submitted by David Herman
This story is about the hard work, perseverance and determination of Freddy Monga who came to Canada with his wife Janet and three children (they now have a fourth). They arrived here little over a year ago from a refugee camp in South Africa, looking to live in freedom in a land where a person can succeed if they are willing to work.
Monga, as he prefers to be called, was trying to enroll at Algonquin College, but he was unable to pass the required English comprehension test. I have been told by people who were working with him to pass the test that they doubted that many high school grads would be able to pass the test. Not to be deterred, he enrolled at TR Leger, where over the past 6 months Monga has not only upgraded his English comprehension but has earned his full High School diploma. If that was not enough, he was also a multiple award winner. Monga garnered two Campus awards for the Kemptville Campus; the CSE Consulting Award, and the Lions Club of Kemptville award. Monga also was presented with the Trustee Award for Character Always, which is one of the Provincial, Regional and Schoolwide Awards. Not bad for his first year in Canada. I can hardly wait to see what more he will accomplish now that he has his family in a country that rewards his type of work ethic and moral compass.
He is working at the Ferguson Forestry Station and is accepted at Algonquin this fall.
Back row: Adia Siegel, Sarah Hynes, Corrisa North, James Thompson, Natalie Sorgente, Freddy Monga, Chrissie Norton. Front row: Mackenzie Pritchard, Dennis Broad, Rhonda Cybulski, Anne
DuPerron, Amber Fawcett-Seeley