Ethan Real Lapointe

Personal Statement:

I was born and raised in Squamish by a single mother on welfare. I was raised by my family, my teachers, and my town, to be compassionate. I knew early on that I did not care much for the greedy and powerful, and I learned very quickly thereafter how paradoxically popular yet underrepresented this point of view was.

My parents always taught me that if I wanted something done right, I'd have to do it myself. I started working on my 14th birthday, and started saving immediately. I bought a car before I even turned 16. I saved enough for the amount of tuition my mom's education fund couldn't cover, and graduated without debt. When I want something, I have the drive to put in the work to get it done. I "pulled myself up by my bootstraps", again and again. I'm not a billionaire, or even a millionaire. I graduated from university. I work a near-minimum wage job. I live with my parents. And I don't feel politically represented at all. Sound familiar? Let's be the change we want to see in the world.