WELLINGTON, PEI, September 4, 2024 – The PEI French Health Network (PEIFHN)  is thrilled to announce the winners of its 2024 prizes: Emma Marchbank (Admission Prize), Emma MacLeod (Health Student Prize) and Alberic Valere Fanseu Houdi (International Student Prize).

Each year, the PEI French Health Network offers two $1,500 prizes to francophone or francophile students from Prince Edward Island enrolled in a post-secondary program in the health field. A $500 prize is offered to an out-of-province or out-of-country French-speaking student enrolled in an Island post-secondary health program.

The names of the three winners were drawn at random in our offices at the end of July, as part of the Network’s annual contest.

 

Alberic Valere Fanseu Houdi – Prize for International Students of $500

 

A native of Cameroon, Alberic has been studying to become a resident care worker at Collège de l’Île since September 2023.

After completing his studies at Collège de l’Île, Alberic would like to work with people with intellectual disabilities.

Alberic has been speaking French since he was very young. The language is part of his identity, and he’s very attached to it. For Alberic, being able to share his language is essential: “By expressing myself in French, I often manage to teach the language to young English speakers who want to be bilingual.”

 

 

 

Emma Marchbank – Admission Prize for Health Students of 1500$

 

Originally from Miscouche, Emma just completed her high school studies in French at École-Sur-Mer in Summerside. It is there that she first learned French in kindergarten.

This fall, Emma will begin her Health Sciences Diploma (DSS) at the Université de Moncton. Her next goal is to study pharmacy.

Emma put a lot of thought into her decision to pursue a career in French.  For her: “After 13 years of studying in French, I didn’t want to lose the language, nor have the difficulty of learning in English. I love having the chance to speak both languages, as it gives me the chance to better understand and communicate with others. Especially in my career, it gives me lots of opportunities to work wherever I want in the future.”

 

 

Emma MacLeod – Prize for Health Students of 1500$  

 

Emma learned to speak French at home with her mother, sister and grandparents. Originally from Summerside, she attended École-sur-Mer from kindergarten to grade 12.

Having already successfully completed three years of the radiography program at the University of Prince Edward Island, Emma will be continuing her studies to become a radiologist this fall.

For Emma, it is important to be bilingual: “It gives me more opportunities to get a job and communicate with French-speaking patients.  It’s also very important that I don’t lose my French language and culture, as I eventually want to pass it on to my family!”

 

 

 

The purpose of the PEIFHN prizes is to support and promote the training of professionals who can positively influence the provision of French-language services on PEI. In addition to the opportunity to win a prize, participants, with their permission, are entered in the PEIFHN health student database. Each year, the PEIFHN sends its list of bilingual students to the Recruitment and Retention Secretariat of the Department of Health and Wellness, so that it can inform these students of the various internship and employment opportunities in the province.

Participants in the 2024 contest who wish to be eligible during the 2025 year must update their data in the online registration system on our website during the next school year and before the next deadline.

For more information about the prizes or the health student database, contact us by sending an e-mail to info@santeipe.ca.

 

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The PEI French Health Network is a non-profit organization that collaborates with various partners in order to improve access to quality French-language health services and programs for Prince Edward Island’s Acadian and Francophone population. The organization brings together representatives from target community groups, educational facilities, health professionals, health service managers and the provincial government. It is also one of 16 networks that make up the Société Santé en français. We work together on the priorities of the Convergences 2028 national strategic plan.  The PEI French Health Network is funded by Health Canada

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Media contact :   

Annick Mondat Allemann
Assistant Director
Telephone : 902-806-8669

Email: annickallemann@ihis.org