I was born in the United States and raised in Haiti. I returned to the United States at the age of eleven. Witnessing the struggles my mother, a single mother, faced made me more appreciative of the education and opportunities I have had as a Haitian-American woman. Having to learn English as a second language and completing my Masters in Social Work are my two greatest achievements.

Growing up in the United States and having to adapt to a new culture was a difficult and challenging experience for me. However, my struggles were minimal compared to my mother’s. She worked two jobs, at the time her English speaking skills were minimal, and she supported four young children. Furthermore, even after we moved to the United States, my mother believed that she had a responsibility to care for her siblings who lived in Haiti. As a result of this belief, she continued to send them money on a regular basis.

My mother always stressed the importance of education. She didn’t want to see her children struggle as much as she did. With education in mind, I finished high school believing that getting a high school diploma was all the education I needed. Unfortunately, I had a guidance counselor who, instead of supporting me going to college, reinforced my belief that high school was enough of an education for me. Fortunately, I met a professional and successful black woman who became my mentor. She taught me the importance of continuing my education. She believed in me and she helped me believe in myself. Although my mom had also emphasized the importance of education, up to this point my experience was seeing women from my culture who had immigrated to the United States get jobs as cleaning ladies and I considered them successful. So, with a broader understanding of success, as well as the help of my mentor, I applied to and was accepted to Syracuse University where I majored in Social Work and eventually earned a Bachelor of Science and Social Work.

I learned many valuable life lessons during my undergraduate years. I lived in Harlem, New York; and as a result, I was not exposed to many different cultures. When I went to Syracuse University, I was hit with culture shock! I had to learn to live with people from different backgrounds and religious beliefs. I was impressed with the different student organizations to choose from. However, because I wanted to feel like I belonged, I helped create a Haitian-American organization so I could meet other students from my own culture and who, I assumed, would face the same challenges as me. I soon began to realize that I was segregating myself from the many different cultures represented by other students on campus. I started branching out and participating in different organizations so I could learn more about different cultures. To my surprise, I found students from a wide variety of cultures who were struggling like me, and their parents struggled like my mother.

My first professional experience was as the Director of a child abuse prevention program. Working with parents was rewarding for me because I was able to educate them on parenting skills and help them learn stress reduction techniques. After about a year, I was accepted onto the staff of an organization that specializes in domestic violence. In my capacity as a Senior Social Worker, I have met many minority women who have experienced violence in their primary relationships. I soon learned that it is often difficult for women to break out of violent relationships. For the women I worked with, things were further complicated because many of them were undocumented and, as a result, often unwilling to ask authorities for help because they feared deportation. These women also faced language barriers, difficulties finding employment, and social isolation that we often see in both battered women and new immigrants who have not yet settled into American society. Of those who were able to leave their abusers, they often found themselves unable to navigate the system and unable to support themselves financially without the help of public assistance. Of those who received public assistance, they often became dependent on public assistance because their English speaking and writing skills were poor or they were unable to obtain training in a vocation that would allow them to support themselves and their children.