Education and service has always been the top priority in my Haitian American household. The accomplishment attributed to earning my college degree, three years from now, would not solely be for me—but for my family, friends, community, and the Kingdom of God. I am a second generation Haitian-American residing in Florida, who is currently attending Florida International University and pursuing a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Marketing. I've come to the realization that grasping the importance of knowledge and humbly seeking to serve others is the key to becoming successful. It was never about being the top of the class or gaining everything for yourself. It's about community and what God has entrusted us to do, as He said in Genesis 1:28, "Be fruitful and multiply." That does not mean to just advance yourself, but be the gap in the bridge for others and pay your blessings forward. I've applied this from early on and it is an embedded notion that will follow me as I continue to build my legacy. After graduating college, I believe God has called me to use this education to not only grow my developing business, but to be a light to others, offer mentoring programs, give back to the community, and share the glory of the Lord.
From the beginning of my academic career, I've sought to pursue everything I attempted with excellence. I believe in the saying, "If you do it right the first time, you won't have to do it again," and that has stuck with me. There was always a sense of shock that came over me when I noticed other students failing intentionally or lacking ambition. As the eldest sister of three, I had to learn quickly how to balance responsibilities as well as academics. As I got older and the workload increased, I only became better at managing it. My experience as an intern for a successful business owner has enhanced my marketing skills, through content creation and attending workshops. Additionally, I obtained over 400 community service hours. Speaking at school fairs, mentoring youth, and providing food to low income households, are just a few of many events that have prepared me in becoming well-rounded. This has all shaped me for the path and major that I am taking now!
In the last two years of high school, I transferred into the AICE Cambridge Program, which would require me to pass seven Cambridge classes and exams to become eligible for the Bright Futures Scholarship. The average pace of the program is usually three or four years, with students starting as underclassmen. I took the challenge of starting during my junior and junior year, taking 8 AS Level courses, along with my other rigorous courses, despite many people underestimating my capabilities. I passed all of the exams by the Grace of God, with my mother as my biggest supporter. through my success now, I want to share hope with others that difficult trials build resilient people.
Beyond academics, I have been working on building my legacy by developing my own business alongside my sisters. I am the founder of Bel's Kitchen, where our mission is to share the love of God through food, connection, and faith. I am a private chef and have cooked for several events with up to one-hundred thirty guests in attendance. We are content creators that share our produced or recreated food recipes online to various social media platforms. I also plan on launching my own cookbook later this year. I am pursuing my marketing degree to not only teach me skills that will further develop myself, but for the purpose of helping others as well. It is still a work in progress but I would like to inspire others through my business and one day, guide young women, like myself, that don't realize their full potential. I would like these young women to realize that they are able to build something they are proud of rooted from their passions. I plan to send care packages, foods, clothes to the people in undeveloped third world countries and serve on missionary trips. I believe this idea is what transpired the interest in marketing within me.
Along with building my business, I am also assisting my mother as her marketing manager for her new book release. I have designed and created material for her such as bookmarks, prayer cards, and digital documents. I've also managed her social media pages and created content and videos to attract an online audience. What I’m experiencing before officially entering my major has been indispensable towards anchoring my steps into a new season of my life.
With all of that being said, the accomplishments I have achieved, whether it was in academics, leadership, or personal growth, have already developed the start of the legacy I am aiming to create. They have taught me that there is always something new to learn, new challenges to overcome and new ways to improve myself. I am now currently a full-time student, working on building my education and pouring into my self-growth. Having extra help will not only support my education, but will also equip me to continue fulfilling my purpose and expand my business. I want to be an entrepreneur and inspiration to serve as an encouragement to others, who are overlooked, to step into their purpose no matter who doubts them. I would like to be a reminder to minorities, like myself, that no matter how inadequate you feel, there is a greater purpose within you. As Benjamin Franklin once said, "An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." By granting me this scholarship, you would not only be investing in my education, but also in my mission to encourage others, reach my community, and pay my blessings forward. I am highly appreciative of your support of my future endeavors and I am confident that I can prove to be a good investment in knowledge with this scholarship.