The stall endemic to Stanstead

Photo Dominic Scali
Stanstead is a town in the Estrie region, 50 km from Sherbrooke. A little more than half of the population is English-speaking.

Dominique Scali

Sunday, February 18, 2018 19:39

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Sunday, February 18, 2018 19:39

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Aleesha Grimes grew up near the u.s. border, in a city where nearly one student in three wins. And it has almost become part of this statistic.

“There is a bias against the anglophones here, as if we were all addicted to drugs or on social assistance “, leading the student 18 years of age.

Stanstead is a town in the Estrie region, 50 km from Sherbrooke. A little more than half of the population is English-speaking.

The students are two times more likely to drop school than in the whole of the province, note Katie Lowry. It has, therefore, created the organization to help with homework Phelps Helps six years ago.

It is important to understand that the economy of a small municipality, has experienced a hard blow in 1982 when the factory was the main employer in the corner has closed its doors. Many families have left the city, the price of rents has fallen, attracting people on social assistance, including a good number of anglos, tell the residents.

Added to this is the fact that the cegep students have a tendency to leave Stanstead, while people less qualified remain. “Some parents have a negative attitude to school and they pass it on to their children. This creates a vicious circle, ” said Michael Murray, president of the Commission scolaire Eastern Townships.

One of the roles of the volunteers of Phelps Helps is, therefore, serve as role models, especially for those who have never seen their parents work, ” says Ms. Lowry.

Photo Dominic Scali

Katie Lowry, who has struggled to hold back her tears when Aleesha has received an award for his leadership last fall.

A dinner and the help

In order to convince young people to come and enjoy his help, Ms. Lowry rode in the bus and promised them a dinner tantalizing. For more than a month, Phelps Helps has helped a single student : Aleesha Grimes.

“It was malaisant. I was 13 years old and I was the only student with a handful of tutors, ” she said, laughing.

The daughter of a mother’s secretary and father, a janitor, a teenager ran its course and was the victim of bullying at the beginning of the secondary. She has been suspended several times.

“I was told that I had no potential, that I would end up in a program that leads not to a real degree. “

Then, thanks to the individual help received, her grades have improved. French was once his pet peeve. “I finished [the secondary school] with a better grade in French than in English. This is crazy ! “

A price

She is now studying psychology at college and in turn gives of his time to help students.

She even received an award from the Association des Townshippers for his leadership in September.

Aleesha Grimes dream of becoming an ambulance. But despite its success, it plans to leave the province after their college studies.

It would be well to work in Ontario, in an area where there are a lot of French and where French will be seen as an asset.

“I want to use my second language to help “, she said.

The body Phelps Helps account now sixty high school youth in its mentoring programmes. The number of participants who have dropped out since the beginning of the year ? Zero.