Rodney Roman

Industrial engineering ‘19

When Rodney found out about HELP in the 9th grade, he became determined to win a scholarship. Although he had no access to books or materials beyond what was given to him at school, he did everything necessary to ensure he had the grades to apply for HELP, joining study groups with classmates who had more resources and devoting all his energy to schoolwork.

At HELP, Rodney had everything he needed to thrive. He quickly turned his attention to helping the next generation of students in his hometown of Lascahobas. “There was no library when I was in high school, so in 2017 I created a team of HELP students to enter a young leaders contest sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince.” The team put together a plan to build a community library in Lascahobas and won a $2,000 grant, then used the money to get matching funds. “I talked to the director of my high school and he allocated a room for us and a donor contributed the first set of books, then we helped pay for the furniture,” he recalls. Today, in addition to books and study space, the library offers tutoring for schoolchildren.

“Thanks to HELP, I learned English and leadership skills and made more connections. It was easier to get a job since I had assets to offer. HELP, its visibility, and its network are great resources. When you say you are a HELP student, people understand that you didn’t have a lot of opportunities but you have great potential, that you are smart and can accomplish great things. Today, I am an industrial engineer, working as a plant manager at ACRA Haiti. I use the tools I learned in the leadership program to better manage my team so we can accomplish our goals. And with my salary and experience, I can now support my little brother in university.”