Stael Toussaint

Law ‘24

Stael Toussaint plans to practice law and help other students pursue their education. Stael grew up in Carrefour, a densely populated suburb of Port-au-Prince. Stael’s mother died six years ago and his father, who never completed secondary school, works as a tailor earning a monthly income of just $40. In this difficult environment, school was Stael’s only outlet and he used academic competitions to stay engaged. Although he showed extraordinary abilities in secondary school, maintaining the highest average in his class, his future remained uncertain. When he heard about HELP, he says, “I immediately saw an opportunity. But when I arrived, I found much more than a scholarship.” Now in his third year at HELP, Stael has more than succeeded, with an overall average of 82 in the notoriously difficult law program.

Despite the turmoil of the last year, Stael remained engaged. “During the shutdown I took online courses in criminal law, civil procedure, legal methodology, business law, administrative law, family law, and property law.” Reflecting on the chaos caused by political protests and Covid-19, Stael says, “I grew to understand that HELP’s pillar of “sacrifice” exists not only for the scholarship holders, but also for the administration and faculty. They made many efforts to help continue the program and without them, the students would have felt isolated and lost.”

“At HELP we learn to discover the way to success. Today the rest of my family is very proud of me, and they take me as an example," says Stael. He is looking forward to contributing to the next generation of scholars and ensuring the sustainability of the program. “So many young people deserve opportunities like the ones offered by HELP.”