Alexandre Laganière has always been a shining example of engagement in his community. Back in high school and CEGEP, when he still lived in Quebec City, he was already involved in extra-curricular activities, including sports and event hosting; he also supported social causes, such as UNICEF and the distribution of Christmas food hampers. Two years ago, Alexandre moved to Montreal to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an entrepreneurship and marketing concentration at HEC Montreal and to join the Carabins football team. Despite having been approached by a number of other universities seeking to recruit him for their football squad, Alexandre chose the Carabins on the strength of the team and its coaches, and HEC Montréal for its community life. He hasn’t looked back since and enjoys the stimulating environment the school provides.

He hasn’t been idle since coming here either, keeping busy with numerous commitments in addition to his studies. In winter 2013, he joined the HEChange committee, which welcomes exchange students and helps them integrate during their semester or year in Montreal. He also took on the position of marketing vice-president for the Business Relations Society (Société de Relations d’Affaires, SRA), HEC Montréal’s oldest association.

In addition to his academic activities, this unstoppable young man takes his role on the Carabins football team very seriously. Being a Carabin is more than excelling at sports and studies; it’s also about being an ambassador who proudly wears the Carabins name and gets involved in the community, something he started doing in May 2013 by organizing the football team’s visit to the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Centre. “I think our status as Carabins student-athletes gives us a certain level of influence. I don’t mean to sound big-headed, but I really looked up to university athletes when I was younger. We need to use our influence wisely by setting a good example.”

Alexandre was right on that score, because his idea of a visit to Saint-Justine met with an overwhelming response. In fact, so many of his buddies wanted to participate that he ended up having to pick them according to their seniority as Carabins! Just before Christmas, Alexandre also organized a card-making activity for young patients at Sainte-Justine, but unfortunately, for reasons beyond his control, it was cancelled at the last minute. He didn’t let this faze him. “More than 80 Carabins athletes from nearly every varsity sport had signed up for it. I had to find a way to put their generosity to good use!” he said when he was informed of the cancellation. Determined, he contacted the Notre-Dame-des-Neiges elementary school in Côte-des-Neiges and successfully held an activity day for the children. He made a video-recording of the event, which he edited and posted on YouTube the next day. A few days later, Alexandre appeared on 105.7 Rythme FM’s morning radio show to talk about the visit.

Beyond promoting the Carabins’ values and bringing happiness into children’s lives, activities such as this one provide another benefit: they build team spirit by encouraging the school’s varsity teams to socialize and get to know each other better. That’s on top of their attending each other’s games and tournaments, something many of them did this past year.

With his keen interest in event planning, the entertainment industry, marketing, and corporate psychology, Alexandre wants to pursue a career in the team-building field. The entrepreneurship program requires him to develop a personal project. His idea is to set up a corporate event company that specializes in team-building activities, something he believes is important for organizations since good work relationships improve productivity. He learned this first hand when he made the difficult decision to move away from his home town, leaving friends and family behind. But he wanted the challenge of building a new network, and this he accomplished largely as a result of his ongoing commitments. As a future entrepreneur, Alexandre quickly understood the value of forming strong relationships and networks. “I want to be a motivator, someone who can get the right people involved in my projects to create a win-win partnership.” Alexandre was selected to be part of the first cohort in the Rémi-Marcoux Entrepreneurial Track. This undergraduate program, made possible through a generous gift of $2.5 million from Rémi Marcoux and TC Transcontinental to the Campus Montréal fundraising campaing, will prepare Alexandre to realize his dream.

This multi-talented and ambitious young man aims to set up a committee to develop more community activities. In Alexandre’s opinion, “happiness is helping others”. Not only is he a role model for student engagement, his definition of happiness is also sure to inspire a great many others. We wish you the best of success, Alexandre!