Skip to content
Menu
  • English Selected
  • Français

 

Header secondary

  • Sign up for eNews
  • Donate

Header

  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Our Programs
    • Leadership Team
    • Board Members and Committees
    • Donors
    • Annual Reports
    • 2021-23 Strategic Plan
    • FAQ
    • Work With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Champion's Circle
    Hero
    Passionate about accessibility? We need your help
    Get Involved
  • About Rick
    • About Rick
    • Rick's Story
    • Man In Motion World Tour
      • Man In Motion World Tour
      • The Dream
      • Tour Timeline
      • Tour Gallery
      • Tour Team
      • 35th Anniversary
    • Rick’s Work and Vision
    • A Conversation with Rick
    • Awards & Honours
    Hero
    Passionate about accessibility? We need your help
    Get Involved
  • Get Involved
    • Get Involved
    • Donate
    • Legacy Giving
    • Fundraise
    • Help make Canada accessible
    • Everyone Everywhere
    • National AccessAbility Week
    Hero
    Passionate about accessibility? We need your help
    Get Involved
  • Become Accessible
    • Become Accessible
    • Rating & Certification 
      • Rating & Certification 
      • Rating Request Form
      • RHFAC FAQ
      • RHFAC v3.0
    • Accessibility Training and Education
      • Professional Training
      • Accessibility Training and Education
      • Tuition Grants
    • APN 2023 Conference
    • Accessibility Resources
    • Accessibility Professional Network
      • Accessibility Professional Network
      • FAQ: Accessibility Professional Network
      • Login
      • RHFAC Professional Directory
    • Post an Accessibility Job
    • Accessibility Advisory Services
    • Buildings Without Barriers Challenge
    • Leaders in Accessibility
    • B.C. Accessibility Grants
    Hero
    Passionate about accessibility? We need your help
    Get Involved
  • Schools & Communities
    • Schools and Communities
    • Create an Inclusive School Year
      • Start with Awareness
      • Concentrate on Kindness 
      • Boldly Take Action
    • Resource Library
    • Ambassador Presentations
      • Ambassador Presentations
      • Book a Presentation
      • About Our Ambassadors
    • Difference Maker Awards
      • Difference Maker Awards
      • Difference Maker Winners
    • Supplementary Resources
    • Our Partners
    Hero
    Passionate about accessibility? We need your help
    Get Involved
  • News & Stories
    • News & Stories
    • Blog
    • Media Centre
    • Newsletter
    • Disability Reports
    Hero
    Passionate about accessibility? We need your help
    Get Involved
  • Search
Hero Meet Sébastien Whissell

Meet Sébastien Whissell

Breadcrumb

  1. Rick Hansen Foundation
  2. Schools & Communities
  3. Difference Maker Awards
  4. Difference Maker Winners
  5. Currently selected Meet Sébastien Whissell

Meet Difference Maker Sébastien Whissell from É.s.c. Champlain in Chelmsford, ON 

Young brown with brown hair, wearing sweater smiles holding up DM year certificate.

For Sébastien Whissell, being a Difference Maker means being involved in his community to better the lives of others—without counting the hours or expecting anything in return. He also hopes that it means others will learn from his example and be inspired to make a difference. When it comes to difference making, the soon-to-be 11th grader is definitely a leader. 

His first experience volunteering was with the iCanBike camp, a program which helps children with physical and cognitive disabilities learn how to ride a two-wheel bike independently. The experience was so enriching, that it led Sébastien to volunteer at his local hospital’s greeter desk where he has since spent hundreds of hours volunteering, and that’s just the beginning. 

The high school student is a part of a student-led committee that ensures the well-being of all students through initiatives that promote respect, empathy, and dignity toward others. He has also participated in a “homeless for a night” event, Christmas caroling to raise funds for less fortunate families, a 24-hour famine, and many community gatherings during the year. Sébastien is also a member of the WE movement and the lead of a project to raise funds to build a sustainable water source in Haiti. This past April, he also took part in a humanitarian mission to Guatemala with his school. “The experience was so moving,” says, Sébastien, that he decided to join another mission there just a few months later. 

Sebastian plays with children

All of Sébastien’s time spent devoted to these causes is a result of an intrinsic understanding of the importance of empathy and inclusivity. In his own words, “Most conflicts in society are influenced by a lack of inclusivity and closed-mindedness. This leads to a misunderstanding of our differences. By understanding, promoting, and accepting our differences, society will see less conflict and will be a place to embrace and strive from our differences.” 

While working towards these values can have broader implications for our world, Sébastien says you don’t need to think so big to make a difference. 

“Making a difference does not have to be on a large scale or have numerous people know about it. All that matters is to make a difference in one person’s life.” 

Unsurprisingly, Sébastien already has plans for when he graduates high school. After studying forensic sciences at Laurentian University, he would like to attend medical school to specialize in surgery. He’s already well on his way: in the coming school year he will be working with his school’s co-op program with a placement in health care. Something tells us he’ll be making a difference in people’s lives for a very long time.

Sebastian sits with three children cross-legged


 

Back to top

The Rick Hansen Foundation School Program
Made possible by the generous support of Scotiabank, the Gordon and Ruth Gooder Charitable Foundation and the Skidmore Foundation.
Gordon and Ruth Gooder Charitable Foundation
 

Learn More

 

Stay in Touch

Receive Foundation emails to stay up-to-date on our impact and programs.

Contact Us

1-800-213-2131
info@rickhansen.com

Rick Hansen Foundation
300-3820 Cessna Drive
Richmond, BC
Canada V7B 0A2

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linkedin
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
Imagine Canada

The Standards Program Trustmark is a mark of Imagine Canada used under license by the Rick Hansen Foundation.

About Us - EN

  • About Us
  • Our Programs
  • Leadership Team
  • Board Members and Committees
  • Donors
  • Annual Reports
  • 2021-23 Strategic Plan
  • FAQ
  • Work With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Champion's Circle

About Rick - EN

  • About Rick
  • Rick's Story
  • Man In Motion World Tour
    • Man In Motion World Tour
    • The Dream
    • Tour Timeline
    • Tour Gallery
    • Tour Team
    • 35th Anniversary
  • Rick’s Work and Vision
  • A Conversation with Rick
  • Awards & Honours

Get Involved - EN

  • Get Involved
  • Donate
  • Legacy Giving
  • Fundraise
  • Help make Canada accessible
  • Everyone Everywhere
  • National AccessAbility Week

Become Accessible - EN

  • Become Accessible
  • Rating & Certification 
    • Rating & Certification 
    • Rating Request Form
    • RHFAC FAQ
    • RHFAC v3.0
  • Accessibility Training and Education
    • Professional Training
    • Accessibility Training and Education
    • Tuition Grants
  • APN 2023 Conference
  • Accessibility Resources
  • Accessibility Professional Network
    • Accessibility Professional Network
    • FAQ: Accessibility Professional Network
    • Login
    • RHFAC Professional Directory
  • Post an Accessibility Job
  • Accessibility Advisory Services
  • Buildings Without Barriers Challenge
  • Leaders in Accessibility
  • B.C. Accessibility Grants

Schools & Communities - EN

  • Schools and Communities
  • Create an Inclusive School Year
    • Start with Awareness
    • Concentrate on Kindness 
    • Boldly Take Action
  • Resource Library
  • Ambassador Presentations
    • Ambassador Presentations
    • Book a Presentation
    • About Our Ambassadors
  • Difference Maker Awards
    • Difference Maker Awards
    • Difference Maker Winners
  • Supplementary Resources
  • Our Partners

News & Stories - EN

  • News & Stories
  • Blog
  • Media Centre
  • Newsletter
  • Disability Reports

Legal

  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Ethical Reporting Policy
  • Complaints Policy
  • Imagine Canada Certification
  • Accessibility Commitment
  • Diversity and Inclusion
Imagine Canada

The Standards Program Trustmark is a mark of Imagine Canada used under license by the Rick Hansen Foundation.

Charitable Registration Number: 10765 9427 RR 0001 © 2023 Rick Hansen Foundation. All Rights Reserved.

Back to Top
Hero

Our programs and initiatives work to create an accessible and inclusive world where people with disabilities can live to their full potential. 

Learn more
Hero

When Rick set out to wheel around the world in 1985, he had three missions: to raise awareness about the potential of people with disabilities, create accessible and inclusive communities, and find a cure.

Read more
Hero

Receive updates from RHF on the impact we’re making for people with disabilities across Canada.

Subscribe
Hero

Have your site rated and certified for meaningful access for people with physical disabilities. Make your community more welcoming and inclusive for all!

Get Started
Hero

Receive free educational resources that teach youth about the importance of access and inclusion.  

Learn more
Hero

Browse the latest stories about access and inclusion from Rick and our team of bloggers. 

Read our Blog