Rising above challenges

By Olivia Integlia

When Kaleb-Wolf De Melo Torres was applying to high school in Grade 6, he was attracted to Vincent Massey Collegiate (VMC) of the English Montreal School Board for its advanced math and science program. At the time, he had dreams of becoming a geneticist. Upon receiving his acceptance, he was excited about the new prospect but knew it would not come without its challenges.

Born with osteogenesis imperfecta, or brittle bone disease, De Melo Torres has used a wheelchair his whole life. “My bones are like a Swiss cheese. There are holes inside of them [...] That means that I don’t grow as much and that I’m quite fragile,” he explained. Throughout his life, he has broken over 200 bones. “I always have to be careful about how I do everything,” said De Melo Torres, adding that a single bump into another student can result in a broken bone.

VMC has been accommodating to him, he said. “They have an elevator, and they do have an entrance for me.” He also added that the school ordered smaller desks for him, and his teachers always dismiss him a few minutes earlier from class so he can navigate the halls safely.

While De Melo Torres says that there is always more that can be done, he appreciates how staff and students have become more aware of how to be cautious to prevent injury and have done everything to ensure that he is treated like any ordinary student. He was particularly thankful for his physical education teacher, Zachary MacDonald, for his work in preparing a modified lesson plan to ensure that he could be included with the other students.

Now in Secondary 4, De Melo Torres decided to take on a new challenge. Since elementary school, he has wanted to join the debate team. “[My friend] praised the debate team, and that’s also one of the reasons I wanted to join VMC,” he said. He was also motivated by a former teacher who taught the importance of always justifying his opinions.

De Melo Torres had a lot to look up to when he was in elementary school. Over the years, Vincent Massey has had many successes, dating back to 2008. The most recent success includes being a semi-finalist team for the 2019 Championnat national de débat français.

When regular school life resumed after the Covid-19 restrictions, De Melo Torres remembers thinking, “‘Alright, you know what? Why not?’” he added, “My mom was like, ‘You always wanted to do this.’”

The VMC debate club meets once a week after school to prepare for upcoming tournaments. Students discuss current events and learn to formulate arguments effectively. De Melo Torres says that the debate club has been an inclusive space without the many challenges that a student in his position would face in other situations.

Despite still being new to the craft, De Melo Torres speaks with confidence. He will even sometimes raise the seat of his wheelchair to be as tall as his opponents.

De Melo Torres’ hard work paid off this spring. In April at the 2024 French Nationals Championships, he and his debating partner made it to the quarter finals and ranked seventh best team in all of Canada.

At VMC, De Melo Torres feels he is among a community of individuals who share his interests and curiosity to learn.