Ronel LeFranc

Agronomy ‘14

When Ronel was 13, he was awarded a scholarship to high school, but the school was in a different town. “Three of us from my hometown received scholarships, so we rented a room together. That was the first time I lived away from my parents. I had to take care of everything – do my laundry, prepare my food. Usually, we would go to school without eating in the morning, and in the afternoon we’d go to a cafeteria to get a meal. I was very motivated by the idea that education was my only option to become someone. If you do well at school, you can become whatever you want. I knew that I had to work hard, even if I was hungry.” This perseverance paid off, and Ronel was the first in his family to complete high school.

With a scholarship from HELP, Ronel found the support he was missing in high school. “For someone like me, who didn’t know anyone in Port-au-Prince, having the dorm was one of the best aspects of the HELP program. For many students that are coming from the countryside, housing is one of the biggest challenges.”

In HELP leadership classes, Ronel learned about Haiti’s history of brain drain. “We talked about how over 80% of educated Haitian professionals are living abroad, so when you look at Haiti you see a real leadership crisis. We are the citizens of this country, and we are the ones who must take care of it. No one else is going to do it for us.” This notion stuck with him, and the idea of giving back became his passion. After graduating from Quisqueya University, he obtained a Master’s degree in Global Development at St. John’s University.

Today, he works as the assistant program director at the Partnership for Local Development, an NGO that works with locals on a holistic approach to community development. Ronel is also the CEO and co-founder of ACTIVEH, a pan-university civic organization that provides internships, professional development, and networking. “These skills are not taught at the university, but are very important to succeed in the job market. This is where you can see the impact of my training at HELP. HELP is working with the brightest students, and ACTIVEH offers opportunities for any students who need more support and development.”