Students

Agronomy – Class of 2017

Yvelise grew up in Saint Marc with her parents, sister, and six brothers. Her father is a farmer and her mother sells produce. (more…)

Computer Science – Class of 2016

Peterson was born in Cité Soleil, a notoriously poor neighborhood on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince that is frequently plagued by gang activity and violence. Peterson’s mother is unemployed, and his father was once a builder but had to resort to fixing watches and phones on the street to support Peterson and his two siblings. (more…)

Business Management – Class of 2015

Rebecca grew up outside Port-au-Prince with her mother and younger sister. Her father left when Rebecca was nine and has not returned. Rebecca’s mother worked as an elementary school teacher, making just enough money for the family to survive. (more…)

Pharmacy – Class of 2016

Throughout primary and secondary school, Jinoue was consistently regarded as a model student. “I was always at the top of my class,” she recalls. “And all of my teachers loved me.” (more…)

Dentistry – Class of 2016

Unlike her older brother, who went to university on a volleyball scholarship, Pharana got to where she is by pushing herself in school. “I don’t believe in limits,” says the dentistry student, who learned about HELP from one of her friends. (more…)

Accounting – Class of 2015

Beverly grew up in the Delmas section of Port-au-Prince, her father a contractor and her mother a housemaid. Though both of her parents had a limited education, they understood its importance and encouraged their daughter to do well in school, despite the family’s financial hardships. (more…)

Engineering – Class of 2016

Growing up, Daphning enjoyed singing and reading, and took part in many extracurricular activities, including a street beautification team in her hometown and a literary journal at her secondary school. But above all, Daphning was an excellent student committed to giving her all academically. (more…)

Medicine – Class of 2013

Ketly’s mother is a street vendor in a small-town market and her father died when Ketly was 12. “Growing up, things were very difficult for my family,” she says. “We barely scraped by, and depended on friends to help with things like school fees.” (more…)

Agronomy – Class of 2015

David is one of three children, raised in a small coastal town on a family income of $1,500 per year. David’s father is handicapped and cannot work so his mother, a seamstress, is the sole breadwinner in the family. In spite of this hardship, David excelled at school and only missed top ranking once, when he came in second. (more…)

Communications – Class of 2016

“I’ve always wanted to do my best and to be around others who are doing the same,” Ensheila says. Growing up in the outskirts of Port-au-Prince with her parents, two sisters, and an older brother, Ensheila usually preferred reading over playing, and was at the top of her class throughout secondary school. (more…)