Paul Kane’s top graduate has won a massive scholarship to keep doing what he loves most: caring for animals.
St. Albert resident Nolan Chalifoux gave the valedictory address at the Paul Kane High School graduation ceremony this past weekend, during which it was announced that he had received a $30,000 entrance scholarship from the University of British Columbia. The scholarship is open to all applicants and payable over four years.
Chalifoux, 18, says he was surprised and excited when he got the news last April. “I didn’t think there was any way I’d be comparable to all the other people in Canada.” He has also received a $2,500 Rutherford scholarship from the province of Alberta.
Paradise Pets general manager Adrian Theroux, who has known and worked with Chalifoux for about eight years, says he’s very proud that Chalifoux got the award. “He’s earned it.”
Born and raised in St. Albert, Chalifoux describes himself as a typical teenager. “I like to study during the day, do homework during the day and go out at night.” He plays rugby, practices long-distance running and hangs out with his friends.
But what he loves most is animals. “Growing up, we always had a tonne of animals,” Chalifoux says of his family. “At one point we had over 20.” The family’s menagerie included dogs, cats, snakes, lizards, fish, rabbits, amphibians – everything but ferrets, he notes. “As soon as I move out and have my own place, I’m getting one,” he says of the latter.
There was even a pair of sharks, Theroux notes, each a foot-and-a-half long. When Chalifoux later returned them, he had to borrow a huge pond net from Theroux just to catch them, and was soaking wet when he arrived at the store. “He got splashed something major when he was trying to catch them.”
The family has cut back to three cats and a dog, Chalifoux says. Caring for pets helped make him more mature and gave him responsibility for something.
Chalifoux was passionate about animals from a young age, Theroux says, and would always grill his staff about the best way to take care of his pets. “It was one of those things where we were waiting for him to turn 16 so he could work here,” he says, with a laugh.
Chalifoux says he applied for a job at Paradise Pets just days after he turned 16, and worked there part-time for three years. He also volunteered with the SPCA.
He now plans to study applied animal biology at the University of British Colombia and to later move into veterinary school or the animal welfare program. “I think it’d be cool to stand up for animals that can’t stand up for themselves,” he says of the latter.
Chalifoux will do well in any career related to animals, Theroux says. “If he wanted a job at the pet store here again, he’d have one.”
Chalifoux says his older sister, Nicole, was a major influence in his life, as was the low-pressure, supportive approach of his parents. “I think that’s one of the main reasons I excelled so much: there was no obligation to have to.”
Chalifoux says he’s now busy with his studies as he heads into final exams.
His advice to future graduates? “Never be afraid to admit that you want something, because if you want it enough, it can happen.”
