What does being the youngest ski instructor at Red Mountain have in common with starting 100 per cent English immersion for the first time, and participating in the most student volunteer events?
An amazing high school student by the name of Emerick Deslauriers.
Always up for a challenge, this Grade 9 student who attends Seven Summits Centre for Learning, provides quality service beyond his age. Deslauriers moved to Rossland two years ago from Ottawa.
Deslauriers explains: “I used to work at a hotel in Mont-Tremblant, so I grew up working hard and providing good service. The hotel industry is very busy, and many people expect us to take care of the details so they can have a good time.”
As a ski instructor at Red Mountain, Deslauriers serves all age groups, attends to many people during the ski season, and teaches them to ski.
“I give them instruction and teach them safety, but most of all, I pass on my enthusiasm as I love to ski. Little kids like to learn from me as I show them the possibilities for fun, and adults are pleased with my ability to teach them to be good quickly.”
Deslauriers started at 7S at the beginning of this year when he decided to plunge into an English curriculum.
“I was learning at Ecole Sept Sommets and enjoyed the comfort of the French learning that I was accustomed to from Ottawa, but I knew I wanted more of a challenge, so I joined 7S.
“I put a lot of pressure on myself to be good at what I do; I wasn’t very confident in my English in the beginning.
“However, at 7S, I like that I am in charge of my learning, and if I am struggling, I have methods to find solutions. The year has been successful, but I am still working hard to learn, and it is a challenge outside of my comfort zone.”
Deslauriers has participated in the most student volunteer opportunities, racking up over twice the necessary hours. His work ethic is beyond his years.
“Emerick can always be counted on to help out, and he is the best type of volunteer an organizer can ask for as he takes very little instruction or supervision; he just gets right down to the task,” said Tara Hauck, 7S volunteer coordinator. “He doesn’t try to evade hard work or act lazy. He has a high personal standard of performance and shows it consistently.”
“My mom likes to remind me that you get out of life what you put in, so I am going to keep putting in the effort to challenge myself, so when I get a chance to do what I want, I will have a lot of experience to pull from,” said Deslauriers.
When asked if he plans to go into the tourism and hospitality business as a future career, Deslauriers observes, “I do not see myself in that industry as my true passion is driving race cars.
“I love to race, and I love cars. The precision required to be a great driver and stay ahead of the other competitors is what I strive for, and I want to drive to be the best. Putting in the time to provide service and get experience outside my comfort zone will help me to be a better race car driver, if for no other reason than the ability to anticipate other’s moves and challenge myself to take the opportunity to go for the checkered flag.”
Contact information: For further media information, please contact Seven Summits Centre for Learning Administrator at info@sevensummitslearning.com
Author: Tara Hauck, Marketing Coordinator Seven Summits Centre for Learning.
About us: Seven Summits Centre for Learning is an exceptional public high school experience that offers a blended learning model for grades 8 through 12 in Rossland.