Testimonials

Scholarship recipients with big plans!

David Goulet
Accounting student at the University of Ottawa

"Throughout high school and your teenage years, you never really worry about school fees or finances in general. You have other things on your mind, which is normal. Except that one day your dreams catch up with you. And to achieve them, it sometimes takes money. A lot of money. For example, going to college or university is a goal many young people have. Thankfully, there are organizations like Desjardins who care about our future and offer scholarships to help us work toward our goals. I was lucky enough to get a bursary from Fondation Desjardins and pursue my dream of getting a university education in a field I like.

I'm going to use it toward school fees. Since these consistently go up each year, the extra money will help me reach my goal of finishing school with the least amount of debt possible. Something that is not always easy to do these days, when the average amount of debt is around $25,000. I'll have to use both financial planning and good judgement and cut out all unnecessary expenses to be able to meet my objective.

As the proverb goes, "If you can imagine it, you can achieve it", meaning that with a little ambition, anything is possible. When I applied for the bursary, I told myself, "Why even apply? My chances are slim. Competition will be fierce. Why should luck be on my side?" Finally, I threw my doubts out the window and decided to plow forward. And this is the result! This, I think, is how you get ahead in life. You still have some great years ahead of you to set yourself up to win Fondation Desjardins bursary. If I did it, so can you."

I have fond memories of high school. But I also remember how hard I worked all those years. I had to, because, for me, it was an important step toward my career goal. I must admit my career goal isn't an easy one: I want to become a sports medicine doctor and work for an Olympic team!

I worked really hard, but never imagined I would be so well rewarded for my efforts: on May 16, 2008, I graduated from high school with a great bursary from Fondation Desjardins on top of it all. I was so proud!

In the short-term, the money will help pay my cegep admission fees and get the schoolbooks I need. In the long term, the bursary will help me attain my greatest dream, to study medicine at the University of Sherbrooke, right in line with my final career objective.

What I'd like to tell you is that the teenage years and high school have their share of difficulties and challenges. So many things happen in life between the ages of 12 to 17. Work to turn hardships into challenges and identify everything and everyone around you who can help you achieve your dreams.

As for me, thanks to the support of Fondation Desjardins, I now know there are people behind me I can lean on, and that helps me keep working to make my dream a reality."