Theme: Breakthrough!

This event will have an array of different discussions. Moving on from the recent COVID crisis, many of our students and faculty have been struggling with the after effects of the pandemic. Many are trying to break through the difficulties brought on from the pandemic.

Pierce Hall
450 Rue Dufferin, Stanstead, QC J0B 3E0
Stanstead, Quebec, J0B 3E0
Canada

Annie LaMantia

Student of Stanstead College - Grade 10

Annie is a second year Grade 10 student from Vermont. She grew up across the United States, living in North Carolina, Indiana, and Vermont for various periods of time. She will be relocating to the Pacific Northwest in the coming months. When moving to Vermont, she decided to start playing ice hockey. Annie is a goaltender with the Prep Girls Hockey team. Her speech topic is: Motivated? No, I’m dedicated!

Haokang (Buddy) Shen

Student of Stanstead College - Grade 12

From Shanghai, China, Buddy is bringing his personal experience to the junior students who are struggling in school. Buddy is currently a Grade 12 student who has been at Stanstead for five years. He enjoys his life at Stanstead and is willing to provide help to others. Buddy faced difficulties when he first arrived, but he has now overcome the past and is willing to share his experience with facing fears. His speech topic is: Fight your Fear

Ian Nicholson

Student of Stanstead College - Grade 12

Ian is a current graduating student in Grade 12. His passions include sports, in particular lacrosse. He will be co-presenting with Kate Emms and giving his own personal perspective with struggles with mental health. Their speech topic is: Fixing our Mental Stomach Ache

Jason Rodi

Filmmaker and Stanstead Alum

In 2017 Jason was awarded the Meritorious Service Cross of Canada for creating the multimedia entertainment studio, Moment Factory. He has been working as NOMAD since 2007. NOMAD is a creative coworking production studio off the tracks of the Montreal Mile End, streaming original videos every day on NOMADlife.tv. His speech topic is: My Movie Life

Joanne Carruthers

Associate Head of School - Stanstead College

Joanne is the incoming head of school at Stanstead College, the first woman to hold the position in the school’s 150-year history. She started working at Stanstead in the summer of 1993 as an Outdoor Leader at the summer language camp then joined Stanstead's Admissions Office in 1995. In 2019, she was appointed associate head of school. She is married to Stanstead College alumnus (Bryan 1980) and is mother to two alumni (Lyanne 2015, Tyler 2020). Raised in Lennoxville, Quebec, Joanne earned her degree in psychology and business from Bishop’s University and holds a certificate in leadership in enrollment management from USC Rossier School of Education. Joanne also served as president of the Small Boarding Schools Association for six years, the first Canadian to do so. In addition to being an avid swimmer, Joanne has played and coached soccer, squash and softball over her three decades at Stanstead. Her speech topic is: Women in Leadership: Glass Ceilings and Soft Skills

Justin Bouchard

Student of Stanstead College - Grade 12

Justin is a grade 12 student in his sixth year at Stanstead College. He is a local Canadian-American, and a day student turned full time prefect. Justin has a variety of interests, including art, photography, nature, and most recently singing and acting. As someone who loves discussing a wide variety of topics, Justin will be speaking about the importance of healthy discussions, and how to keep them positive and productive. His speech topic is: Building Bridges in the Pursuit of Truth

Kate Emms

Student of Stanstead College - Grade 12

Kate is a second year student and prefect at Stanstead College. Born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, Kate loves to learn new things, travel, bake, and do physical activities. Kate has a thirst for knowledge and loves to write. She will be continuing her education at Kings College in Halifax this fall, where she will be studying Journalism; a profession that she has wanted to do since she was 6 years old. Kate always stresses the importance of taking care of ones mental health, so much so that she has decided to write a speech about it. Kate will be co-presenting with Ian Nicholson. Their speech topic is: Fixing our Mental Stomach Ache

Lydia Walsh

Student of Stanstead College - Grade 12

Lydia is a grade 12 student in her second year at Stanstead. She is from London, England and plays hockey on the Stanstead Varsity girls team. She has experienced the pressure of performing as student athlete at the highest level, so has chosen to talk about balancing sport, school and social life while prioritizing mental health. Lydia will be co-presenting with Maria Hatzidakis. Their speech topic is: The Illusion of Waiting for the Future to Be Happy

Magali Gagnon

Teacher and House Director at Stanstead College

Magali is from a small town in Côte-Nord, Québec. Magali has a dancing and performing background. The human body and movements have always been something she was interested in. That is what led her to a master’s in biomechanics applied to the actors’ training. In 2019, when Magali was diagnosed with EDS (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome), she was finally able to connect the dots between her body, her injuries, and the chronic pain she was suffering from. Her sppech topic is: The Zebra Effect– Living with Chronic Pain

Marcela Murillo Trujano

Selective hearing founder / music manager and Stanstead Alum

Marcela is one of the founding members of Selective Hearing she is the engine of this music management agency. She has worked on building a solid foundation to be able to focus on the most creative and expansive aspects of artist’s careers. She managed to position the Santa Fe Klan as the most listened to HipHop artist on Spotify Mexico, in addition to achieving a placement on the sound track of the movie Black Panther 2. Her speech topic is: Breaking through Limiting Beliefs and will be a virtual presentation.

Maria Hatzidakis

Student of Stanstead College - Grade 12

Maria is a Grade 12 student in her third year at Stanstead College. She lives in sunny Yorba Linda, California. Maria is part of the Varsity Girl's Ice Hockey team at Stanstead, and in her free time, she enjoys art, music, and cooking. Maria is familiar with the struggles of being a student-athlete at the highest level, and she will be talking about how to balance life while maintaining great mental health as an athlete. Maria will be co-presenting with Lydia Walsh. Their speech topic is: The Illusion of Waiting for the Future to Be Happy

Siena Webster

Student of Stanstead College - Grade 12

Siena is from Montreal and has been studying at Stanstead for three years. She loves sports such as basketball and tennis and loves to live life creatively. Her speech topic is: The Education System: a New Way of Learning