She attended St. Lambert Elementary School and had wonderful friends at school. Her closest friendship developed with Jackie Moffatt and due to similarity of names both girls wound up, six years later appearing side-by-side in their high school Annual. Friends in elementary school also included Anita Whyte, Tracey DelVecchio and Andrea Laurain. Her favorite elementary school teacher was M. Dorsaint, whom she claims, by being well organized himself, passed this along to her own benefit. She also claims that it was due to this teacher that she developed a keen interest in the sport of soccer, a sport at which she later excelled.

Along with so many classmates, Jacquie moved down to Chambly County High School, graduating in 1981. During these school years she became involved in as many sports as possible, and played field hockey for the school, the City team - St. Lambert Selects, and also for the Quebec Provincial team.

Jacquie remarks that she always loved to run, still does and participates in 1,500 meter races, and recalls that in her final year at school was awarded 'Athlete of The Year, and remembers Stu Bennet was the male award recipient.

Her favorite teachers were Michael Supino who taught geometry in a way that made it most fun and interesting. She says that Mr. Supino recommended her to become Yearbook Editor-in-Chief, which she really enjoyed. Jacquie fondly recalls Sue Harpp and enjoyed her “worldly view and various interests”. Jean McHarg is named as another of her favorite teachers, conducting great and interesting classes and being an all-round nice person. Jacquie is happy to remember Carolyn Gould, and Messrs. Weeks and West as all very encouraging and influential. She remembers Mr. West's readings of Shakespeare, and learning how to do “précis”. There were so many good teachers throughout Jacquie's years at CCHS she hates to overlook anyone.

Not everything went perfectly smoothly for Jacquie however, as she recalls “Once, when we were in Mrs. Harpp's English class and she was reading "To Kill A Mockingbird," Michael Brown was sitting next to me and cracking jokes on matters completely different from anything to do with the book. I couldn't help but laugh several times. Mrs. Harpp asked us to be quiet a few times, and then told us to leave the classroom and to go the Principal's Office. I was in complete shock. I had never been “kicked out” of a class before. Michael and I left the classroom and started to walk down the hallway. He had a huge smile and said something like: “This is great; we can go to the library because no one will think you got kicked out of class”. And that's what we did! “

Throughout high school Jacquie was a committed and very involved student, joining the school committees for The Canadian Red Cross, Dance Committee, The Student Council, and became Editor-in Chief for the yearbook “Traditionally Speaking”, and at graduation, along with Michael Makin won Graduates' Trophies as the outstanding boy and girl in the graduation class, selected by the members of the Class of 1981. Friends at CCHS included Caroline Ploem, Mary Whitehead, and the Christine-George-Amanda-Geoff group!

After high school graduation Jacqueline enrolled at the Champlain Regional College – with chosen courses in the fields of Pure & Applied Sciences and Health Sciences.

In 1983 Jacquie joined the Montreal firm 'Listen Audio Productions Limited ' becoming Production Assistant, then after two years spent the next two years 1985-86 touring the world, following which for the next five years owned and operated ,with a staff of five, her own branch of Granary Natural Foods. The Granary is a store selling natural, organic and ethnic foods, as well as vitamins, homeopathic products, herbal remedies, personal care products and biodegradable home care products.

At 21, long before mobile phones or internet connective, she traveled to numerous African countries. She later found a career in information technology and education, resolving to bring access to information to the forgotten children in Africa. The thought of "teaching how to fish rather than giving a couple of fish" is the foundation of her dream to help the children.

In 1991 and for the next four years Jacquie continued her education, attending the University of Ottawa where she obtained Bachelor of Commerce Degree, graduating with honors. She also obtained a Bachelor degree in Management Information System.

Following graduation from Ottawa U. she joined the firm Coopers & Lybrand Consulting and for the next four years worked as an Information Technology Consultant in Ottawa, Montreal and California. Her clients included Immigration Canada, CN Railway, The United Nations, Hewlett Packard and B\Braun OEM.

In 1997 she then joined Information Management Associates Inc. in California, A CRM (Customer Relations Management) firm and was promoted to Director and was responsible for Global implementations and directed the firms newly created Department of Education.

Then Jacquie joined Resources Global Connections, a California based consulting operation, and after becoming a Director of this firm travelled to and opened the Company's Montreal Office and directed it's newly created Department of Education.