Maude has been a volunteer in the association since February 2019. “I joined a dream team full of energy with a good spirit of mutual aid,” she states. She is a tutor in English and French and helps with the organization of cultural activities such as the visiting of Old Montreal. Her innate willingness to help and be useful to others is fully accomplished in Say Ça. Maude’s face lights up, testifying blatant enthusiasm and emotion, when she talks about the young people who come every Saturday, the cordial relations between the volunteers, and how Say Ça operates.
Maude holds a bachelor’s degree in literature from UQAM and a bachelor’s degree in teaching in Ottawa. She taught in English high schools for three years, after which she worked as consultant for a publishing company for one year. Later, Maude decided to return to her primary vocation, teaching, to facilitate the integration of young allophones from various countries enrolled in the CSDM. She provides linguistic support to students placed in classes d’accueil, a primary step to be admitted to the regular program. The young thirty-year-old teacher is responsible for reducing the linguistic gap between these students and their Francophone peers by working on vocabulary and syntax essentially. Maude is excited about this new challenge, especially with younger students whose class seems more manageable, even though she still has fond memories of her high school experience and endearing students.