From valedictorian to PWHL prospect, Jessymaude Drapeau embraces the moment

When Jessymaude Drapeau delivers her valedictory address to graduating students in the Faculty of Arts and Science on June 17, she won’t be standing at the podium in Place des Arts.

Instead, a prerecorded video of the speech will play during convocation while the Concordia Stingers women’s hockey captain attends the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) entry draft in Detroit. The event marks the beginning of what Drapeau hopes will be a professional hockey career.

“It’s a crazy time,” Drapeau says. “I’m going to be finishing my university career, but also beginning a new chapter, so there’s no waiting in between.”

The timing feels symbolic. When Drapeau began her university career five years ago, the PWHL did not yet exist.

Now, she graduates as one of the top players in USports with the chance to continue playing professionally.

Growth on and off the ice

Drapeau’s final season at Concordia was one of the most accomplished in program history. The fifth-year forward from Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec, led the nation in scoring, earned USports Women’s Hockey Player of the Year honours and helped guide the Stingers to another conference championship and national silver medal.

She was also named a finalist for the Lois and Doug Mitchell USports Athlete of the Year Award, becoming just the seventh Concordia student-athlete and third female athlete from the university to be nominated.

Away from the rink, she balanced elite athletics with a double major in recreation and leisure studies and psychology, along with a minor in education.

But her transition to Concordia was not easy at first.

A francophone student who arrived during the COVID-19 pandemic, Drapeau suddenly found herself studying in English while adjusting to university-level hockey.

“I was really shy,” she recalls. “I wasn’t confident enough to practice my English, so I stayed in my corner a lot.”

The adjustment on the ice also proved challenging. Used to playing major minutes before university, Drapeau initially struggled with a smaller role than she expected.

“At first, it was tough because I expected more,” she says. “I even thought about transferring.”

Instead, she focused on improving every aspect of her preparation.

“I changed everything,” Drapeau says. “I worked hard, took care of my nutrition, my sleep, all the little details.”

Learning to lead

Drapeau credits much of her growth to Stingers coaches Julie Chu and Caroline Ouellette.

While she originally chose Concordia because of the opportunity to learn from them as hockey players, she says many of the biggest lessons happened away from the rink.

“Julie is really good at putting you outside your comfort zone,” Drapeau says.

One moment in particular stands out: when Chu invited Drapeau to come with her to thank some of the team’s sponsors.

“I was like, okay, I'm just going to go shake hands, and that's it,” she remembers. The next thing she knew she was up on stage in front of a large crowd being interviewed by her coach.

“We had to do like a little TED Talk,” she says, laughing. “Julie would ask me questions, and I had to speak in front of maybe 300 people!”

Drapeau hated it at first, but over time, those experiences helped transform her from a reserved first-year student into the captain of the Stingers and the valedictorian for the Faculty of Arts and Science.

“We always see leadership as the vocal people who take the spotlight,” she says. “What I’ve come to realize is that I have to be behind everyone and push everyone else higher.”

That philosophy extended beyond the team. Over the past few years, Drapeau became heavily involved in mentorship and coaching initiatives for young girls in hockey, including local community programs and Hockey Canada’s Creating Coaches Program.

"I would have loved to have university players coaching me when I was young,” Drapeau says. “Now I see the impact it can have on kids just by being there.”

A message for graduates

As valedictorian, Drapeau hopes her message resonates not only with athletes, but with all graduates preparing for an uncertain future.

While her path may look different on the surface, she believes students across disciplines share similar experiences of balancing responsibilities, overcoming setbacks and stepping outside their comfort zones.

“We faced adversity, but here we are, we did it,” Drapeau says. “Everything we experience at university helps prepare us for what comes next.”

Learn more about the Concordia Stingers and the Faculty of Arts and Science.