Service and science motivate Ronan’s Normandeau

James Normandeau is the Ronan High School recipient of the Today’s Achievers Tomorrow’s Leaders award sponsored by Kalispell Regional Healthcare and Lake County Leader.

James is a young man born to serve others.

Graduating as Valedictorian with a 4.6 GPA, he is headed to Carroll College in Helena, excited to be taking lots of biology and chemistry on a pre-med track. To read his resume might make you think he would focus on his accomplishments, of which there are many he could brag about. He was very active in school, from National Honor Society and Student Council, to track and field and cross country, to Boys State, Indigenous Scholars of Promise, and Fine Arts Team.

He played tenor saxophone in the jazz band and plans to designate the band program to receive the $250 donation from Kalispell Regional Health that comes as part of the TATL award.

But it’s volunteering that makes life worthwhile for him, he says.

“I always like helping people,” James says. “I have thought a lot about what I want to do in life.

“It’s really just anything where I can go to bed at night and think to myself, ‘Wow, I made someone’s day better today.’”

Outside his busy school schedule, James managed to fit in many hours of community volunteer time, including blood drives, fundraisers, and sermons at a nursing home. The kids of the community were some of the biggest recipients of James’ large capacity to care.

“Most of what I learned,” says James, “was through the youth ministry,” through New Life Church in Polson.

He became close friends with youth pastor Jason Burrough, who guided the older students into positions of leadership. After many years, James says, “I got to help out with the big picture,” including giving sermons and helping with lights and music.

“I got to see what volunteering was like from the ground up and see all the different facets.”

He gained an understanding that allowed him to help guide others, when they wanted to help out, into positions they might personally be best at.

Working with middle school-aged kids, James says, “Taught me a little bit of patience and grace. You learn to be pro-active instead of reactive. A lot of them weren’t super happy and were lonely. It was just nice to make them a little happier and make their day a little better.

“One of the things I learned was that you hear that phrase, ‘If you act like a kid, I’m going to treat you like a kid’— I think we should always do the opposite. We should treat people like adults, even kids, with a degree of maturity. I think it shows them how, and it becomes a positive feedback loop.”

James also served kids with Big Brothers and Big Sisters, and an elementary school reading program. Unfortunately, all these activities came to a halt with the arrival of the pandemic, as did his spring track and field season. He is optimistic for both in Helena, however.

He will be seeking a church to again help out with youth groups, and has earned a berth on the Carroll cross-county team, which may be able to compete since it can be done with minimal close contact. “Something to keep me from gaining the “freshman 20,” he quips.

James plans to work as a CNA and other positions to get more exposure to the medical field.

“I definitely need to make sure I am invested in that, that I love it, before I 100% commit to it. But I really love the sciences, and really want to at least do something with the sciences.” He pictures himself doing medical missions.

No matter what, James will be serving others.

“Volunteering makes you feel like you’re doing something. Living life just for yourself just isn’t worth it.”