Zenith Fellow Intern, Class of 2023
Université Laval, Bachelor of Geomatics Engineering
Host Organization: Avalon Space
Mentor: Dr. Raymond Francis

Guillaume is a recent graduate of the Geomatics Engineering program at Université Laval. His curiosity has always pushed him to be proactive in seeking out opportunities to learn and discover, and he has a welcoming attitude toward the unknown.

After completing one year of the undergraduate program in Architecture, while he enjoyed applying his creativity to projects that could shape and improve people’s lives, Guillaume felt the desire to take a broader perspective that would let him understand the forces and technologies that are shaping our planet and daily lives. That’s what he later found in Geomatics Engineering.

During his first year of engineering, Guillaume’s involvement in his university’s aerospace design team made him realize that a career in that field was possible for him. From that point forward, his interest and implication in the space sector have continued to grow. He took part in launching a student rocket in New Mexico, USA, for the Spaceport America Cup, contributed to the early design stages of the Attitude Determination and Control System of a CubeSat for the Canadian Satellite Design Challenge, and eventually became the leader of the stratospheric balloon division which was developing an experiment for SEDS Canada’s CAN-SBX project. He is currently working on robotics platforms as part of his university’s autonomous vehicle design team. His passion, skills, and confidence across different disciplines have grown in the past few years and he hopes to put it back into such inspiring projects in the future.

Participating in ESA Academy’s Robotics Workshop, in Belgium, has provided him with hands-on training on planetary rover missions. Being the only Canadian selected among 28 students from all over Europe, Guillaume felt thrilled to share ideas with students and professors from such diverse academic and cultural backgrounds.

As the president of the fourth National Geomatics Competition, a student-led event bringing together students, academia, and industry representatives, Guillaume was able to engage in promoting geomatics and STEM on a national level. Participating in activities such as youth robotics events or the university’s open doors allows him to help students find their way in today’s educational landscape, as he appreciated similar guidance during his own journey.

Guillaume can also be found playing guitar, trying out different microbreweries, camping, bushcrafting, rock climbing, and playing hockey. He holds an Advanced Amateur Radio Operator Certificate and a PADI Open Water Diver Certificate.

Guillaume aims to work at the intersection of geomatics, robotics, and planetary sciences to help explore and expand humanity’s understanding of the world, while sustainably developing our precious mothership Earth. He is more than happy to be part of the Zenith Fellowship, and he can’t wait to be working at Avalon Space this summer and meeting the other fellows!