Student Spotlight: Samy Jules

Studying education and improving teaching methods has always been Samy's dream. "I've always wanted to break the stereotypes of the ‘smart kids and the dumb kids,’" she says; but getting a university degree was far from a certainty in spite of Samy's stellar academic performance.

Samy grew up in Port-au-Prince, the eldest of two children in a tight-knit family. Her parents work in a pharmacy and grocery store but as insecurity swept the capital in 2019, spiraling ever worse, there were fewer customers where her parents worked and the family’s finances cratered. Thanks to a half scholarship that turned into a full one, Samy was able to finish high school with top grades. She was determined to go to college and knew she had the resumé but without any money, she felt stuck.  When a friend told her about HELP, she felt the best way to find out more was to apply.  

Heading into her third year at HELP, Samy is consistently on the Dean's List and earning a degree is within reach. She reports, “It’s taken a lot of effort and sometimes I’ve felt overwhelmed with all the insecurity but thank God I’m ok and I’ve done well. At university, I learned about comparative education, which was really interesting, and my favorite class was ‘Child and Adolescent Psychology’ where we learned the development mechanisms and milestones of each age. I also really liked ‘The Haitian Education System’ because it pushed us to think about the weaknesses of our system and find solutions. 

In my HELP classes, I really enjoy how we are encouraged to think critically and engage in classroom debates. Also through HELP this year I took an online class at Bard College on civic engagement which showed us all the levels and paths to being engaged in our communities; it was really good! 

Overall, I’ve been able to be successful thanks to the resources HELP gave me; I’ve learned active listening skills, teamwork, and the value of contributing. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for continuing to believe in us!”