"Initially, our goal was to raise $1,000. We already had $400 on the table and were almost halfway there. We ended up with $4,600," explains Aurèle Leroux, one of the members of this group of 1964 alumni of Cégep de Valleyfield, when the institution was known as Séminaire de Valleyfield from 1925 to 1967.

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As part of the activities surrounding the 60th anniversary of this group of students, they created a committee to make available a fund allocated to new bursaries for the Fondation du Cégep de Valleyfield.

The sum of $4,600 will be distributed as follows:

As part of the activities surrounding the 60th anniversary of this group of students, they have created a committee to make available a fund allocated to new bursaries for the Cégep de Valleyfield Foundation.

- A $2200 perseverance bursary for the special education techniques program, distributed over three years;

- Three $800 scholarships for excellence in Arts, Letters and Communications, for a total of $2,400. These three scholarships will be awarded at the end of the second year of the program.

Giving back

They hope that their initiative will inspire other former CEGEP students to donate to the foundation, so that they can give to the next generation.

"It's not necessarily to give to someone who's performing well, but to someone who's resilient, someone who wants to. We're in no position to judge that, so it's up to the teachers to make those choices," says Mr. Leroux of the students who will benefit from these new scholarships.

Their advice to today's students: persevere. According to these men, aged 79 to 82, it's important to devote as much time as possible to college studies.

A history of mutual aid and friendship

From the testimonies of Aurèle Leroux, Gilles Sauvé and Marc Montpetit, they all agree that if a priest or family member had not helped them financially, they would not have been able to pursue their classical studies. These three donors have chosen the vocation of teaching. Some 35 former seminary students get together several times a year to enjoy the camaraderie and fond memories of their time spent in this educational institution. By offering this sum of money, their aim is to convey the importance of devoting time to one's studies.

"Many of us received help with our studies. We don't come from wealthy families," says Marc Montpetit, a retired sociology teacher. In 1964, tuition was $500," he recounts. Since the seminary was associated with a vocation to the priesthood, students were often supported by the parish priest.If we did the dishes with the sisters, we subtracted $100 from the tuition," recalls Mr. Montpetit. In fact, all the members of the group went on to university. "I think everyone enjoyed their time at college because of the gang," believes Mr. Leroux, a former teacher and retired school principal." For me, it's still my gang, I have an attachment."

From one era to the next

In their day, they learned Latin, Greek and other subjects that are no longer part of today's school curriculum. "We had fun living together, especially as each class organized sports. We went out four times a year, and on weekends, we had to play in gangs," recounts Mr. Leroux. "There was no television in those days," adds Mr. Montpetit. Extracurricular activities were a way for them to have a life parallel to their studies.

As a former professor of sociology, Mr. Montpetit points out that there is a false perception circulating in people's minds.

" Those who did classical studies were not necessarily well-off people, since according to his research, 40-50% of these students' parents were farmers," says Montpetit.Farming in the 1940s didn't pay.In country seminaries like Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, students didn't grow up in wealthy families," he says.

About the Fondation du Cégep de Valleyfield

Each year, the Foundation distributes the equivalent of $154,000 in bursaries to students at the Cégep de Valleyfield. The main objective of the organization is to support students in the success of their educational projects and to:

- Contribute to the Cégep's development according to its aspirations;

- Contribute to the Cégep's local, regional, national and international reputation;

- Contribute to the improvement of the college community's facilities.

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Yves Trottier, General Manager of the Fondation du Cégep de Valleyfield, Aurèle Leroux, Marc Montpetit and Gilles Sauvé, members of the group of alumni who attended the Séminaire de Valleyfield in 1964.