Before, Philippe felt very isolated, but now he is heading towards a new career and feels more sure of himself. He has wanted a better job and a better life. What he likes most about the CASP program, “Éducation des adultes” in St- Léonard, is that there aren’t many learners, so the teacher has more time to help them and give explanations. He feels smart like everyone else and has more confidence in himself.

I had been going to the English school because the teachers at the French high school were giving me a hard time. I believed I would have better luck with those at the English school. I was suspended from school due to my numerous absences. I had a lot of difficulty waking up, especially on Monday mornings because I would stay out late all weekend and was too tired to get up. I contracted mono. It didn’t bother me to miss school; it was like a vacation. I was a “tough” guy, and for “tough people”, just getting by with a passing grade is good enough.

I find a job which is, for me, more important than school since it gives me spending money. After a month, I lose my job and tell myself that it’s too late to start school. Here I am looking for another job. However, every time I find something interesting, they ask me if I have my high school diploma. So, I find odd jobs of two months at a stretch.

At home, things were not going well with my parents. I was aggressive and rebellious. I left home to try my luck in Montreal. I can say that I lived through some horrible experiences. At the end of six months, I had barely worked three weeks and had to live in a youth shelter. I decided to come back to my home town.

In my parents’ opinion, going back to live with them was out of the question. I was 19 years old and I had to fend for myself. Hoping to find a job, I go on welfare and rent a room. I barely have enough money to eat, often going to the food bank that offers me a way out. I found myself on the street, reduced to sleeping in a tent that my parents had given me.

I spend the summer in a campground where I would work to pay off my rent. In the fall, after the campground closed, I lived in an old camp belonging to my grandfather for a few months. When it started getting too cold, I came back to Grand Falls. After a few nights spent outside in the cold, I met someone who agreed to share an apartment with me. Just then, my welfare benefits are reduced to $50 a month. However, this doesn’t last long, and I am once again in the street.