By Lori Tarbett
Two second-year FASS students, Kristin Williams and Nicole Murphy, are the first recipients of the Nicholas Leroux Memorial Bursary.
“This bursary will assist students with disabilities and keep Nick’s memory alive, but it is also a tribute to the generosity and selflessness of his entire family,” says Matthew Cole, executive director of the attendant services program. “The family lost a son, and in the midst of this tragedy they were thinking of how to help others.”
Kristen Williams is an English student with cerebral palsy from Grimsby Ontario. “Thanks to this bursary, I was able to cover some of my school expenses. It has been very helpful.”
Nicole Murphy, a psychology student with cerebral palsy, who’s originally from Mississauga, echoed those thoughts. “School is very stressful, always trying to get good marks and I am constantly worried about my finances. The bursary relieved some of the stress so I could concentrate more on school.”
Nick Leroux of Brockville was a first-year student at Carleton who received daily support from the Carleton Residence Attendant Services Program. The first of its kind in Canada, this program was expanded to students at Algonquin College. It provides personal care assistance, available 24 hours a day, to facilitate students with disabilities living on campus and pursuing their education. Tragically, Nick passed away on March 12, 2007, at the Ottawa Heart Institute after a battle with Frederich’s Ataxia, a rare neuromuscular disorder that slowly affected his muscles and eventually his heart. He was just 19 years old.
Leroux attended Toniata Elementary School where he was one of the valedictorians in his graduating year. He was also the recipient of the Mathematics Faculty Award. He continued his education at Thousand Islands Secondary School (TISS) where he was a member of the choir, parents council, the Mathletes and Reach for the Top. Nick also enjoyed theatre and played the role of Theseus in the 2006 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. At his November 2006 high school commencement ceremonies, Nick was named an Ontario Scholar, received the Marjorie Winslow Estate Award, a TISS staff award, and the Co-operative Education Faculty Award. He also received two Ontario-wide scholarships, the Maurice Izzard Memorial Scholarship and the Frank Ralph Pounsett Memorial Award.
Leroux posted regularly on YouTube and had previously designed web sites for Fun With Books, and the Brockville Public Library and contributed to the site for the Upper Canada District School Board. He was a talented artist and woodworker.
Leroux received an $11,000 entrance scholarship to Carleton to study software engineering. He lived on campus in a barrier-free residence room and made many friends in a short period of time.
At the time of his death, his parents, William and Lisa Leroux (Calvert), made the decision to assist other students with disabilities to have the same opportunities that their son pursued. The Nicholas Leroux Memorial Bursary was founded and the bulk of the contributions came from friends and family. Each dollar donated is matched by the Province of Ontario.