In December of the year 2000, I emigrated from Haiti to the United States with my mom, Rose, my dad, Jean-Denis, and my older brother Junior. My parents had been traveling back and forth from Haiti to the U.S. since 1998 and they had finally decided to permanently move our family here. At the very young age of 3, I don’t remember a whole lot about the transition except for always being cold and being very shocked when I learned that there aren’t daily blackouts in America.
Initially, we lived in Brooklyn, New York with some close family friends. There my father worked in his friend’s construction company and my mother stayed home to care for my older brother and I. After a few months my parents finally raised enough money to move the family to Dedham, Massachusetts, where we lived with my mother’s best friend (and my Godmother) until just before my little brother was born. Ted was born on September 4th, 2001 and once again we moved, this time to our new house on Wachusett St in Hyde Park. We’ve lived there ever since.
From kindergarten through the third grade, my younger brother and I attended St. Matthew’s School in Dorchester. Unfortunately, my class was the last third grade class to ever attend St. Matt’s since it closed down that same year. After St. Matthew’s school got closed down, I attended St. Gregory’s School in Lower Mills until it also closed down and became a part of a chain of parochial schools currently known as Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy. Afterwards, life was very simple for a few years and then everything changed in 2009 when I was accepted to the prestigious Boston Latin School.
My parents were so proud of my accomplishment and they bragged about me to everyone. I, myself, however, wasn’t sure whether I was excited or scared. The news that I had gotten accepted was very well received at first but when I learned that none of my bestfriends would be coming with me I was instantly worried. Starting BLS was very frightening, and I think anyone who’s been through sixie year could attest this. Although I had my worries and doubts, I now know that BLS is where I was meant to be. There are just so many great opportunities and experiences available that other students in the city just do not have access to.
Through my years at Latin, I’ve learned the importance of hard-work and collaborative action from my experiences as a long-time member of the Track and Field team, Step Squad, and now co-president of the BLS Fashion Talent Club. What I appreciate the most about being a BLS student is the fact that I am now part of a network of people from so many different walks of life, all with incredible pasts and the common goal of exploring what we have to offer to the world and utilizing that greatness, to help build a better future.
In the future, I see myself working either as a district attorney or public defender in Boston. I want to be able to help people who cannot or do not have the necessary resources needed to help themselves. In addition, I want to help make Boston’s communities safer for future generations by fighting against crime and “putting away the bad guys”.
As my time at Boston Latin School comes to an end, I look forward to applying to liberal arts colleges both in and out of Boston. In college, I hope to major in criminal justice and possibly minor in psychology. I want to learn as much as I can about human interactions and the ways in which I could help resolve the many social issues that my generation faces. After college, I plan to attend law school and to eventually begin my career. Right now, however, my main goal is to acquire as much knowledge as I can and to graduate from high school in this upcoming Spring.