The road that led to my participation in the 2022 Brodhead Service Program began
with a Duke Engage program that I participated in during the summer of 2021. I selected the Duke Engage Miami program and chose to partner with Catholic Legal Services as a legal aid intern. The focus of the program was on empowering immigrant communities through social justice, legal advocacy, human rights education and awareness, and policy implementation.
I chose this program over other choices for several reasons. For one, I felt personally connected to this cause and the focus of the program. I am an immigrant from Haiti, live in South Florida, and have undergone similar processes and struggles as the immigrants who were the focus of the program. Knowing all that I went through, I felt exceedingly empathetic to their struggles as an immigrant in this country. Though I knew the program was going to be on zoom, I also chose it to connect to those who I would be assisting. The makeup of immigrants in Miami is largely composed of Haitians and I wanted the opportunity to speak my native language, kreyol, and have the opportunity to connect more personally. To this day, my favorite memory is when I interected with an elderly Haitian woman over the phone and after assisting her she told me "Merci pitit-mwen" which translates to "thank you, my child." It was such a heartfelt moment for me because after only a phone call she used a term of endearment towards me that my own grandma, who has known me all my life, uses on me.
Another path that led me to participate in Brodhead this particular summer was the ability to choose my own community partner to work for. I chose "Propel" because I was once a student that attended their program. Initially, I went to the program because my dad wanted me to accompany my younger sister who needed tutoring lessons but along the way I found a community of mentors and friends who loved and supported me. The organization was one of the defining factors that led me to be the woman I am today. I've always said if I were to ever have the opportunity to give back to an organization that has given so much to me I would.
These past two summers at Duke, I've enjoyed participating in civic engagement. My personal philosophy is that everyone should engage in helping their community. I use the word "their" loosely to describe any community that they felt connected or empathetic towards. I enjoy helping and connecting with other individuals. Often in civic engagements, you meet the kindest and most genuine coworkers. It makes the workplace that much more enjoyable. In this capitalistic society, it seems like everything everyone does is for profit. I've found the most passion in work places where my focus wasn't the money but on the task at hand. I fully intend on continuing my work with Propel after this summer because I admire the work that they are doing and this summer working for them has been fufilling for my own soul. I chose to participate in the Brodhead Service Program this summer so that I could engage in meaningful work, without a focus on profit, with a community that I am connected to.