That was the idea behind the Association des Présidences des Écoles du Québec (APEQ). Today, it’s active in 20 schools and represents over 18,000 students.
Now a first-year finance student at uOttawa’s Telfer School of Management, Santiago earned national recognition at just 17. His commitment to providing youth a voice in public discussions put him on the winners list for the Future is Now! Awards, hosted by the charity Children First Canada. He received the Momentum Award, presented by Face Toronto. Children First Canada is an advocate for millions of children, and it honours Canada’s next generation of change-makers.
“Kids may not be able to vote, but laws still affect them. That’s why we want to have our say.”
Santiago Proteau-Sanchez
— First year finance student at uOttawa's Telfer School of Management
For Telfer dean Stéphane Brutus, Santiago embodies the values of both Telfer and uOttawa.
“Santiago pursuing what he considered to be a ‘crazy idea’ is exactly the mindset you need to build projects that will shape a better world,” he says. “We’re very proud he’s been recognized for his contributions.”
Santiago made this list of Canada’s top 10 most remarkable young leaders because of how his commitment and his efforts to represent his peers spoke to the public.
“I think it was all my different commitments, both in my old high school and as co-chair of the Quebec Chapter of the Young Politicians of Canada, that earned me recognition,” he says. “But more than anything, founding APEQ was key. That project shows my constant drive to make Quebec and all of Canada better places for young people to live.”
Santiago describes this honour as a reward for “all the sleepless nights, travel, meetings and events that went into growing this project.” A fanatic about finance and politics, he sees the award as a real motivator to break into those fields, promote his organization and continue to ensure the voices of those around him are heard loud and clear.