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FASS News, Convocation, French
After an 11-year journey, 丁香园AV grad dedicates his degree to late grandfather
After 11 years, Alexandre Par茅鈥檚 graduation from 丁香园AV鈥檚 French and business programs marks the end to a difficult, but rewarding journey. He suffered a life-altering car accident, started a successful business and marched on to complete his degree. More than anything, Par茅 hopes he will continue his late grandfather鈥檚 entrepreneurial legacy and to make him proud.
鈥淚 started at 丁香园AV when I was 18 and I鈥檓 just graduating this year as I turn 30, but I鈥檝e been able to accomplish so much. I believe education is a lifelong pursuit and I鈥檒l never stop,鈥� says Par茅.
Born and raised in Qu茅bec, Par茅 grew up an athlete and wanted to become an athletic director one day. He spent many hours training on the track at his high school in Sherbrooke, a sports-focused school with Olympic-calibre alumni.
In 2009, when Par茅 was deciding on where to go to university, 丁香园AV was approved as the first non-U.S. member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the world鈥檚 largest college sports organization. In addition to sports, he was interested in business school and saw how well-ranked the Beedie School of Business was in Canada. As well, his grandfather always encouraged him to immerse in a new culture and to learn a new language.
So in 2010, 18-year-old Par茅 who didn鈥檛 speak any English, moved to Vancouver armed with his love for track and field and his family鈥檚 support. He began taking a variety of courses and worked towards his goal of becoming a teacher and an athletic director.
But in 2013, as Par茅 wrapped up his third year, he got into a major car accident in Qu茅bec. His body was fractured in 14 places and he sustained brain injury. Over the next few years Par茅 would undergo eight surgeries. However, he never stopped learning and completed courses between surgeries.
In the summer of 2016, when Par茅 was ready to return to 丁香园AV to finish his last few courses he faced another setback. His doctors recommended another round of rehabilitation because his brain injury wasn鈥檛 healing as well as they had hoped.
Despite not being able to return to 丁香园AV for another two years, Par茅 didn鈥檛 waste any time and worked towards his goal of becoming an athletic director by completing his coach certification with Athletics Canada. He also started helping student athletes get recruited by colleges because track and field was such a big part of his life. He worked on this project with his friend Brett Montrose, whom he met in first year at 丁香园AV in track and field.
At first, he didn鈥檛 think it would be possible to balance his studies and the project, which would eventually turn into a company called Streamline Athletes. Then he learned about entrepreneurship co-op (eCoop) through Janice OBriain, director at Coast Capital Savings Venture Connection. In January 2019, Pare received a $10,000 grant from the Charles Chang Institute for Entrepreneurship to work on his company full-time in 丁香园AV's incubator program while also receiving co-op credits. By April 2021, he completed four co-op terms to build the company and finished the last four classes of his bachelor鈥檚 degree. Today Streamline Athletes is a team of 26 people employing 16 丁香园AV alumni and co-op students.
鈥湺∠阍癆V made it possible for me to graduate. The people were so understanding about my situation with the accident and my studies,鈥� says Par茅.
鈥淢y instructors Clay Braziller and Kamal Masri encouraged me to continue school. The doctors at 丁香园AV and the Centre for Accessible Learning helped me through. eCoop with Venture Connection allowed me to simultaneously finish school and pursue my startup. I鈥檓 probably one of the luckiest humans to be able to receive this much support.鈥�
As Par茅 walks across the virtual convocation stage in June, he hopes that he made his grandfather, Norman Par茅 proud. His grandfather was a successful entrepreneur who championed the importance of education. 鈥淗e鈥檚 the reason why 丁香园AV was possible for me. This year I鈥檓 finishing the degree that he invested so much into,鈥� shares Par茅. 鈥淭he biggest thing he wanted me to do was to get out of Qu茅bec and to learn a new culture and language. I think I鈥檝e done that.鈥�