Gavin Musgrave Health Science 1997: Athlete, coach, education professional, philanthropist

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When young people choose a Cegep, they often wonder what job it will lead to. But Cegep does much more than that. It strengthens value systems, sets young people on new paths, and sometimes leads to unforeseen possibilities. For Gavin Musgrave, teacher, athlete, and founding Director of the Eva R. Gsum Foundation, Cegep was the starting point for his work and his passion for giving.

When Gavin graduated from Royal West Academy, he chose to study Health Science at Vanier because it was famous for its beautiful campus and for being the best in science. He made the right decision because his years at Vanier set the course for the rest of his life.

"Vanier made me feel so comfortable that I spent more time at school than at home. You can make friends easily. Classmates help you out and teachers are always accessible no matter the size of the class."

Basketball and sports

While at Vanier, Gavin played on the basketball team and discovered many new sports recreationally. "I love the sports facility at Vanier. You need to leave the main buildings where classes take place, to go to practice, and that gives you the feeling of a break. You can put classes, schoolwork and school stress aside for a while and concentrate on sports. Changing building changes your mind set. Even seeing students playing Frisbee and other outdoor activities as you cross the quad is relaxing."

"Opportunities opened up to me because of sports. Vanier was my first experience of being independent. I grew up in N.D.G. Before Vanier, I never went further east than the Bay downtown and Côte-des-Neiges to the north. But at Vanier, I met kids from all over Montreal – the east end, Chateauguay, Laval, Ile Perrot, Repentigny, even kids from out of town who rented apartments to be able to study at Vanier. When I went to friends' homes, I not only learned about different parts of the city and the province, but also the world. Vanier was my first experience of different foods from another culture."

"As athletes, we travelled to interesting places around the province I would never visit on my own: Quebec City, Trois-Rivières, Joliette and Abitibi for games and tournaments as well as Ontario and the United States. That helped us bond together as players and that's a bond that lasts forever. You don't realize until years later the importance and influence of such a short time in your life."

Learning skills that last a lifetime

"Vanier taught me to be organized, to have discipline and to work hard. I had seven courses each semester plus I played basketball, had practice three times a week, plus weight training and strategy sessions. On top of that, I had a job. And our team jumped on every opportunity possible to help out at the other Vanier teams' games," Gavin says.

After Vanier, Gavin obtained a degree in Exercise Science from Concordia University then went to work as an Activities Technician at a high school in Saint Michel. But Gavin also had other plans.

"I wanted to be someone who gives back and is involved in the community. My desire to give back came from my parents who emigrated from the Caribbean. I saw the sacrifices they made and their hard work. Then at Vanier I was inspired by my basketball coach Andy Hertzog. He's a lawyer and he coaches. It's not something he has to do but he does it to give back. It's not just about the sport, the coach is also coaching you as a person. Watching Andy prepared me for working with kids. He taught me how to speak to other people, how to look them in the eye and how to form ideas. Having Andy as a mentor then as a friend shaped the person I was to become."

Becoming a philanthropist

In 2007, while coaching summer basketball, Gavin learned from a student that in spite of working all summer he could not afford to go to Cegep in the fall. "This showed me that a few hundred dollars could give someone the means for a full year of study. That was my first call to action even before I officially started my foundation. I found a way to help this student. Then I started doing fundraisers for other Vanier student athletes who needed it."

"In 2009, I created the Eva R. Gsum Foundation. I consider it the smallest foundation in the world with no expenses and no paid staff, but we have found creative ways to raise money- over $100,000 to date going 100% to student-athletes in financial need. The nice thing is that some student athletes have also started to help other students and to become leaders in their community."

Gavin also used his foundation and fundraising experience to bring the Desjardins Perseverance Awards, which provides funds to Grade 9 underprivileged students for 3 years to help them in finish high school through activities that inspire them and help decrease the drop out rate. He was also able to bring new opportunities to students, including the Best Buy Geek Squad Academy and a trip for his players to practice and watch a Toronto Raptors NBA game at the Bell Centre.

What is Gavin's Advice to high school students starting at Vanier?

"From inside a few small buildings, Vanier will prepare you for the world outside. Teachers will open you to parts of the world you never thought of. Vanier will also give you the ability and the opportunity to explore outside your program. You will learn the world is bigger than the Island of Montreal and there are possibilities beyond the world you know."

"You want to get your academics and personal life in line because that translates onto the court or the field if you play sports. Always be the best you can be and do the best you can do. We are what we do. Excellence is a habit. How you do anything is how you do everything. If you cut corners at school or in sports, the same will happen at work, or in your marriage and in how you care for your children."

My time at Vanier, in the classroom and on the court, thought me that hard work and practice are the keys to success. If you are happy with the work you have put in, consider yourself a success.

And what makes Gavin happiest at the moment: "I can share things with my young son. It's a whole new part of my life."