Aaron Thompson ’95, along with Alex Smith ’94, established the Timothy McGee ’95 Memorial Fund.
Alex was kicked out of McGill, but is now studying politics and governance at Ryerson University, where he also hosts a radio show.
ALEX SPEARS ’15 KNOWS WHAT IT’S LIKE TO STAY QUIET WHEN SPEAKING UP WOULD HAVE HELPED EASE HIS STRUGGLES. With a lifelong history of anxiety marked by bouts of depression, Alex turned to alcohol in high school as a form of escape. In the end, substance use masked his problem while it grew stronger beneath the surface. In his first year at McGill, Alex only made it through a week of classes before his anxiety blew up in his face. He then spent the following months drinking in his room or out at bars. By the end of the first semester, he had a 0.3 GPA. “I was on my own and I was terrified,” he said. “I was also in denial about my real problem. I knew I was drinking too much and focused on that. But the issue was my mental health. That was driving the substance use. I was looking at the wrong thing.” Eventually, Alex was kicked out of McGill for his poor grades.
“There’s pressure on private school guys to have the appearance that you’re killing it, that you’re a big success. I was mortified by my failure, and that only made things worse.” Life changed when Alex asked his mom to help him quit drinking and enter a program. He eventually got to work on his underlying mental health issues and now has a multifaceted approach to maintaining wellness that includes therapy, fitness and medication. Now studying politics and governance at Ryerson University, where he also hosts a radio show, Alex credits his turnaround to speaking up and engaging his family and friends in his recovery. He is open about his struggles and shares his story whenever he thinks it could help others. Alex has seen this approach bear fruit. He once heard that an RSGC classmate
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was having a tough time with addiction and homelessness. When Alex came by to talk to him, the friend was too humiliated to open the door. “I just said to him, ‘When you’re ready, I’m here for you.’ He called me from the hospital a month later and said, ‘I’m ready.’ He moved into a sober house and has since moved back in with his family and gone back to school. It’s so important to be able to say, ‘I’m not doing well. I need help.’ It’s also important to be open with your own story. I share this part of myself as often as I can. I know firsthand that it makes a difference.”
MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE’S LIVES IS WHAT THE TIMOTHY MAGEE ’95 MEMORIAL FUND IS ALL ABOUT. Established by Aaron Thompson ’95 and Alex Smith ’94, the fund supports mental health initiatives at the College. In addition, a bench near the Chapel will soon bear a plaque in Tim’s honour and serve as a place to go for reflection and quiet conversation with a friend.
“Tim was an amazing person,” said Aaron, now an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Medicine at University of Toronto and Chief Medical Officer of the WSIB. “He was funny, talkative, confident and loyal. He was also interested in psychology and human behaviour. At
the same time, he wasn’t always comfortable opening up when feeling lonely or isolated. It’s more common today to recognize our vulnerabilities and talk about them. Back then, it was rare.” Tim struggled with periods of depression while at RSGC and into his adult
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