we lost one of the great ones.

My faith and my positive spirit have been challenged, not because of COVID but because we lost one of the great ones for no reason at all May 4.

I first met Courtney Brousseau when he was a 12-year-old student representative for the Thousand Oaks Youth Commission. In eighth grade, Courtney interviewed for the position and he walked in that room like he owned it and greeted the City Council interview panel with grace and poise, winning their acceptance. He was 13.

As a sophomore and junior, he worked with Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, the Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce and Cal Lutheran University to launch the CITY Internship Program, which went on to provide over 250 local students with meaningful internships.

He fought for inclusion, for the voice and rights of teens, for transit and for people he didn’t even know. He also told me how to vote. Yes, even in eighth grade we would have long discussions about the Constitution, propositions, bills and candidates.

I consider myself a well-informed voter, but he always knew something I didn’t. My husband never met Courtney, but he remembered that some of our voting was affected by his input. We both used to say if that is who we are leaving our world to, we’re in good shape. This is only a short list of experiences I had with him.

I will always remember his flip-flops (even in winter), his absolute love of burritos (they were an efficient means of nutrition) his wanting to fill out my ballot, his mad mentoring and leadership skills, his compassion, his love of life and that smile that always made you feel happy and welcomed.

I’m grateful he was my friend.

This is so devastatingly sad. My heart and prayers go out to his mother and siblings. This is a wonderful family that is changed forever.

His mom thanked me one day for helping him become such a wonderful young man. Just so you know, he came to me that way because he had an amazing mom.

Please know your Thousand Oaks community is here for you.

— Francine Sprigel