Mélanie-Rose Frappier, 17, is a “girl next door” who is making a difference in her community and beyond. Attracting national and international attention for her many volunteer commitments, she has been described as a gifted student, a talented athlete, an accomplished musician who sings and plays piano, an inspirational leader and a role model for aboriginal and Métis young people.

In 2013 she served as a Youth Ambassador for Canada, the only young person from Northern Ontario to take part in this three-week exchange program held under the auspices of the American Embassy in Ottawa, the State University of New York College and Fulbright Canada. She is the president of her student council at Ècole secondaire du Sacre Coeur. Last fall, she attended the We Day event at the Air Canada Centre where she shared her passion for her Métis heritage with 20,000 youth leaders from across Canada.

In 2013 Mélanie-Rose started her own charity, It’s Cool to be Healthy/C’est cool d’être en santé. In addition to educating about the benefits of exercise and healthy nutrition at schools, daycare centers and to youth groups, Mélanie-Rose recruited volunteers to raise money to purchase 88 soccer balls which were handed out to participants of the Francophone Youth Soccer League in the Centre de santé communautaire du Grand Sudbury.

Last December, Mélanie-Rose visited an orphanage in Jamaica. With the support of the community, she delivered her It’s Cool to Be Healthy message while donating toothbrushes, shoes, T-shirts and soccer balls to the young residents. She also raised enough money to purchase a washing machine for the orphanage.