My name is Levey Saintil, a proud legatee of the name of my late father, a Haitian-Cubano immigrant. The legacy of his hard work and dedication to the community is what inspires me to develop my own communication skills, language learning and mental and financial health. Born in Palma Soriano, Cuba of a Cubana and a Haitian native, he worked hard his whole life. As the family patriarch he assisted his own relatives in pursuing their legalization status. What inspires me was not his diligence alone, he was an intelligent man who spoke four languages including Haitian Kreyol, French, Spanish and English. Knowing what I know now about the incredible impact of the success of the Haitian Revolution (1791-1804), I am proud to possess such a heritage and want to emulate his optimism and language fluency. As a lifelong lover of language learning, French studies was initially what I was going to seek as a major. Unfortunately, as I was accepted as a student the French program was completely cut from the curriculum thus delaying the proximal connection to my heritage and my gateway to personal cultural literacy. It was not a total loss however, because I soon discovered that UA Little Rock featured American Sign Language as a degree. As a performer, being expressive and speaking a language non-native to me, I always dreamed that I would be on stage translating lyrics through signing. Once I become an expert in interpreting, my goal is to establish a career as a government interpreter. Choosing ASL as a bilingual designation also lends to my background as a public speaker and as an ally for social justice. Before moving to the south, I was very much involved in academic and extra-curricular activities like working for the Multicultural Affairs office at the University of New Hampshire and participating in theater and fundraising opportunities. I wasn’t fully confident in my academic abilities then, but I maintained that persistence would take me further than not trying at all. Perhaps because of this resolve, I was chosen as a member of UNH’s Public Speakers Bureau. Being from an underserved minority group in southern NH, it was so rewarding being able to share my experience to help educate would be champions of justice. As I mentioned previously, I grew up in poverty but discrimination isn’t new to me either. My own family who suffered financial losses due to inequity. For example, my father was murdered in a random act of violence at work in Boston, merely a month after my birth. His killer only served seven years. The trust funds that he set up in mine and my older sister’s name were somehow misplaced by the state of Massachusetts. Years later, my mother now lives by herself in a rooming house full of strangers. I worry about her often because she is on Social Security Disability. She is forced to take the stairs from her second-floor room and often I must advocate for her from afar. I also am alone in assisting with paying her bills. In 2024 it has certainly was not easy going to school full-time while three jobs, albeit three part-time jobs. This past fall, it became increasingly difficult to maintain the balance of work and school life while simultaneously dealing with the generalized anxiety and declining efficacy of my corrective scleral contact lenses that helped me have clearer vision and of course, helping my mother not be homeless. With additional funding, it would help free up the burden of supporting my mother with my own limited income.

“Advocacy At-Large”: In Pursuit of Identity and Community - Saintil As a bi-racial, gay and gender-queer legally blind child of a Cuban-born Haitian immigrant and and a white woman from New England, growing up in the seacoast of New Hampshire, I often stood out in more than one way. Being out in a predominantly white state during the height of the ubiquitous and mostly socially acceptable catchphrase, "That’s so gay!"; I did my best to use my uniqueness as an advantage. I’d like to briefly describe my personal experience in the field of social justice. After a random act of homicide that left my mother a widow when I was only a month old, she moved my older sister and I to Florida where we lived for a time before we returned to N.H. From time to time, we stayed with my grandparents. My grandfather, a native of Louisville, Kentucky, renounced his membership in the KKK and its bigoted ideology. Though he was a model of successful rehabilitation, most of my relatives from both the "Live Free or Die” state and “United We Fall, Divided We Stand” state, proudly waved their confederate flags, refusing to concede that the south lost. Which leads me to my motivation that since I cannot escape the influence of my phenotypical appearance, I can either submit to discrimination or work towards a progressive and inclusive society. Homelessness was a constant feature in our lives after that but at eighteen, I was to happy discover the local LGBT youth group, Seacoast Outright. Their motto, "You are who you say you are", inspired me so much. Participating in the local queer culture, I began speaking on panels and social programs as a member of the speaker’s bureau at the University of New Hampshire. In my teens, I become the community-at-large member of the board at AIDS Response Seacoast in Portsmouth. For two years, I volunteered in organizing educational events like fundraisers, and community outreach programs to assist in educating youth about safe sex. Years later, I moved to Little Rock and I would soon be invited to perform on stage as host/comedian/featured player at the local club as Elvira aka The Usherette. I choreographed and was a featured dancer at the Gay Pride and within a year, I won the semi-finals of a drag competition at the club.  Among these accomplishments, I have also offered many hours of volunteering time, organizing special events and mentoring young performers. My service work extends to other areas of my life, perhaps, it began particularly with my family. For years I helped care for my mother, before and after her pneumonia-induced coma, even after her recovery from losing almost half of her 450 pound weight. Unfortunately, I had to put college on hold to work and help out. In 2022, I finally found the right time to apply to college and after much red tape and some doubt, I was accepted as a Freshman to UA Little Rock. Around that time, I had been living in southern France as a guest fellow at the CAMARGO Foundation, a residency for scholars and artists alike. Then, in the Spring, I assisted my husband in researching the Haitian Revolution at the Musée des Archives Nationales - Hôtel de Soubise in Paris. Living in France was beyond rewarding. Practicing my fluency and learning more about my Haitian heritage were experiences that has made a lasting impact on me. With a scholarship, it would help in focusing on my studies without sacrificing my sleep, time, energy or enthusiasm for my educational, creative or community-building goals.

Growing up in poverty and homelessness, the one constant factor that helped me through tho times, was music. It truly heals and I want to share that power with the world, to give back to others, the pure joy it gave to me. For ten years, I worked alongside a well-known DJ as an occasional deejay myself. Ultimately, this role evolved into a hype dancer. In other words, he brought the music and I brought the moves. We were a dream team. Our diverse gigs ranged from school proms, to bar/bat mitzvahs to weddings, fundraisers and annual holiday parties at The World Bank. My earliest memory of my love for performing, was tap-dancing at age four and at nine, rewriting the lyrics to the Sister Act II soundtrack. Since then, I have written and recorded hundreds of songs, performed all over the U.S. and overseas at various events. After establishing life in Arkansas in 2018, the following year, I created an alter-ego in the form of drag persona Glossy Gephistone. Glossy was borne of my successful stint as The Usherette in a ten-show run of "The Rocky Horror Show". It was one of the best experiences of my life. If it seems hyperbolic for me to say that, I don’t mind. I was gifted with the opportunity to host, write my own stand-up routine, dance and sing one of my favorite songs to perform, "Science Fiction: Double Feature". For a dark comedy, the song is quite moving. Admittedly, The dichotomy of executing a major production like that, could not eschew the hard work it required. Yet still, it was rewarding in the end. One of my favorite aspects of being in such a big ensemble was the bond I made with my castmates. There was a unique kind of euphoria, performing in harmony and rhythm with such talented people. Another one of my favorite parts of the play, was getting to dress up, not as the traditional Usherette but I had the honor of portraying, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. This past semester has been the busiest and most fruitful so far when it comes to my growth as a singer and dancer. My participation in the school choir, has lead me to singing with a sixteen piece jazz ensemble as the soloist. This was a dream come true! On top of that, I performed in a theater production that was featured in a national broadway magazine. I have also started learning how to play the piano for the first time. One day, I dream of performing my soulful songs and add professional pianist to my repertoire. Singing is not my only love, of course. Dancing, songwriting and acting are some of my deepest passions. Featuring in a sitcom, or a sketch comedy is something I’ve wanted to do since childhood. Being cast as The Doctor in the British Sci Fi series, "Doctor Who" is a quirky, fun role that is at the top of my bucket list that I would be overjoyed to secure. I was inspired by comedy shows like "Primetime Glick, with Jiminy Glick" starring Martin Short," "In Living Color" and "30 Rock" to name a few. Like music, laughter heals but both stir stir my soul.

My namesake, born in Palma Soriano, Cuba of a Cubana and a Haitian native, Levey Saintil Sr., worked hard his whole life. As the family patriarch, he assisted his own relatives in pursuing their legal status. He was an intelligent man who spoke four languages like Haitian Kreyol, French, Spanish and English. Knowing what I know now about the incredible impact of the success of the Haitian Revolution (1791-1804), I am proud to possess such a lineage. French studies was initially what I was seeking as a major. Unfortunately, as I was accepted, the French program was completely cut from the curriculum thus delaying the proximal connection to my personal cultural literacy. It was not a total loss however, because I soon discovered that UA Little Rock featured American Sign Language (ASL) as a degree. I always dreamed that I would be on stage translating lyrics through signing. My main goal is to establish a career as a government interpreter. Prior to moving to Little Rock, Arkansas in 2018, I was on my way to register for enrollment at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) in Public Relations but a decade earlier. I was very much involved in academic and extracurricular activities like working for Multicultural Affairs and participating in theater and fundraising. I grew up in a family that was often homeless with bouts of food insecurity, so I know what it means to lack. Discrimination isn’t new to me either, not even in my own bloodline. For example, my grandfather was a Kentucky native. He was given the ultimatum to choose between accepting myself and my older sister or embracing his heritage as a member of the KKK. Lucky for me, he chose us and proved to be a model for redemption. Grandad was living proof that people can work through problems, becoming a stronger collective as a result. Such wisdom I wish to impart to others. My aim isn’t to air my histrionics to gain sympathy but rather teach through personal experience. For example, my father was murdered in a random act of violence at work in Boston, merely a month after my birth. His killer only served seven years. The trust funds that he set up in mine and my older sister’s name were somehow misplaced by the state of Massachusetts. Years later, my mother now lives by herself in a rooming house full of strangers. I worry about her often because she disabled. I also am alone in assisting with paying her bills. In 2024, balancing three jobs while also going to school full-time was a relentless affair. This past fall, I cut down to two, but I was jointly dealing with the declining efficacy of my corrective scleral contact lenses. Additional funding would also allow me to focus more on my education and other pursuits. For example, in early 2023, I was chosen as a board member for the inaugural Arkansas Tiny Desk Concert in Little Rock. In its first year, it was a highly successful event. Subsequently, it was a disinclination to pass on participating in this year’s second annual concert because of my busy work schedule. As I allow myself the vulnerability to share my personal desires and the posthumous influence of my father that fosters my skills in language, community and financial health, I find it a necessary practice for my social and intrapersonal evolution. The stigma of being an older student has lessened over the years, but ageism is still present. Therefore, I want to show myself and others like me that life shouldn’t stop the older we get.

My namesake, born in Palma Soriano, Cuba of a Cubana and a Haitian native, Levey Saintil Sr., worked hard his whole life. As the family patriarch, he assisted his own relatives in pursuing their legal status. He was an intelligent man who spoke four languages like Haitian Kreyol, French, Spanish and English. Knowing what I know now about the incredible impact of the success of the Haitian Revolution (1791-1804), I am proud to possess such a lineage. French studies was initially what I was seeking as a major. Unfortunately, as I was accepted, the French program was completely cut from the curriculum thus delaying the proximal connection to my personal cultural literacy. It was not a total loss however, because I soon discovered that UA Little Rock featured American Sign Language (ASL) as a degree. I always dreamed that I would be on stage translating lyrics through signing. My main goal is to establish a career as a government interpreter. Prior to moving to Little Rock, Arkansas in 2018, I was on my way to register for enrollment at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) in Public Relations but a decade earlier. I was very much involved in academic and extracurricular activities like working for Multicultural Affairs and participating in theater and fundraising. I grew up in a family that was often homeless with bouts of food insecurity, so I know what it means to lack. Discrimination isn’t new to me either, not even in my own bloodline. For example, my grandfather was a Kentucky native. He was given the ultimatum to choose between accepting myself and my older sister or embracing his heritage as a member of the KKK. Lucky for me, he chose us and proved to be a model for redemption. Grandad was living proof that people can work through problems, becoming a stronger collective as a result. Such wisdom I wish to impart to others. My aim isn’t to air my histrionics to gain sympathy but rather teach through personal experience. For example, my father was murdered in a random act of violence at work in Boston, merely a month after my birth. His killer only served seven years. The trust funds that he set up in mine and my older sister’s name were somehow misplaced by the state of Massachusetts. Years later, my mother now lives by herself in a rooming house full of strangers. I worry about her often because she disabled. I also am alone in assisting with paying her bills. In 2024, balancing three jobs while also going to school full-time was a relentless affair. This past fall, I cut down to two, but I was jointly dealing with the declining efficacy of my corrective scleral contact lenses. Additional funding would also allow me to focus more on my education and other pursuits. For example, in early 2023, I was chosen as a board member for the inaugural Arkansas Tiny Desk Concert in Little Rock. In its first year, it was a highly successful event. Subsequently, it was a disinclination to pass on participating in this year’s second annual concert because of my busy work schedule. As I allow myself the vulnerability to share my personal desires and the posthumous influence of my father that fosters my skills in language, community and financial health, I find it a necessary practice for my social and intrapersonal evolution. The stigma of being an older student has lessened over the years, but ageism is still present. Therefore, I want to show myself and others like me that life shouldn’t stop the older we get.

My namesake, born in Palma Soriano, Cuba of a Cubana and a Haitian native, Levey Saintil Sr., worked hard his whole life. As the family patriarch, he assisted his own relatives in pursuing their legal status. He was an intelligent man who spoke four languages like Haitian Kreyol, French, Spanish and English. Knowing what I know now about the incredible impact of the success of the Haitian Revolution (1791-1804), I am proud to possess such a lineage. French studies was initially what I was seeking as a major. Unfortunately, as I was accepted, the French program was completely cut from the curriculum thus delaying the proximal connection to my personal cultural literacy. It was not a total loss however, because I soon discovered that UA Little Rock featured American Sign Language (ASL) as a degree. I always dreamed that I would be on stage translating lyrics through signing. My main goal is to establish a career as a government interpreter. Prior to moving to Little Rock, Arkansas in 2018, I was on my way to register for enrollment at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) in Public Relations but a decade earlier. I was very much involved in academic and extracurricular activities like working for Multicultural Affairs and participating in theater and fundraising. I grew up in a family that was often homeless with bouts of food insecurity, so I know what it means to lack. Discrimination isn’t new to me either, not even in my own bloodline. For example, my grandfather was a Kentucky native. He was given the ultimatum to choose between accepting myself and my older sister or embracing his heritage as a member of the KKK. Lucky for me, he chose us and proved to be a model for redemption. Grandad was living proof that people can work through problems, becoming a stronger collective as a result. Such wisdom I wish to impart to others. My aim isn’t to air my histrionics to gain sympathy but rather teach through personal experience. For example, my father was murdered in a random act of violence at work in Boston, merely a month after my birth. His killer only served seven years. The trust funds that he set up in mine and my older sister’s name were somehow misplaced by the state of Massachusetts. Years later, my mother now lives by herself in a rooming house full of strangers. I worry about her often because she disabled. I also am alone in assisting with paying her bills. In 2024, balancing three jobs while also going to school full-time was a relentless affair. This past fall, I cut down to two, but I was jointly dealing with the declining efficacy of my corrective scleral contact lenses. Additional funding would also allow me to focus more on my education and other pursuits. For example, in early 2023, I was chosen as a board member for the inaugural Arkansas Tiny Desk Concert in Little Rock. In its first year, it was a highly successful event. Subsequently, it was a disinclination to pass on participating in this year’s second annual concert because of my busy work schedule. As I allow myself the vulnerability to share my personal desires and the posthumous influence of my father that fosters my skills in language, community and financial health, I find it a necessary practice for my social and intrapersonal evolution. The stigma of being an older student has lessened over the years, but ageism is still present. Therefore, I want to show myself and others like me that life shouldn’t stop the older we get.

My namesake, born in Palma Soriano, Cuba of a Cubana and a Haitian native, Levey Saintil Sr., worked hard his whole life. As the family patriarch, he assisted his own relatives in pursuing their legal status. He was an intelligent man who spoke four languages like Haitian Kreyol, French, Spanish and English. Knowing what I know now about the incredible impact of the success of the Haitian Revolution (1791-1804), I am proud to possess such a lineage. French studies was initially what I was seeking as a major. Unfortunately, as I was accepted, the French program was completely cut from the curriculum thus delaying the proximal connection to my personal cultural literacy. It was not a total loss however, because I soon discovered that UA Little Rock featured American Sign Language (ASL) as a degree. I always dreamed that I would be on stage translating lyrics through signing. My main goal is to establish a career as a government interpreter. Prior to moving to Little Rock, Arkansas in 2018, I was on my way to register for enrollment at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) in Public Relations but a decade earlier. I was very much involved in academic and extracurricular activities like working for Multicultural Affairs and participating in theater and fundraising. I grew up in a family that was often homeless with bouts of food insecurity, so I know what it means to lack. Discrimination isn’t new to me either, not even in my own bloodline. For example, my grandfather was a Kentucky native. He was given the ultimatum to choose between accepting myself and my older sister or embracing his heritage as a member of the KKK. Lucky for me, he chose us and proved to be a model for redemption. Grandad was living proof that people can work through problems, becoming a stronger collective as a result. Such wisdom I wish to impart to others. My aim isn’t to air my histrionics to gain sympathy but rather teach through personal experience. For example, my father was murdered in a random act of violence at work in Boston, merely a month after my birth. His killer only served seven years. The trust funds that he set up in mine and my older sister’s name were somehow misplaced by the state of Massachusetts. Years later, my mother now lives by herself in a rooming house full of strangers. I worry about her often because she disabled. I also am alone in assisting with paying her bills. In 2024, balancing three jobs while also going to school full-time was a relentless affair. This past fall, I cut down to two, but I was jointly dealing with the declining efficacy of my corrective scleral contact lenses. Additional funding would also allow me to focus more on my education and other pursuits. For example, in early 2023, I was chosen as a board member for the inaugural Arkansas Tiny Desk Concert in Little Rock. In its first year, it was a highly successful event. Subsequently, it was a disinclination to pass on participating in this year’s second annual concert because of my busy work schedule. As I allow myself the vulnerability to share my personal desires and the posthumous influence of my father that fosters my skills in language, community and financial health, I find it a necessary practice for my social and intrapersonal evolution. The stigma of being an older student has lessened over the years, but ageism is still present. Therefore, I want to show myself and others like me that life shouldn’t stop the older we get.

My namesake, born in Palma Soriano, Cuba of a Cubana and a Haitian native, Levey Saintil Sr., worked hard his whole life. As the family patriarch, he assisted his own relatives in pursuing their legal status. He was an intelligent man who spoke four languages like Haitian Kreyol, French, Spanish and English. Knowing what I know now about the incredible impact of the success of the Haitian Revolution (1791-1804), I am proud to possess such a lineage. French studies was initially what I was seeking as a major. Unfortunately, as I was accepted, the French program was completely cut from the curriculum thus delaying the proximal connection to my personal cultural literacy. It was not a total loss however, because I soon discovered that UA Little Rock featured American Sign Language (ASL) as a degree. I always dreamed that I would be on stage translating lyrics through signing. My main goal is to establish a career as a government interpreter. Prior to moving to Little Rock, Arkansas in 2018, I was on my way to register for enrollment at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) in Public Relations but a decade earlier. I was very much involved in academic and extracurricular activities like working for Multicultural Affairs and participating in theater and fundraising. I grew up in a family that was often homeless with bouts of food insecurity, so I know what it means to lack. Discrimination isn’t new to me either, not even in my own bloodline. For example, my grandfather was a Kentucky native. He was given the ultimatum to choose between accepting myself and my older sister or embracing his heritage as a member of the KKK. Lucky for me, he chose us and proved to be a model for redemption. Grandad was living proof that people can work through problems, becoming a stronger collective as a result. Such wisdom I wish to impart to others. My aim isn’t to air my histrionics to gain sympathy but rather teach through personal experience. For example, my father was murdered in a random act of violence at work in Boston, merely a month after my birth. His killer only served seven years. The trust funds that he set up in mine and my older sister’s name were somehow misplaced by the state of Massachusetts. Years later, my mother now lives by herself in a rooming house full of strangers. I worry about her often because she disabled. I also am alone in assisting with paying her bills. In 2024, balancing three jobs while also going to school full-time was a relentless affair. This past fall, I cut down to two, but I was jointly dealing with the declining efficacy of my corrective scleral contact lenses. Additional funding would also allow me to focus more on my education and other pursuits. For example, in early 2023, I was chosen as a board member for the inaugural Arkansas Tiny Desk Concert in Little Rock. In its first year, it was a highly successful event. Subsequently, it was a disinclination to pass on participating in this year’s second annual concert because of my busy work schedule. As I allow myself the vulnerability to share my personal desires and the posthumous influence of my father that fosters my skills in language, community and financial health, I find it a necessary practice for my social and intrapersonal evolution. The stigma of being an older student has lessened over the years, but ageism is still present. Therefore, I want to show myself and others like me that life shouldn’t stop the older we get.

My namesake, born in Palma Soriano, Cuba of a Cubana and a Haitian native, Levey Saintil Sr., worked hard his whole life. As the family patriarch, he assisted his own relatives in pursuing their legal status. He was an intelligent man who spoke four languages like Haitian Kreyol, French, Spanish and English. Knowing what I know now about the incredible impact of the success of the Haitian Revolution (1791-1804), I am proud to possess such a lineage. French studies was initially what I was seeking as a major. Unfortunately, as I was accepted, the French program was completely cut from the curriculum thus delaying the proximal connection to my personal cultural literacy. It was not a total loss however, because I soon discovered that UA Little Rock featured American Sign Language (ASL) as a degree. I always dreamed that I would be on stage translating lyrics through signing. My main goal is to establish a career as a government interpreter. Prior to moving to Little Rock, Arkansas in 2018, I was on my way to register for enrollment at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) in Public Relations but a decade earlier. I was very much involved in academic and extracurricular activities like working for Multicultural Affairs and participating in theater and fundraising. I grew up in a family that was often homeless with bouts of food insecurity, so I know what it means to lack. Discrimination isn’t new to me either, not even in my own bloodline. For example, my grandfather was a Kentucky native. He was given the ultimatum to choose between accepting myself and my older sister or embracing his heritage as a member of the KKK. Lucky for me, he chose us and proved to be a model for redemption. Grandad was living proof that people can work through problems, becoming a stronger collective as a result. Such wisdom I wish to impart to others. My aim isn’t to air my histrionics to gain sympathy but rather teach through personal experience. For example, my father was murdered in a random act of violence at work in Boston, merely a month after my birth. His killer only served seven years. The trust funds that he set up in mine and my older sister’s name were somehow misplaced by the state of Massachusetts. Years later, my mother now lives by herself in a rooming house full of strangers. I worry about her often because she disabled. I also am alone in assisting with paying her bills. In 2024, balancing three jobs while also going to school full-time was a relentless affair. This past fall, I cut down to two, but I was jointly dealing with the declining efficacy of my corrective scleral contact lenses. Additional funding would also allow me to focus more on my education and other pursuits. For example, in early 2023, I was chosen as a board member for the inaugural Arkansas Tiny Desk Concert in Little Rock. In its first year, it was a highly successful event. Subsequently, it was a disinclination to pass on participating in this year’s second annual concert because of my busy work schedule. As I allow myself the vulnerability to share my personal desires and the posthumous influence of my father that fosters my skills in language, community and financial health, I find it a necessary practice for my social and intrapersonal evolution. The stigma of being an older student has lessened over the years, but ageism is still present. Therefore, I want to show myself and others like me that life shouldn’t stop the older we get.

My namesake. Born in Palma Soriano, Cuba of a Cubana and a Haitian native, Levey Saintil Sr., worked hard his whole life. As the family patriarch, he assisted his own relatives in pursuing their legal status. He was also an intelligent man who spoke four languages including Haitian Kreyol, French, Spanish and English. Knowing what I know now about the incredible impact of the success of the Haitian Revolution (1791-1804), I am proud to possess such a heritage and want to emulate my father’s drive and language fluency. French studies was initially what I was seeking as a major. Unfortunately, as I was accepted, the French program was completely cut from the curriculum thus delaying the proximal connection to my personal cultural literacy. It was not a total loss however, because I soon discovered that UA Little Rock featured American Sign Language (ASL) as a degree. Being expressive and speaking a language non-native to me, I always dreamed that I would be on stage translating lyrics through signing. Apart from that dream, my goal is to establish a career as a government interpreter. I grew up in a family that was often homeless with bouts of food insecurity, so I know what it means to lack. Discrimination isn’t new to me either, not even in my own bloodline. For example, my grandfather was a white Kentucky native. He once was given the ultimatum to choose between accepting myself and my older sister or embracing his heritage as a member of the KKK. Lucky for me, he chose us and proved to be a model for redemption. Grandad was living proof that people can work through problems, becoming a stronger collective as a result. Such wisdom I wish to impart to others.

Being the "first" of something is not foreign to me. Growing up in New Hampshire, I was the first black friend to many of my peers in the a place with a majority white citizens. I was the first among my seven siblings to ever leave the country but being the first to go to college to pursue a degree has special significance. After my father was killed in a random act of violence one month after my birth, my mother moved myself and my older sister about to Florida and then eventually back to New England where we suffered homelessness, poverty and discrimination because my mother was white with biracial children. Her father's side of the family, were involved in the KKK and we lost touch with my father's Caribbean family in Boston for decades so it was often a lonely struggle. I have to mention that my maternal grandparents did accept us-my beloved late grandfather being a reformed klan member. Regardless, it was still tough moving from place to place and transferring schools often. Affirming my gender and sexuality at a time in the late 90's and into the 2000's that placed a great stigma on such labels, only compounded our constant turmoil. What I attribute to my survival was the drive for stability. This drive was fueled by my love for illustrating and the performing arts. Music and drawing was my therapy and without it, I may not have been here to share this story. Returning to school after years of delays like helping out my disabled mother or working to make money and survive, I finally have the chance to utilize my public speaking and stage performance experience to study ASL. I want to be an interpreter one day to help bridge the gap between the hearing world and deaf society. As an extremely shy kid, I understand what it's like to not be able to express myself or communicate my needs, or desires. Just as in the recent past being out was something to be ashamed about, being deaf was to be pitied and even prohibited publicly. As someone who is legally blind and needs to wear corrective lenses, I also know what it’s like to be labeled as more or less, defective. I hope to help undo these prejudices. My long-term goals begin with me obtaining my bachelor’s degree and associate degrees to land a government job as an interpreter. This will help me break the curse of poverty and fulfill my decades long wish to complete college. I won’t stop there because even though I am now officially forty, singing, and dancing is a passion I cannot ignore. Eventually, I want to perform not just for the hearing majority but also for the historically underserved Deaf community.

Whether I was not white enough, too Black, too butch or too girly, someone always had an unsolicited opinion about my identity. As a bi-racial, gay, gender-queer and legally blind kid of a Cuban-born Haitian and a white woman from New England, I often stood out in more ways than one. In a predominantly white state during the height of the popular and mostly socially acceptable catchphrase, "That’s so gay" I did my best to use my uniqueness as an advantage. After a random act of homicide that left me without a father at only a month old, mom moved my older sister and I to Florida, where we lived for a time before returning to N.H. to stay with my grandparents. My papa, a native of Louisville, Kentucky, renounced his membership in the KKK when my sister and I were infants. Though he was a model of successful rehabilitation, relatives from both the "Live Free or Die'' state in N.H. and the “United We Fall, Divided We Stand” state of K.Y., proudly used the ‘N’ word and often. Since I cannot escape the influence of my appearance, I can either submit to bigotry or work towards progressive inclusivity. At eighteen, I was pleased to discover a sanctuary in the local LGBTQ youth group, Seacoast Outright. Their motto, "You are who you say you are" inspired me immensely. It subsequently led me to speaking on panels and lead social programs as a member of the speaker’s bureau at the University of New Hampshire (UNH). A year later, I was welcomed as the new community-at-large board member at AIDS Response Seacoast (ARS). ARS gave me the opportunity to grow as a young leader by organizing charity events, and engaging in outreach programs like educating youth about safe sex. Speaking of education, my then boyfriend, now husband, is an educator of history, who also grew up in Portsmouth. If I never stepped foot in a youth meeting, I may have never met my current husband. This month, we celebrate twenty years together. Subsequently, I would never have discovered the queer community here in Little Rock. Within a year, I won the semi-finals of a drag competition, mentored young queer performers and volunteered at Little Rock Gay Pride. For years, I took care of my mother who suffered obesity and a thyroid condition, before and after her pneumonia-induced coma. College was put on hold. After much red tape and doubt, I enrolled at UA Little Rock in spring 2023. Concurrently, I assisted my husband in researching the Haitian Revolution at the Musée des Archives Nationales. A year prior, we accepted to a residency at the CAMARGO Foundation in Cassis, France (2023), trips are largely self-funded. School will help expand my drive for true equality - a subject that holds much significance in my life. Likewise, I myself have been the target of violent police profiling on two separate occasions in D.C. As such, having seven siblings; growing up homeless as a gay, then trans teen, made me feel protective and I want to prevent needless childhood suffering as much as I can. Lastly, I wanted to share my recent experience as a featured presenter at the UA Little Rock, inaugural Next Gen Humanities Conference in 2024. I enjoyed presenting my poster about the influence of Haitian Independence Day. Attending the conference reminded me that even with my corneal condition and severe ADHD, I can work towards success as the first person in my family to attend college and rise out of poverty.

I’d like to describe my upbringing, how it motivated me to participate in social causes and share details on my work in the field of social justice. As a bi-racial, gay, gender-queer and legally blind kid of a Cuban-born Haitian and a white woman from New England, I often stood out in more ways than one. In a predominantly white state during the height of the popular and mostly socially acceptable catchphrase, "That’s so gay" I did my best to use my uniqueness as an advantage. After a random act of homicide that left me without a father at only a month old, mom moved my older sister and I to Florida, where we lived for a time before returning to N.H. to stay with my grandparents. My papa, a native of Louisville, Kentucky, renounced his membership in the KKK when my sister and I were infants. Though he was a model of successful rehabilitation, relatives from both the "Live Free or Die'' state in N.H. and the “United We Fall, Divided We Stand” state of K.Y., proudly used the ‘N’ word and often. Since I cannot escape the influence of my appearance, I can either submit to bigotry or work towards progressive inclusivity. At eighteen, I was pleased to discover a sanctuary in the local LGBTQ youth group, Seacoast Outright. Their motto, "You are who you say you are" inspired me immensely. It subsequently led me to speaking on panels and lead social programs as a member of the speaker’s bureau at the University of New Hampshire (UNH). A year later, I was welcomed as the new community-at-large board member at AIDS Response Seacoast (ARS). ARS gave me the opportunity to grow as a young leader by organizing charity events, and engaging in outreach programs like educating youth about safe sex. Speaking of education, my then boyfriend, now husband, is an educator of history, who also grew up in Portsmouth. If I never stepped foot in a youth meeting, I may have never met my current husband. This month, we celebrate twenty years together. Subsequently, I would never have discovered the queer community here in Little Rock. Within a year, I won the semi-finals of a drag competition, mentored young queer performers and volunteered at Little Rock Gay Pride. For years, I took care of my mother who suffered obesity and a thyroid condition, before and after her pneumonia-induced coma. College was put on hold. After much red tape and doubt, I enrolled at UA Little Rock in spring 2023. Concurrently, I assisted my husband in researching the Haitian Revolution at the Musée des Archives Nationales. A year prior, we accepted to a residency at the CAMARGO Foundation in Cassis, France (2023), trips are largely self-funded. School will help expand my drive for true equality - a subject that holds much significance in my life. Likewise, I myself have been the target of violent police profiling on two separate occasions in D.C. As such, having seven siblings; growing up homeless as a gay, then trans teen, made me feel protective and I want to prevent needless childhood suffering as much as I can. Lastly, I wanted to share my recent experience as a featured presenter at the UA Little Rock, inaugural Next Gen Humanities Conference in 2024. I enjoyed presenting my poster about the influence of Haitian Independence Day. Attending the conference reminded me that even with my corneal condition and severe ADHD, I can work towards success as the first person in my family to attend college and rise out of poverty.

You Are Who You Say You Are “Did you just figure that out!?” A stentorian retort I made in response to the slurs targeted at me by two schoolmates from my high school, in southern New Hampshire. Even at seventeen, I was so jaded after hearing the word, “Faggot!” more times than I could count.. Like many people in this melting pot of a nation, my identity was multi-layered; I was bi-racial, openly gay, openly trans, homeless and impoverished, somewhat visually impaired, which are factors that I believe will be cathartic to share, along with how one organization and one mantra played a pivotal role in my self-worth. As I mentioned, the intersectionality of my many self-descriptor’s and how they relate to my interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships, were often a heavy burden to carry but perhaps it gave me depth and helped me become a survivor. A month after my birth, my Cubano-Haitian father was murdered in a random attack. A few years later, my young mother moved my older sister and I from New England to Florida, for a fresh start. Being the minority in a majority white school in N.H., it was a culture shock to transition to an all-black school in Broward County. In N.H. I got called Nigger, and here in my new school in Ft. Lauderdale, because my mom was white, I got called a “white cracker.” Furthermore, I was ridiculed for having Haitian heritage. Back then, Haitians were unjustly stereotyped as lazy, cat-eating, deviant voodoo practitioners. A source of shame which was only compounded my struggle with being a young, severely insecure gay boy with gender-dysphoria. Years later, we returned to the “Live Free Or Die” state, where I called home for the remainder of my youth into adulthood. At eighteen, I discovered the non-profit youth organization, Seacoast Outright through my school’s Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA). I would soon open up to young people like myself. The weekly meetings were a godsend and I had never felt more welcomed. During its tenth anniversary feature in the local news site, Seacoast Online, a fellow staple of the S.O. group, Cecil Maxfield shared that, "It's a largely homophobic world we live in. My heart's just been broken with the courage, dignity and integrity seen in these kids," (2003). Tawnee Walling, the executive director at the time, championed the organization’s mantra that, “You are, who you say you are.” I took those words to heart, absorbing them into my psyche. The profound words allowed me the freedom to explore and discover my true self. It gave me the strength, to challenge my own ideas on gender and sexuality. As if shifting through dimensions in alternate incarnations of myself, I went from gay boy, to trans woman, to young man, to gender-queer- each very different, yet still represented a portion of me nonetheless. The “That’s so gay!” era of the incipient millennium was such a scary period of my youth. Tawnee’s mantra could not have come at a better time when, at one point, I wondered to my GOD if I would survive past the age of twenty. The deal went as follows; If I didn’t make it past twenty, then it would confirm what was projected onto me, that I was an abomination and didn’t deserve to live. And if I did make it past twenty, then GOD, or the Creator, accepted me with love, wholeheartedly. When I reached twenty-one, it felt like I hit the jackpot. This gave me the impetus to practice self-love, and in-turn help others in practicing it for themselves.