Whether’s it’s in the classroom or on the basketball court, Ollie Jacques is a talented and hardworking Grade 11 student-athlete at Penticton Secondary School and February’s Rotary Student of the Month.
Born and raised in the South Okanagan in a fluently bilingual family, Jacques has been enrolled in the French immersion stream throughout his school years, attending École Entre-Lacs from Grades 1 to 6, KVR Middle School in Grades 7 and 8 and Pen High since Grade 9.
Sports have always been a cornerstone of Jacques’ life. In elementary, he enjoyed competitive BMX bike racing, recreational mountain biking, and mini soccer. In middle school, he participated in track and field and was a competitive cross-country skier with the Nickel Plate Junior Racers, training three days a week with races on weekends.
Jacques also excelled in rugby. He was selected to attend the BC Rugby provincial team ID camp in July 2018, enabling him to emulate his older brother and role model, Sol, who currently plays varsity rugby at UBC. Watching Sol play for KVR sparked Jacques’s interest in basketball in Grade 6, and in Grade 9 he was selected as athlete of the year at Pen High.
With the principal’s support, a basketball team was formed at École-Entre Lacs and the next summer, he attended a camp run by Lake City director Dustin Hyde.
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A consummate student-athlete, Jacques excels scholastically as in his last semester where he received an average grade of 95.5 per cent.
Social studies teacher Stephane Delisle-Lavoie said, “I have seen a lot of growth in Ollie in the past three years. His work ethic and focus have really blossomed…he’s matured. Kind, polite and well-liked, he has a very engaging personality and a quiet leadership aura about him.”
Despite his hectic schedule, Jacques still finds time to engage in various charitable school activities, lending a hand in the high-profile Penticton Provides Christmas fundraiser and Terry Fox Run, to name two.
For relaxation, Jacques enjoys performing yo-yo tricks, playing video games and recreational reading, especially Malcolm Gladwell books.
Upon graduation, Jacques plans to study kinesiology at UBC as a prerequisite to becoming a physiotherapist. A second, overarching goal is to play varsity basketball while there – given his natural athleticism, grit, self-motivation and selfless, engaging personality, this goal seems well within reach.
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The Student of the Month is a Rotary Club of Penticton Sunrise project in partnership with local secondary schools. The award aims to recognize outstanding students for unique achievement in scholastic, extracurricular activities, community involvement, leadership, and service to others. The Rotary Club recognizes Penticton Secondary School and Princess Margaret Secondary School as project partners and Cascades Casino Penticton for their financial aid.
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