistency in the will to stamp out inequality and accomplish tangible actions bear witness to the profound humanism of a woman who maintains a perfect balance between scholarly success and socio-personal achievements.
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While at college, Steve Galarneau’s life was turned upside down when he learned that he had an eye problem that would lead to extensive loss of vision. Rather than let the situation get him down, he completed his college diploma in two years and decided to study to become a chartered accountant. Now 21, he is presently completing his study program with success at the École des Hautes Études Commerciales de Montréal (HEC). Very involved in his field, he recently returned from a trip to Slovakia, where he participated in a meeting of the International Association of University Students in Economics and Accounting. At present, he is planning the foundation of an environmental watch committee linked with Oïkos International, and will fly to Sweden in the winter of 2001 to pursue his studies.
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Only 21 years old, this young man from Cacouna in the Lower St. Lawrence region boasts a very impressive résumé commensurate with his professional and social aspirations. Frédéric enjoys helping others. This holder of a high school level international bachelor’s degree is fully engaged in his study of medicine. Between lectures, he organizes seminars and fundraising concerts at the faculty and is an actor in the theatre in the evening – but not every evening. He is also involved in mutual aid at the faculty. Frédéric is the president of the Physicians’ Association at the University of Sherbrooke (1999), and also the vice-president of information, in addition to holding a seat on Influx, the medical faculty newspaper.
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