"The value of a man should be seen in what he gives
and not in what he is able to receive." - Albert Einstein
and not in what he is able to receive." - Albert Einstein
Photo Credit: Julian Smart @ DigiPen Institute of Technology
Christophe Jacques Bouchard was born in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada. He spent most of his life in Canada until his family moved to the United States in 2011, where they currently reside.
Athletic Career
At age six, Christophe witnessed a Riverdance troupe perform at the America Gardens Theatre in EPCOT, Walt Disney World, which sparked a career in competitive Irish Dancing to last 15 years.
During this time, Christophe competed internationally at the highest level, earning such accolades as 11-time regional champion across Canada and the United States, ranking second in North America and top ten in the world. At the time of his competitive retirement, Christophe was ranked eighth worldwide and was on a trajectory to win a world championship within one to two years.
Christophe performed for tens of thousands of people globally, including on television and on stage; at one point, he had the opportunity to perform with members of the Riverdance cast at the original Riverdance theatre in Ireland, and at another, to come full circle, he performed at Walt Disney World at (what was previously referred to as) Downtown Disney.
During this time, Christophe competed internationally at the highest level, earning such accolades as 11-time regional champion across Canada and the United States, ranking second in North America and top ten in the world. At the time of his competitive retirement, Christophe was ranked eighth worldwide and was on a trajectory to win a world championship within one to two years.
Christophe performed for tens of thousands of people globally, including on television and on stage; at one point, he had the opportunity to perform with members of the Riverdance cast at the original Riverdance theatre in Ireland, and at another, to come full circle, he performed at Walt Disney World at (what was previously referred to as) Downtown Disney.
Academic Career & Accolades
Homeschooled until college, Christophe finished high school and entered university aged 16, by making use of a program that allowed students to enroll in university early. There, Christophe pursued his general education and was soon inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa honors society.
After 15 years of competitive Irish Dancing, a new call to adventure was heard, and Christophe decided to transfer to a specialized university and enter the art world.
In 2018, Christophe took two figure drawing classes, which constituted the majority of his training in art before submitting his application to DigiPen Institute of Technology, a private university renown for its low acceptance rates, high dropout rates, and challenging art program for which Christophe was applying.
Having demonstrated a high level of proficiency, within a week of application, Christophe was accepted into DigiPen’s Bachelor of Fine Arts in Digital Art and Animation program and was awarded a merit scholarship.
Later, Christophe would also be awarded the Jim Johnson Memorial Scholarship for education in film.
In 2018, Christophe took two figure drawing classes, which constituted the majority of his training in art before submitting his application to DigiPen Institute of Technology, a private university renown for its low acceptance rates, high dropout rates, and challenging art program for which Christophe was applying.
Having demonstrated a high level of proficiency, within a week of application, Christophe was accepted into DigiPen’s Bachelor of Fine Arts in Digital Art and Animation program and was awarded a merit scholarship.
Later, Christophe would also be awarded the Jim Johnson Memorial Scholarship for education in film.
At DigiPen, Christophe participated in a handful of team projects for categories of both Game and Film, contributing to the publishing of two original video games, DeltaBlade and Arc Apellago, on Steam, the world-renown video game digital distribution service & storefront, and directing an award-winning animated short film, Tall Order, currently undergoing its international festival run.
Gravitating towards positions of leadership, Christophe occupied upwards of six teaching assistant roles throughout his university career and was pursued by a variety of his peers for personal mentorship, both before and after his graduation.
In 2021, Christophe received the Student Life Excellence Award: Student of the Year, being recognized for his compassion towards his peers as well as for the quality of his work and personal character.
A consistent name on the Dean’s list, Christophe graduated with honors, just 0.03 points shy of Magna Cum Laude, in April of 2022.