Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (May 24/04) - Rankin Inlet Grade 4 teacher Cindy Rempel has known Jordin Tootoo was special for a long time.

Rempel has taught in the Rankin school system for 12 of the past 13 years.

She had Tootoo as a student while teaching Grade 7 at Maani Ulujuk school not all that long ago.

Rempel says there's a special bond between Tootoo and youth because he grew up in Rankin and went through many of the same struggles they face every day.

She says even as a young teenager in Grade 7, while his classmates were goofing off, Jordin was determined.

"He was very disciplined and always set a good example for the other students," says Rempel.

"Even though he enjoyed a joke as much as the next kid, with Jordin, it was only after the work was done.

"He would move to the front of the class, really pay attention and get his work done. Then it was fun time.

"You could see he was one in a million."

Rempel says it's important for Nunavut youth to have someone from their own culture be so successful.

She says because Tootoo makes such a point of staying in touch with the kids, and repeating his message of staying in school and following their dreams, he has them believing they can do it.

"That personal touch Jordin provides really makes an impact on the kids, especially the boys. They have so much in common with him. They're Inuk. They're growing up in the same town and most of them love hockey.

"They just relate to him so well. That's what makes his relationship with them so special."

When Tootoo played his first game in the NHL, every student in Rempel's class took the time to write him a letter of congratulations.

The letters were then given to his mom, Rose, and hand-delivered to their hero.

"Writing those letters was something the kids wanted to do badly, because they're all so proud of him.

"It's difficult to put into words what you see on their faces when he's around."