SCHOLARS PROGRAM ’08 | SETON HALL PREPARATORY SCHOOL ’12 | GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY ’16

Prior to SEEDS, I went to school in Newark, NJ and that experience had its pros and cons. I’m really grateful for it in retrospect. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to understand how impactful it was to have teachers and peers who shared black history, culture, and a common identity with me.  I’ve moved in and out of new spaces since then and I’ve become more aware of this communal environment’s importance and empathetic to the historically rooted and complex challenges within it. 

Even so, I remember applying to SEEDS with an eagerness for more. One question on the application will always stick with me: “What clubs and activities are you a part of.” The truth of the matter was there were no clubs or activities I could participate in. In fact, there wasn’t a gym, or a sports team nor were there any extracurriculars. I even recall pursuing advanced classes, but my school just couldn’t accommodate. SEEDS caught me at a pivotal time and to put it shortly, launched me into a future that has not only changed my life but it’s also changed my families’ life and broadened the world we previously knew. 

I found out about SEEDS through word of mouth, by way of, none other than my incredible aunts. My aunt Nadine had heard about the program through a fellow churchgoer whose daughter had participated (shoutout to Esther Clovis!). From there, she passed that incredible insight to my mom and Aunt Jessie, whose son Chris, would go on and participate in the Scholar’s Academy. You’re really getting to know the whole family huh.

I thought it was the coolest thing ever that Chris was gone for the summer. I can’t recall if he was participating in the retreat or boarding experience, but either way, it was super cool to me that he was doing something so different. It was almost as if he was rewarded a once-in-a-lifetime experience for being a standout student. I wanted that for myself so when it was time to apply, I was all in. 

This is a loaded question. At the time, applying to SEEDS was just the best option and honestly, I don’t think we knew how much of a snowball effect that decision would have on our lives. It was only the beginning of a new world unfolding and this unforeseen universe continued(s) to expand for us as access did(/does). 

My parents, Yves and Roselande, are amazing and have always relayed to me and my siblings the importance of seizing the educational opportunities in front of us. Both of their stories begin in Haiti, a beloved country with very few educational or career opportunities to offer them and other less privileged members of that society. So, for my parents, getting to the US was just one step but raising children here and ensuring they didn’t sleep on chances they never had was another step. Needless to say, when word about SEEDS made its way to us, the importance was already understood.

The most important lesson SEEDS taught me would probably be belief in self. I’m grateful that as part of my SEEDS journey, I met a number of staff who I stayed in touch with. They provided much-needed positive reinforcement as I took on some daunting challenges and unfamiliar transitions (i.e. high school, SATs, college, internships, professional life, etc). Almost every step of the way, someone was there to remind me that I’m capable and that they’re here to help. It’s gone a very long way and this belief in self is embedded in me to this day. That’s not to say doubt doesn’t creep up on me every so often because it does. But when the winds of doubt try to shake me, I almost always return to this foundation of “I’m capable.” That’s largely, in part, due to the positive reinforcement I received post SEEDS and the momentum that’s brought about. 

I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank the SEEDS staff, past and present, while I’m here. Big thanks to Kate Levine, Sarah Cassidy, Erin Duggan, Marlyn Velez, Maralyn Baez,  John Castano, Bernie Sarlo, Barry Ford, Andy Hoge, Karen Gonon, Imani Gilliam, Anthony Jones, Adriana Arroyo, Alex Demshock, Theresa Murray, Rachael Patrick, and the one and only Miss Jamie. All those lovely people poured into me and I’m forever grateful. 

I wanted to attend an independent school because, frankly, it was all upside. It was a breakthrough opportunity. High schools existed all around me but not all high schools are created equally. The independent schools and the promise they offered made them the best of all options. 

It was such an expanded world for me. For starters, I went to Seton Hall Prep where there were students from over 120 towns – more towns than I knew existed. I remember being blown away by the fact that Sparta (like the movie 300) was a town here (who knew?!). Anyhow, on top of that, there were a variety of clubs, activities, and advanced classes that ultimately gave me a chance to grow and learn more about myself and my peers.

Needless to say, I dove right into things, and I credit both SEEDS and The Griffin Bridges Program at Seton Hall Prep (SHP) for that. The aforementioned program was a scholarship fund that provided a fixed amount of students from low-income backgrounds not only a scholarship to SHP but also a big brother (upperclassmen mentor), a dedicated Guidance Counselor (s/o Chris Barnitt!), a mentor (s/o Nick Scalera), a private community space on campus, and access to program donors who offered me internships and mentorship during my stint at SHP. 

That added support and guidance went such a long way for me.  I concluded my tenure as an Honors & AP Student, peer leader to two homerooms of freshmen, and president of the West Indian Organization. At graduation, I was awarded medallions for being an outstanding Peer Leader, maintaining an A average, and most significantly honored as “The Most Representative Setonian”, a distinction given to one senior per graduating class. I even won a Hometown Hero Award from the New Jersey Nets that year (yes, that’s NJ, not the Brooklyn Nets). 

It’s all still very wild to me now and even more so since this year marks 10 years since I graduated from high school. It goes to show what’s possible when resources are in play and a student’s transition into high school is met with not only financial support but adequate social support. 

Do I think my life would have been different without SEEDS? Absolutely! And to that end, I don’t even want to think about where I’d be. I’m eternally grateful. 

I want other students like me to that SEEDS is life-changing. Every SEEDS story is different but the common thread of it all is a world expanded and an opportunity of a lifetime to take a step into one’s desired future. For many of us, our desired future starts with educational access, and where our stories go from there is for us to write. For that reason, I’d encourage them to leave the door open for the next generation to come and support SEEDS in whatever capacity they can.